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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
A roguish quintet, with varying levels of charm, stubbornness and resourcefulness, find themselves bound into a conspiracy tied to a secret locked below a city's imposing citadel. While the pace of the story can be slow at times, its layers are masterfully laid out and unraveled by the main characters Evander, Alys, Newt, Cass and Vesper. A great YA tale with a diverse cast and LGBT friendly, I really enjoyed this book and caught myself wondering how the hell they were going to escape their predicament, in a city where seemingly everything has been prophecized before their births.
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Disclaimer: I received a copy from my friend, the author.
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Disclaimer: I received a copy from my friend, the author.
3.5 Stars
Honestly, I've never suffered a worse case of "it's me not you" with a book before. Like, I liked what the book was doing, it technically checked a lot of boxes for me, but I just didn't emotionally connect with it? There were definitely things that struck me as being particularly good, like the memory powers (so cool!), and the diverse rep, and the well-crafted characters, and the ending . But mostly, I just kind of felt at a distance from everything.
I really don't know for sure what caused this emotional distance. Maybe the fact the characters and general rebellion/heist vibe really reminded me of Dangerous Remedy, which I read recently and also gave 3.5*. Even the two leader figures, Camille and Cassa, are very similar (strong-willed to the point of being stubborn young women brought up among rebels whose parents are executed, and are driven by this to an obsessive extent to achieve their goals). Even though one was historical fantasy and the other was high fantasy, the story beats were quite similar. I think if I'd read them further apart, I might have liked Beneath the Citadel more. (Side note: I feel like Beneath the Citadel is technically a stronger book, but I got a few more emotional punches from Dangerous Remedy.)
There's also the inevitable Six of Crows comparisons - and also, for me, The Gilded Wolves. I've been spoilt for heist stories with complex characters, so maybe my standards have just become really high? (Then again, is really good!) A part of me was wishing Beneath the Citadel was the second book in a duology, the Crooked Kingdom to its own Six of Crows. Maybe I could have done with the build up, seeing the characters meet in the present, not in flashbacks. Being as shocked by betrayal as the gang were. I feel like with so many POVs, maybe this book was stretched a little thin for me. This book clearly worked for many as a standalone, but man...I can only see its potential as a duology. Perhaps the reason for me not connecting with this book isn't the characters, or the world-building, or the plot - maybe it's purely structural.
Who knows, to be honest. This review probably doesn't make much sense, because I'm starting to confuse myself. I'm glad the rest of our book club enjoyed/is enjoying it though!
Me trying to work out why I couldn't connect to this book:
Honestly, I've never suffered a worse case of "it's me not you" with a book before. Like, I liked what the book was doing, it technically checked a lot of boxes for me, but I just didn't emotionally connect with it?
Spoiler
Apart from that one chapter in the Chancellor's memories. Is it weird he's the character I connected to the most?Spoiler
though it didn't make me cry and I WANTED it to. Cassa was a really good, well-developed character! But I felt nothing! Have I suddenly become a psychopath?I really don't know for sure what caused this emotional distance. Maybe the fact the characters and general rebellion/heist vibe really reminded me of Dangerous Remedy, which I read recently and also gave 3.5*. Even the two leader figures, Camille and Cassa, are very similar (strong-willed to the point of being stubborn young women brought up among rebels whose parents are executed, and are driven by this to an obsessive extent to achieve their goals). Even though one was historical fantasy and the other was high fantasy, the story beats were quite similar. I think if I'd read them further apart, I might have liked Beneath the Citadel more. (Side note: I feel like Beneath the Citadel is technically a stronger book, but I got a few more emotional punches from Dangerous Remedy.)
There's also the inevitable Six of Crows comparisons - and also, for me, The Gilded Wolves. I've been spoilt for heist stories with complex characters, so maybe my standards have just become really high? (Then again,
Spoiler
Vesper'sWho knows, to be honest. This review probably doesn't make much sense, because I'm starting to confuse myself. I'm glad the rest of our book club enjoyed/is enjoying it though!
Me trying to work out why I couldn't connect to this book:
One word to describe how I felt when I finished this: .... underwhelmed.
It started off so strong but that ending just didn’t work for me. After everything that’s built up
throughout the novel that’s really how it ends?
Review soon.
It started off so strong but that ending just didn’t work for me. After everything that’s built up
throughout the novel that’s really how it ends?
Review soon.
adventurous
medium-paced
DNF @ 30%
This book has so much potential and so many strong elements! I loved the potential in the diverse cast and the initial scenes, while necessarily repetitive, showed off the characters' personalities well. But the book didn't give its characters enough time. I didn't feel enough connection with them to care about what would have been meaningful flashbacks if I knew these folks at all but instead I'm hearing, "Oh, this wasn't like Newt!" Dude, I don't know what's like Newt, you have got to establish your characters if you want to subvert them!
So, DNF'd this one because I was a third of the way in and still trying so hard to care.
This book has so much potential and so many strong elements! I loved the potential in the diverse cast and the initial scenes, while necessarily repetitive, showed off the characters' personalities well. But the book didn't give its characters enough time. I didn't feel enough connection with them to care about what would have been meaningful flashbacks if I knew these folks at all but instead I'm hearing, "Oh, this wasn't like Newt!" Dude, I don't know what's like Newt, you have got to establish your characters if you want to subvert them!
So, DNF'd this one because I was a third of the way in and still trying so hard to care.
I think Destiny Soria is becoming a favourite author of mine
Edit 2024: happy to announce that Destiny Soria is indeed one of my favourite authors.
And this book is one of my all-time favourites.
Edit 2024: happy to announce that Destiny Soria is indeed one of my favourite authors.
And this book is one of my all-time favourites.
