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forthesanityof1's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
noranne's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this one better than the first, but still not sure how I feel about the series overall. Something about the writing style just seems slightly off to me, and it's not quite clicking.
eternallyunsatisfied's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
storytimed's review against another edition
2.5
The Vincents go on a honeymoon to Belgium, but... oh no! Mr. Vincent is kidnapped by Napoleon loyalists because he can use glamour to make himself invisible! He and Jane are also in the middle of trying to figure out how to create a portable invisibility glamour, which of course would have insane military applications
Unfortunately, this book is not as good as the Austen pastiche
Like after a certain point the whole thing just is not very plausible? Mr. Vincent is a genius glamour magician AND an accomplished artist AND a spy AND a secret nobleman AND a really good fighter
And unfortunately Jane is not a supremely compelling action heroine
Plus, like, there's a little weirdness where her maid betrays her and Jane is just shocked, shocked! at her disloyalty?
I'm like, girl, she does Not know you. She is just your employee
This book is also very pro-British Army and... yeesh..................
callmeren's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the little ways Jane learned to break away from her traditional English sensibilities and unconscious mysogynistic attitude. I feel like this book was better in the sense that it no longer felt the need to stick to a Jane Austen type of story, but it also lost a bit of the support such a structure provided. Still, it was a fun adventure, carried by Jane's character and Vincent and Jane's developing relationship. It _is_ a bit funny to hear Vincent professing his undying love while remembering how little they actually had in the sense of significant interactions during the first book. An average Victorian fantasy romance with a slice of war intrigue. I enjoyed the extended details on the magic system more than anything else, tbh.
ewil6681's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
read_ofthe_stein's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
drmaro's review against another edition
3.0
A very strangely paced book. Three-quarters of it are spent on slow and endless description of the characters doing nothing, and the last quarter tries to cram the full plot. The first book in the series had a similar problem - weird pacing, the last quarter or so feeling like a whole other book. A more strict editor would have improved the book greatly.
having said that, it's still a well-written book (if you want to read a book about the characters visiting some friends, their thoughts on Napoleonic Belgium, and some nice interpersonal drama, with an action short story tacked onto the end).
Personally, this book made me very impatient with Kowal. I'm going to give the third book a chance, but if it suffers from the same problems as the first two, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let this series go, despite its potential.
having said that, it's still a well-written book (if you want to read a book about the characters visiting some friends, their thoughts on Napoleonic Belgium, and some nice interpersonal drama, with an action short story tacked onto the end).
Personally, this book made me very impatient with Kowal. I'm going to give the third book a chance, but if it suffers from the same problems as the first two, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let this series go, despite its potential.