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jmcd37's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
smateer73's review against another edition
4.0
This book was sooo good! The plot moves rapidly and will leave you guessing until the end. The characters are so well-formed and every interaction will leave you breathless. I loved this book
sklus's review against another edition
3.0
So I've realized that unless it's The Great Gatsby I don't like books set in the 1920s. At least I don't like "realism" in books about the 1920s. When I'm reading my YA Fantasy books to escape from the world, I don't need it to be peppered with "realistic" sexism. I don't need the male protagonist and romantic interest to make creepy comments about the female protagonist saying that "like any man in his right mind could have resisted that" when she opened the door to the bathroom wearing only a towel (307). She wasn't propositioning him; she was just standing in a towel. I don't need for the main character to get yelled at by her love interest or get man-handled by him multiple times throughout the book, even after he grabbed her so hard he left a "red mark" on her skin and seemed to regret behaving like "his father's son" (310). But it's all okay because he admits he doesn't "have a hidden heart of gold. [He's] a bastard in every sense of the word" (387). (It is not all okay.)
But I don't hate all of the book, but I don't think I'm going to continue the series. Some of the characters were really great. I loved Viola and her knives. The fantasy world built in this book was well fleshed out and interesting. The mageus, or people who have an affinity for magic, are an allegory for immigrants. Non-Mageus believe that the "mageus come not with open hearts, willing to throw off the superstitions of their past, but with insidious intent," which is awfully reminiscent of some xenophobic rhetoric we still hear today (*cough* Donald Trump *cough*) (414). Although there are some parts about the allegory I liked and some I didn't, I think overall it was well done, since most of the Mageus are actually first and second generation immigrants and most of the Order is old-money Americans. I also love the premise of a heist in order to end an oppressive organization. The unfortunate part about the heist is that 400 pages of the books built up to it and then it was over and done in less than 50 pages.
With my abundant criticism, I don't want to discourage anyone from trying this book. If you can handle more sexism in your historical fantasy books, you may love this book. It's one of my friends favorite books of all time and I trust her opinions on everything fantasy.
But I don't hate all of the book, but I don't think I'm going to continue the series. Some of the characters were really great. I loved Viola and her knives. The fantasy world built in this book was well fleshed out and interesting. The mageus, or people who have an affinity for magic, are an allegory for immigrants. Non-Mageus believe that the "mageus come not with open hearts, willing to throw off the superstitions of their past, but with insidious intent," which is awfully reminiscent of some xenophobic rhetoric we still hear today (*cough* Donald Trump *cough*) (414). Although there are some parts about the allegory I liked and some I didn't, I think overall it was well done, since most of the Mageus are actually first and second generation immigrants and most of the Order is old-money Americans. I also love the premise of a heist in order to end an oppressive organization. The unfortunate part about the heist is that 400 pages of the books built up to it and then it was over and done in less than 50 pages.
With my abundant criticism, I don't want to discourage anyone from trying this book. If you can handle more sexism in your historical fantasy books, you may love this book. It's one of my friends favorite books of all time and I trust her opinions on everything fantasy.
dornzz's review against another edition
3.0
Listen I LOVED this book, the premise, the plot twists I didn’t see coming — it was amazing. But the PACING omg a snail moves faster than this, it was tough to get thru. Honestly I was skimming these endless paragraphs and didn’t miss a thing. No questions, no confusion, no going back to see if I missed something — that for me means you writin too damn much but anyways 1.5 stars off for the pace. Other than that, superb
cec1010's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.25
apothecary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
allivenger's review against another edition
4.0
This feels like it took me forever to read because it was so dense. But the world building and the character building was absolutely needed. I enjoyed this book a lot and I loved the magic system and the parameters of said magic system. The characters felt very real and alive and overall I will continue the series because I loved the characters so much. The only reason I deducted a star was because it felt like too much information at times and I struggled to pay attention. But the chapters were on the shorter side and alternating characters helped a lot.
::Spoilers ahead::
Esta is a really great main character for this. As a time traveler and thief she set the stage for the book. She is sent back in time to steal a magical book before it disappears just as she has all the other magical artifacts before it. she has to maneuver her way in a world that doesn't look kindly upon mageus or on women. Compounded with a secret society hellbent on destroying her kind and the headstrong men she has been tasked to maneuver around? She makes for a force to be reckoned with.
On top of that the story is interwoven with so many other complex pieces that move their way around this old world chessboard in a magical (heh) way. I loved how everything came to a head at the end. I cannot wait to see what the next book holds. You can tell this was a labor of love for the author. It shows in the characters and the story itself.
::Spoilers ahead::
Esta is a really great main character for this. As a time traveler and thief she set the stage for the book. She is sent back in time to steal a magical book before it disappears just as she has all the other magical artifacts before it. she has to maneuver her way in a world that doesn't look kindly upon mageus or on women. Compounded with a secret society hellbent on destroying her kind and the headstrong men she has been tasked to maneuver around? She makes for a force to be reckoned with.
On top of that the story is interwoven with so many other complex pieces that move their way around this old world chessboard in a magical (heh) way. I loved how everything came to a head at the end. I cannot wait to see what the next book holds. You can tell this was a labor of love for the author. It shows in the characters and the story itself.