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kkdelrey's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
trin's review against another edition
4.0
I read it for the plot.
No, seriously: as a romance novel, this did very little for me, even though both main characters are wonderful -- distinct personalities with rich, angsty backstories. I think their relationship would have worked better for me as a slow burn, though, especially since Stephen gets over projecting his hatred for Crane's family onto Crane very quickly. (As is sensible and therefore I suppose surprising for a romance novel -- but I still would have liked more build up.)
However, the magical thriller aspects of this book were fantastic: imaginative, suspenseful, genuinely exciting. Charles' world-building makes me eager for more in the best way; I can't wait to read the next installment, not simply because I want to know what happens to Crane and Stephen -- in fact, I primarily want to read it because I am curious to learn more about how magic works in her universe, and to get more of her side characters like Merrick and Esther. (Gosh, do I ever want to meet Esther! Give me this badass Jewish magic practitioner lady!)
I am wholly hooked.
No, seriously: as a romance novel, this did very little for me, even though both main characters are wonderful -- distinct personalities with rich, angsty backstories. I think their relationship would have worked better for me as a slow burn, though, especially since Stephen gets over projecting his hatred for Crane's family onto Crane very quickly. (As is sensible and therefore I suppose surprising for a romance novel -- but I still would have liked more build up.)
However, the magical thriller aspects of this book were fantastic: imaginative, suspenseful, genuinely exciting. Charles' world-building makes me eager for more in the best way; I can't wait to read the next installment, not simply because I want to know what happens to Crane and Stephen -- in fact, I primarily want to read it because I am curious to learn more about how magic works in her universe, and to get more of her side characters like Merrick and Esther. (Gosh, do I ever want to meet Esther! Give me this badass Jewish magic practitioner lady!)
I am wholly hooked.
carrie_e's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
The story is so good that I read it with my eyes and then immediately re-read it with my ears.
seismatic's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rosemaryfay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I liked this book for the most part? The plot was good, the scenes were intense. I'm still untangling some of how I feel about the use of Chinese culture in the context of the text, though.
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
For a while there, I thought this would be a 3-star read. And it would've sucked because I've heard nothing but good things about this novel. Thankfully, while the book could still use some improvements in certain areas, other areas made up for it.
The story is about Lord Crane, Lucien, and Stephen Day. Lucien's spent the past twenty years in China. His only family—father and brother—were horrendous fucking people. And when they finally died, Lucien had to come back to sort out the estate. On returning, it seems someone's trying to kill him. Using magic. And that's where Stephen, who's a magician, comes in, to save him. He's reluctantly at first because Lucien's horrendous fucking family ruined many lives, including Stephen's. But those differences are sorted out when Day finds Lucien to be nothing like his brother or father.
The plot is part mystery, part paranormal, part romance, and part fucked up. It's fast-moving, the different aspects are well-balanced, and it's very interesting.
The issue I had with the book was the writing. I wanted more from the prose than it just telling me what the characters were doing and saying. I wanted to knows their thoughts and feeling, something that should be easy to accomplish in a novel. But there was barely any of that, and the protagonists felt like strangers for over half the book.
The thing that made up for the writing not being impactful enough was the story. I loved the plot and the direction the author took with the attempts on Lucien's life. The general fucked up nature of the shit that happened or was revealed was surprising and kinda refreshing. This book was darker than I expected it to be. And, simply put, I liked everything that happened in the book. I just wasn't a fan of how it was told. Though that did slowly start to improve, and the characters definitely grew on me.
Other than that, there could've been a bit more world-building. Or, well, it could've been done differently. I'd have liked to know about the place of magic in this world at the very beginning. A small thing, but it would've been significant in making me feel like I was a part of the world, rather than a distant spectator. But that's a small complaint, especially for such a short novel.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. The second half was, to me, much better than the first. And there's a lot of potential to these characters and where their stories might go, so I'm really glad that we're getting two more books with them. Looking forward to reading those.
The story is about Lord Crane, Lucien, and Stephen Day. Lucien's spent the past twenty years in China. His only family—father and brother—were horrendous fucking people. And when they finally died, Lucien had to come back to sort out the estate. On returning, it seems someone's trying to kill him. Using magic. And that's where Stephen, who's a magician, comes in, to save him. He's reluctantly at first because Lucien's horrendous fucking family ruined many lives, including Stephen's. But those differences are sorted out when Day finds Lucien to be nothing like his brother or father.
The plot is part mystery, part paranormal, part romance, and part fucked up. It's fast-moving, the different aspects are well-balanced, and it's very interesting.
The issue I had with the book was the writing. I wanted more from the prose than it just telling me what the characters were doing and saying. I wanted to knows their thoughts and feeling, something that should be easy to accomplish in a novel. But there was barely any of that, and the protagonists felt like strangers for over half the book.
The thing that made up for the writing not being impactful enough was the story. I loved the plot and the direction the author took with the attempts on Lucien's life. The general fucked up nature of the shit that happened or was revealed was surprising and kinda refreshing. This book was darker than I expected it to be. And, simply put, I liked everything that happened in the book. I just wasn't a fan of how it was told. Though that did slowly start to improve, and the characters definitely grew on me.
Other than that, there could've been a bit more world-building. Or, well, it could've been done differently. I'd have liked to know about the place of magic in this world at the very beginning. A small thing, but it would've been significant in making me feel like I was a part of the world, rather than a distant spectator. But that's a small complaint, especially for such a short novel.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. The second half was, to me, much better than the first. And there's a lot of potential to these characters and where their stories might go, so I'm really glad that we're getting two more books with them. Looking forward to reading those.
krystal6's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
___tamara___'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
It was wonderful to revisit this series, I almost forgot how much fun it is! And Cornell Collins did a great job of narrating the story.
Story: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
___tamara___'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0