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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5⭐️ I LOVED that character death I feel like it was needed. Dang that sounds harsh but too bad.
Couldn't connect with story or characters.
I really wanted to like this book, but honestly it was just super disappointing. It's basically a Six of Crows knock-off.
I thought I was going to love this book because for one the cover is beautiful and the first couple of chapters were amazing. It starts out with a ragtag group of 4 being sentenced to death. Cassa is cocky but charming, Alys is portrayed as this super cool/calm/collected character, Newt is quiet but wise, and Evander is a sarcastic but endearing kid. I was immediately in love, but then 3ish chapters in they all changed. It was like a completely different set of characters. Or so I thought, until it hit me that the group is literally the characters from Six of Crows in a slightly different (but not really) situation.
Cassa = Kaz
Alys = Inej/hint of Nina
Newt = Wylan
Evander = Jesper (including his ability to manipulate an element)
Vesper = Nina
So that was bad, but then it got worse. The whole book the author is pointing out how they're all "friends". However, everyone clearly hates one character. And it's never clear how any of them became "friends" at all. This just made them all seem annoying and I didn't care about any of them to be honest.
I thought I was going to love this book because for one the cover is beautiful and the first couple of chapters were amazing. It starts out with a ragtag group of 4 being sentenced to death. Cassa is cocky but charming, Alys is portrayed as this super cool/calm/collected character, Newt is quiet but wise, and Evander is a sarcastic but endearing kid. I was immediately in love, but then 3ish chapters in they all changed. It was like a completely different set of characters. Or so I thought, until it hit me that the group is literally the characters from Six of Crows in a slightly different (but not really) situation.
Cassa = Kaz
Alys = Inej/hint of Nina
Newt = Wylan
Evander = Jesper (including his ability to manipulate an element)
Vesper = Nina
So that was bad, but then it got worse. The whole book the author is pointing out how they're all "friends". However, everyone clearly hates one character. And it's never clear how any of them became "friends" at all. This just made them all seem annoying and I didn't care about any of them to be honest.
When I started this, I thought that it was going to be a new favourite but this was not the case. While I did enjoy it, it definitely was not one of the best but I think that it was because I have been reading like 12 books at once and this one got pushed to the side.
I think because of this I often lost threads of the story which made me really confused and dampened my enjoyment. I did really love all of the characters and the ending did shock me on multiple occasions. I did really love the diversity for the characters as there were bisexual characters and an asexual character who has panic attacks and anxiety and also sapphic moments although I am not sure if they are actually lesbian or otherwise.
I also did like the world and the whole story although it was similar to other books that are quite popular. Saying this though, I believe that it can stand on its own and is definitely worth the read considering how underrated it is.
I think because of this I often lost threads of the story which made me really confused and dampened my enjoyment. I did really love all of the characters and the ending did shock me on multiple occasions. I did really love the diversity for the characters as there were bisexual characters and an asexual character who has panic attacks and anxiety and also sapphic moments although I am not sure if they are actually lesbian or otherwise.
I also did like the world and the whole story although it was similar to other books that are quite popular. Saying this though, I believe that it can stand on its own and is definitely worth the read considering how underrated it is.
*4.5 stars
this was an amazing standalone fantasy with an intriguing mystery, fascinating world and excellent found family. definitely highly recommend it!
cw: abuse, fire, death, murder, loss of loved ones, panic attacks
this was an amazing standalone fantasy with an intriguing mystery, fascinating world and excellent found family. definitely highly recommend it!
cw: abuse, fire, death, murder, loss of loved ones, panic attacks
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected! It also definitely benefited from being a standalone, and not trying to drag out the story further (and it was also just so nice to read a decent fantasy standalone!)
I was hooked on the characters fairly quickly because I loved how they were introduced. The first chapter is from someone else's POV, and we meet these characters (accused of crimes that'll end in death) just as that person does. Right away, we get a fairly clear picture of who each of these characters are, from their personalities to their role within their group. It also served to hook me into the story right away, because we're left wondering how they got in this position, and why most of them are oddly chill with it. The characters only become stronger as the book goes on in my opinion too, as we learn their flaws and depths. They're diverse both in personality and identity, and I felt like each character actively contributed to the story and had their own role to play. None of them were there simply to raise up one or two characters, and the book could've just as easily been told from any one of their perspectives. In the end, I ended up loving them all for different reasons as well. Newt was the soft cinnamon roll of the group, but he was far from helpless himself. Alys was the smart logical one, but had her own fears and anxieties that she was working hard to manage. Cassa was the self-proclaimed leader of the group, brash and entirely reliant on the rest of the group to keep her wild plans from failing constantly. Evander was the comedic relief yet so much more, as we learn about the depths of his relationship with his sister and his need to keep everyone safe and happy. Then there was Vesper, the one with constantly shifting allegiances (at least according to the people around her), who was just trying her best to do what she thought was good. Everyone had such depth, even some side characters (like the Chancellor), and I loved their endings, as they were fitting (yet also extremely heartbreaking).
I also liked the world that the book was set in. The entire city runs on prophecies and the powers of a few (rooks to read/steal/shift memories, seers to tell the distant future/give prophecies, sentients to read faces (and memories on those faces), and diviners to tell the near future), and while the powers weren't necessarily unique, the way they were utilized in the story was. The book dealt a lot with memory and people's perception of it, and what happens when certain memories are shared or misplaced, and it led to many moments where characters lose moments here and there, and it dramatically shifts their actions directly afterward. It led to some really interesting moments, and it worked really well alongside the plot!
The plot was also well-done, as it gave enough space for build-up as well as resolution, which can very often be an issue in stand-alones. We got multiple chapters at the end of the book for loose ends to be tied up (not all of them, but enough that the story feels cloesd), leaving readers with a decent sense of closure. Not only was the pacing well-done, but the story itself was too. There were some predictable moments, but even then the characters did not react to certain information predictably. There were also constantly shifting allegiances, not within the group but with who the group trusted and believed, and it kept both the characters, and the reader, on edge. While I still think the characters are the strongest aspect of the book, the plot definitely didn't take away from my enjoyment. I also really liked that the author chose to end the story the way she did, with the sacrifice that was involved, rather than the characters miraculously saving the world and everything suddenly being okay after. There was loss and still room to grow, and things are far from okay in this world, but we can still see a path to a better future.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I can't wait to read other books by this author!
I was hooked on the characters fairly quickly because I loved how they were introduced. The first chapter is from someone else's POV, and we meet these characters (accused of crimes that'll end in death) just as that person does. Right away, we get a fairly clear picture of who each of these characters are, from their personalities to their role within their group. It also served to hook me into the story right away, because we're left wondering how they got in this position, and why most of them are oddly chill with it. The characters only become stronger as the book goes on in my opinion too, as we learn their flaws and depths. They're diverse both in personality and identity, and I felt like each character actively contributed to the story and had their own role to play. None of them were there simply to raise up one or two characters, and the book could've just as easily been told from any one of their perspectives. In the end, I ended up loving them all for different reasons as well. Newt was the soft cinnamon roll of the group, but he was far from helpless himself. Alys was the smart logical one, but had her own fears and anxieties that she was working hard to manage. Cassa was the self-proclaimed leader of the group, brash and entirely reliant on the rest of the group to keep her wild plans from failing constantly. Evander was the comedic relief yet so much more, as we learn about the depths of his relationship with his sister and his need to keep everyone safe and happy. Then there was Vesper, the one with constantly shifting allegiances (at least according to the people around her), who was just trying her best to do what she thought was good. Everyone had such depth, even some side characters (like the Chancellor), and I loved their endings, as they were fitting (yet also extremely heartbreaking).
I also liked the world that the book was set in. The entire city runs on prophecies and the powers of a few (rooks to read/steal/shift memories, seers to tell the distant future/give prophecies, sentients to read faces (and memories on those faces), and diviners to tell the near future), and while the powers weren't necessarily unique, the way they were utilized in the story was. The book dealt a lot with memory and people's perception of it, and what happens when certain memories are shared or misplaced, and it led to many moments where characters lose moments here and there, and it dramatically shifts their actions directly afterward. It led to some really interesting moments, and it worked really well alongside the plot!
The plot was also well-done, as it gave enough space for build-up as well as resolution, which can very often be an issue in stand-alones. We got multiple chapters at the end of the book for loose ends to be tied up (not all of them, but enough that the story feels cloesd), leaving readers with a decent sense of closure. Not only was the pacing well-done, but the story itself was too. There were some predictable moments, but even then the characters did not react to certain information predictably. There were also constantly shifting allegiances, not within the group but with who the group trusted and believed, and it kept both the characters, and the reader, on edge. While I still think the characters are the strongest aspect of the book, the plot definitely didn't take away from my enjoyment. I also really liked that the author chose to end the story the way she did, with the sacrifice that was involved, rather than the characters miraculously saving the world and everything suddenly being okay after. There was loss and still room to grow, and things are far from okay in this world, but we can still see a path to a better future.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I can't wait to read other books by this author!
This is the type of story that suits a stand alone. However, I think the beginning could have had a little more fleshing out as you dive right into the world.
The characters are morally grey and an interesting world. The heist itself, not so interesting.
There is something I noticed though and I think Soria may have read Six of Crows before writing this because there is one character who is so like Jesper, it's too much to be coincidence.
Overall, however a pretty good standalone.
The characters are morally grey and an interesting world. The heist itself, not so interesting.
There is something I noticed though and I think Soria may have read Six of Crows before writing this because there is one character who is so like Jesper, it's too much to be coincidence.
Overall, however a pretty good standalone.
For a relatively unknown author, I felt that Soria really hit the mark in her vision of the city of Eldra. Although there was no map, the ease with which I could identify each characters journey through the world was a refreshing change compared to other fantasies I have read.
The character development seemed to take a logical progression rather than using the cliched 'I'm a child who knows no power' and then suddenly they are the most powerful mage anyone has ever come across. The relationships between characters were also enjoyable to read - rather than a traditional familial bond Alys and Evander seem to have something special (I quite enjoyed the question of Truth or Lie being utlised on multiple occassions). When discussing intimate relationships, the non-heterosexual pairing felt natural rather than placed within for shock factor.
Secondary characters were for the most part well fleshed out although I did take exception to Mira and the ironbound guard. I particularly enjoyed Solan as a character with his progression proving you can't judge a book by its cover.
While the majority of the story was well paced, I almost gave up around the 30% mark. I am however, unsure whether the narrative stagnated or I simply had a moment of lack of focus.
Overall I enjoyed this novel for what it was, a story following 4 renegades in their mission to bring down The Man.
I received an advance review copy from Netgalley adn Pique Beyond in exchange for an honest review. Any opinions expressed within this review are that of the author.
The character development seemed to take a logical progression rather than using the cliched 'I'm a child who knows no power' and then suddenly they are the most powerful mage anyone has ever come across. The relationships between characters were also enjoyable to read - rather than a traditional familial bond Alys and Evander seem to have something special (I quite enjoyed the question of Truth or Lie being utlised on multiple occassions). When discussing intimate relationships, the non-heterosexual pairing felt natural rather than placed within for shock factor.
Secondary characters were for the most part well fleshed out although I did take exception to Mira and the ironbound guard. I particularly enjoyed Solan as a character with his progression proving you can't judge a book by its cover.
While the majority of the story was well paced, I almost gave up around the 30% mark. I am however, unsure whether the narrative stagnated or I simply had a moment of lack of focus.
Overall I enjoyed this novel for what it was, a story following 4 renegades in their mission to bring down The Man.
I received an advance review copy from Netgalley adn Pique Beyond in exchange for an honest review. Any opinions expressed within this review are that of the author.
This was fine. The whole is it fate or is it prophecy or is it free will could have been a much more interesting part of the plot. Same with the idea of how much we are our memories. This book gets credit for representation, but at least for the ace representation it's literally like one sentence defining ace identity with no actual applicability. Some interesting elements, but too many POVs.