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princeeskeleton's review
1.0
DNFing at 50%
This story just isn't for me..... The first book is way more enjoyable then this one which is EVEN MORE boring than I found the first one. The characters I actually did enjoy from the first book changed too much for me to stay invested in their stories, PLUS the 3 year gap between the novels makes for an awkward read. The characters keep on referencing this gap, but since we as readers didn't experience the events it feels as if we are missing out on a HUGE chunk of the story.
I mean Aristide somehow became a prolific film director and Cordelia is some revolutionary leader which is so SO COOL, but we didn't see how they became these things which would have made for a way more interesting story instead of focusing on the political conversations and Cyril's also boring sister.
This story just isn't for me..... The first book is way more enjoyable then this one which is EVEN MORE boring than I found the first one. The characters I actually did enjoy from the first book changed too much for me to stay invested in their stories, PLUS the 3 year gap between the novels makes for an awkward read. The characters keep on referencing this gap, but since we as readers didn't experience the events it feels as if we are missing out on a HUGE chunk of the story.
I mean Aristide somehow became a prolific film director and Cordelia is some revolutionary leader which is so SO COOL, but we didn't see how they became these things which would have made for a way more interesting story instead of focusing on the political conversations and Cyril's also boring sister.
misterkait's review
I love this series. It's powerful, emotional, and full of intrigue and great characters.
ashkitty93's review
4.0
A solid continuation. This series is so wonderfully character-driven and it makes me nervous. Nervous to see where my beloved Cordelia and Aristede end up in the finale. I want them to make it all the way to the end, but knowing this gritty world, I'm worried.
orion_or_hyangwoo's review
5.0
I love these decadent novels..."espionage cabaret" is a perfect description. They are so indescribably far up my alley that we're somewhere up on the rooftops.
chirson's review
3.0
I received the e-ARC of this novel courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.
My full review here.
In short: great characters, very good style, plot that takes a while to get going but then becomes really breathtaking, worldbuilding that doesn't quite do for this new city what Amberlough did for, well, Amberlough, and a good setup for a potentially explosive conclusion. Still, I wish a spy novel had more spying and more exciting plot twists, and more competent players (particularly early on).
I really liked Lillian (a lot more than Cyril). And Cordelia is great.
My full review here.
In short: great characters, very good style, plot that takes a while to get going but then becomes really breathtaking, worldbuilding that doesn't quite do for this new city what Amberlough did for, well, Amberlough, and a good setup for a potentially explosive conclusion. Still, I wish a spy novel had more spying and more exciting plot twists, and more competent players (particularly early on).
I really liked Lillian (a lot more than Cyril). And Cordelia is great.
garbutch's review
5.0
4.5 stars
I'm bad with remembering specifics so here's my summary of The Vibe.
This one starts a few years (3?) after the previous, in a new place. Cordelia is new to the place but Ari is not. It is the place Lillian was always in. some highjinx include things like double agenting, reverse kidnapping??? (Kidnapping but like taking child back to his mother.) and hope rising and falling when you're put in a hard place. And fighting even when you don't have hope, I guess, because there is the compulsion to do so. Because if you're going to go down, if everyone you love goes down, you need to give your vengeance to those who are putting you down. Stall your death as long as you can.
And these characters are really growing on me. They are each So Much their own people. And I love them.
I feel like the book got continually better as it went on. I read some reviews about it being hard to follow, and may have been primed to expect that but didn't feel like it was that huge compared to the other stuff. Maybe kind of hard because I'm bad with names of characters. In particular, I confused some of the newer man characters with similar narrator accents (in audiobook version) but this is just normal for me anyway. I found the first book a lot harder to follow tbh.
I look forward to the next one because I've really fallen in love with this.
I'm bad with remembering specifics so here's my summary of The Vibe.
This one starts a few years (3?) after the previous, in a new place. Cordelia is new to the place but Ari is not. It is the place Lillian was always in. some highjinx include things like double agenting, reverse kidnapping??? (Kidnapping but like taking child back to his mother.) and hope rising and falling when you're put in a hard place. And fighting even when you don't have hope, I guess, because there is the compulsion to do so. Because if you're going to go down, if everyone you love goes down, you need to give your vengeance to those who are putting you down. Stall your death as long as you can.
And these characters are really growing on me. They are each So Much their own people. And I love them.
I feel like the book got continually better as it went on. I read some reviews about it being hard to follow, and may have been primed to expect that but didn't feel like it was that huge compared to the other stuff. Maybe kind of hard because I'm bad with names of characters. In particular, I confused some of the newer man characters with similar narrator accents (in audiobook version) but this is just normal for me anyway. I found the first book a lot harder to follow tbh.
I look forward to the next one because I've really fallen in love with this.
brittaniethekid's review against another edition
DNF at 42 pages. This is one of my harder DNFs because I absolutely loved the first book. War-time intrigue with a sexually ambiguous male lead! This one... it's from the POV of different characters, takes place at a different time and different place, and it's just... maybe too ambitious. The author threw in a bunch more characters, nationalities, countries, etc. that made the plot hard to keep a hold of. Maybe if I re-read the first one and then went straight into this one I'd have an easier go of it but this one is going back in the stack.
amazingracerose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very fun expansion of the amberlough world and development for our remaining characters
crisveijk's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
skywalkerem's review
4.0
This book at one point has one of my favorite tropes of all time - spies/criminals/etc not knowing how to interact with children. Haha. It's been a while since I've felt so invested or sucked into a story. I laughed, I cried, I yelled in shock at some plot points. Although some plot points Hurt, I am having a fantastic time with this series. I also love the complicated characters and character relationships. They feel real enough that I have trouble describing them.