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nightwing's review against another edition
Thanks to NetGalley & Snowy Wings Publishing for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 40% of the way through.
I really could not get through the writing and minimal explanation of worldbuilding. I found it quite dull as well.
I really could not get through the writing and minimal explanation of worldbuilding. I found it quite dull as well.
grove9ruby's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
I enjoyed this read. Everything written wasn't over complicated which is a nice change from the average fantasy novel.
kblincoln's review against another edition
4.0
This is a novella, not a really a novel. I was reading along without realizing that and got to page 135 or so and was like....wait....that's it? We meet Hitomi, a scrappy young secretly-magic wielding street person who is helping a family (with the help of famous outlaw Ghost) to escape the minions of a dude named Blackflame-- who may or may not have killed Hitomi's mother.
Then she gets captured, meets a vampire (a "fang" in this world) and then gets stuck in a cell with a soul-stealing monster (called "breather") ? There are some hijinks after that including Hitomi meeting a possibly mentor and possibly having a possible more-than-friendship-forbidden type feeling with the breather....and then the books stops.
I like Hitomi. I like the fact that she can steal sun and that she's untried, and that this world isn't completely based on faux medieval europe-- and I'll forgive the somewhat self-conscious fantasy names like "brokensword" and "blackflame"-- but there's already so much of Hitomi's backstory crunched into too few pages at the start here. And too few actual scenes with her and the breather as she spends most of the last bit of the book with a broken memory.
I need more development of a lifestory and potential forbidden friendship before you make the main character forget it. Or, alternatively, spend a bunch of time after she forgets having her slowly unravel the mystery of herself. Instead we get the end of the book. So, as I said, while I liked Hitomi, I am not on board with this first book being so truncated.
If you don't mind an obvious cliffhanger, and if the book is still 99 cents as a Kindle read...it is worthwhile.
Then she gets captured, meets a vampire (a "fang" in this world) and then gets stuck in a cell with a soul-stealing monster (called "breather") ? There are some hijinks after that including Hitomi meeting a possibly mentor and possibly having a possible more-than-friendship-forbidden type feeling with the breather....and then the books stops.
I like Hitomi. I like the fact that she can steal sun and that she's untried, and that this world isn't completely based on faux medieval europe-- and I'll forgive the somewhat self-conscious fantasy names like "brokensword" and "blackflame"-- but there's already so much of Hitomi's backstory crunched into too few pages at the start here. And too few actual scenes with her and the breather as she spends most of the last bit of the book with a broken memory.
I need more development of a lifestory and potential forbidden friendship before you make the main character forget it. Or, alternatively, spend a bunch of time after she forgets having her slowly unravel the mystery of herself. Instead we get the end of the book. So, as I said, while I liked Hitomi, I am not on board with this first book being so truncated.
If you don't mind an obvious cliffhanger, and if the book is still 99 cents as a Kindle read...it is worthwhile.
sarah_bell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
theirresponsiblereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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What’s Sunbolt About?
We start with a chase scene through a street market that might as well be scored by Alan Menken (although Jafar or Genie is to be found anywhere in the rest of the book, Hitomi would have no problem with a Jafar). Our protagonist, a thief—and someone of a clearly different ethnicity to everyone around her—is scrappy and nimble, getting away from her pursuers (quasi-official mercenaries) with the help of some of the sellers in the market.
We learn that this brash young woman is named Hitomi and she’s allied (somewhat) with a group calling itself the Shadow League, which is trying to stand up to an increasingly corrupt and oppressive government. The government is backed by the Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame (who is just about to be running everything through puppets).
Hitomi and some allies head out one night to save a powerful family from arrest and (likely) execution—and almost everything that could go wrong does. Hitomi and some of the family are captured. And then…well, this book about scrappy freedom fighters becomes something very different.
The World Building
At the beginning of the book, Khanani provides a guide to pronouncing some of the names in the book—I always appreciate that kind of thing (if one was grading, I’d have gotten a low B, incidentally, on my own). In her lead-up to that, she mentions that the fantasy world she’s created and the cultures within it “are primarily based on a variety of real-world historical cultures.” I wish she’d have listed (at least a partial list) of those cultures just for curiosity’s sake. I spent a little too much time wondering what X or Y came from after reading that. (and was very likely wrong 60+% of the time)
But ultimately, it doesn’t matter what those sources were, because she’s made them into something new and fit for her world. And whatever the backgrounds may be, they work really well for this novel—perhaps better than it do in our own. It’s familiar and yet foreign all at once. Khanani doesn’t drown us in details or anything like that (thankfully), but you have the impression that everything has been worked out thoroughly (whether or not it has been) and that this a fully-developed world with a fascinating history and a future worth saving.
We only get a hint of the magic system, but has a lot of promise. The variety of magical races (for lack of a better term) is great, and (again) familiar to a fantasy reader, but specific to Khanani’s world. You can’t help but want to learn more about both the magic system and the races, you get enough to carry you through the novel—but you want more.
So, what did I think about Sunbolt?
Sunbolt is short. Freakishly short for the genre, really. But that brevity works so well for this story. Like a wizard and punctuality, this book is precisely as long as it needed to be. It tells the story it needs to in a satisfying manner and then is done. Yes, it prepares you for the second book in the series, but not in a cliffhanger way.
I wouldn’t have minded if the book was longer if it meant we got to spend more time with the characters—but that’s what a sequel is for, right?
There’s a moment really early on that made me grimace—Khanani over-explained a moment robbing it of its power. And as I so often do, I murmured a silent plea (pointless since the book had been out for a decade) for her to trust her audience. But that was the only time that the book stopped me with something like that—most of the writing was subtle, nuanced, and smooth. I did have to stop a few times to re-read sentences because I liked them so much.
Hitomi—fierce, independent, determined, and over-her-head—is one of those characters you gravitate to immediately and while you know she’s making a blunder here and there, you can’t help but root for her. Sadly for her, her blunders tend to work out better than some of her plans—a treat for her readers, however.
I’m going to avoid a deep dive on the rest of the characters, although I think many of them deserve it. I’m not sure I trust everyone in the Shadow League, but they’re all intriguing characters—and I’d gladly read a Shadow League novel tomorrow to get to know them better. The villains are some of the worst I’ve run across this year, and you can’t complain about that. Then there’s someone who becomes rather important to Hitomi in the closing chapters…I think they could go down as one of my favorites of the year (and easily become someone I despise in a future encounter).
A well-paced story, with strong characters, and a great fantasy world to explore. That’s all the makings of a winner in my book. Sunbolt is a quick, fascinating read that will make you want to click on the order button for the sequel as soon as you finish.
avoraciousreader68's review against another edition
medium-paced
5.0
Book source ~ BBNYA
Hitomi is an orphan living on the streets of Karolene. She has magic but has to hide the fact she does. She belongs to an underground movement called the Shadow League. They work against the Arch Mage Blackflame who is corrupt. When a mission goes wrong Hitomi finds herself captured and alone. She must use all of her wits to survive and escape. Can she do it?
I read this back in November as a judge for BBNYA2022 and I couldn’t put it down. I really should have written my review then, but things happen. In any case, what I remember is a lot of action, magic, and a badass in Hitomi. There were times I didn’t think she was going to pull off an escape yet she did and others where I thought, oh no. This is it. How could her story end here? But it didn’t! The pacing is quick, the characters great, and the world is so interesting! I look forward to book 2 which is out there waiting for me to pick it up and I’m itching to do so! I just need to find time. That’s such a me problem though. sigh
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with a digital copy of the book for a blog tour with The Write Reads Tours in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, torture, murder, death of parent, kidnapping, confinement, grief, xenophobia
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Having already read some of Khanani’s Dauntless Path books I knew to expect a story with a lush world, intriguing politics and a badass female lead and I wasn’t wrong. Despite being on the short side, Sunbolt is so so good. In fact if you’re out looking for a near perfect novella then this one definitely makes the cut!
We follow Hitomi through the streets of Karloene as she works within an resistance group known as the Shadow League who are doing what they can to oppose the scheming of a corrupt government. But Hitomi has secrets of her own, these being of the magical kind, and when a mission goes wrong and she finds herself in way more trouble than she anticipated, she must decide on what she is willing to do and willing to reveal for freedom.
A well-rounded story that is perfectly paced and will keep you engaged from the very first page, Sunbolt introduces a fascinating new fantasy world which gives the reader an adequate glimpse of all its wonders whilst also leaving you craving for more adventures in its midst.
Khanani’s storytelling has its own magic, she immerses you right in with the people and the places of her stories as though you’re running side by side with the characters. The worldbuilding here is steadily expanded on the more you read, from the cultures and various beings that populate the wider world, to the background conspiracies, to the magic system.
The magic system isn’t wholly explained straight away but the details about and around it keep you intrigued as more is revealed. What I was absolutely compelled by though (ha!) was the fresh take on vampires but I’m not going to say much more there because you should really go check it out for yourself.
Hitomi is such a brave and determined protagonist, the inspiring kind who wants to do the most to help others as well as find her place in the world and you can’t help but want to root for her. I really enjoyed following her on this little adventure and I’m definitely going to be picking up Memories of Ash hopefully sometime soon to see how her story continues.
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
**I was provided with a digital copy of the book for a blog tour with The Write Reads Tours in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, torture, murder, death of parent, kidnapping, confinement, grief, xenophobia
--
Having already read some of Khanani’s Dauntless Path books I knew to expect a story with a lush world, intriguing politics and a badass female lead and I wasn’t wrong. Despite being on the short side, Sunbolt is so so good. In fact if you’re out looking for a near perfect novella then this one definitely makes the cut!
We follow Hitomi through the streets of Karloene as she works within an resistance group known as the Shadow League who are doing what they can to oppose the scheming of a corrupt government. But Hitomi has secrets of her own, these being of the magical kind, and when a mission goes wrong and she finds herself in way more trouble than she anticipated, she must decide on what she is willing to do and willing to reveal for freedom.
A well-rounded story that is perfectly paced and will keep you engaged from the very first page, Sunbolt introduces a fascinating new fantasy world which gives the reader an adequate glimpse of all its wonders whilst also leaving you craving for more adventures in its midst.
Khanani’s storytelling has its own magic, she immerses you right in with the people and the places of her stories as though you’re running side by side with the characters. The worldbuilding here is steadily expanded on the more you read, from the cultures and various beings that populate the wider world, to the background conspiracies, to the magic system.
The magic system isn’t wholly explained straight away but the details about and around it keep you intrigued as more is revealed. What I was absolutely compelled by though (ha!) was the fresh take on vampires but I’m not going to say much more there because you should really go check it out for yourself.
Hitomi is such a brave and determined protagonist, the inspiring kind who wants to do the most to help others as well as find her place in the world and you can’t help but want to root for her. I really enjoyed following her on this little adventure and I’m definitely going to be picking up Memories of Ash hopefully sometime soon to see how her story continues.
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder, Death of parent, Blood, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Grief
meghan21's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bryonyindecisivereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I really enjoyed Sunbolt as a book that holds promise of a bigger story to come. I feel like we got a glimpse of the creatures and the land and the magic possible, and I’m excited to see where it’ll go next.
Hitomi was a resourceful main character and, although not traditionally powerful, I feel like she grew into the challenges she was faced with. I think she also became braver as the book went on.
I am interested in the side characters, such as Val and the Ghost. I feel like there are more stories waiting to be told there.
The world and setting were well developed. There’s a history to it, and a vastness we haven’t seen yet. Magic exists, but I don’t think we know how it fits.
The book was really easy to read, and the plot kept me turning the page.
I’ll be checking out the rest of the series!