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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
An intriguing start to Newman's new series. The novella length was only annoying because it ended just as things were getting interesting.
Having Magus Hopkins be the handsomest man Charlotte had ever seen is such an overused trope and unutterably boooooring. Charlotte's fiancé is fairly bland and obviously not the right man for her if she doesn't trust him enough to tell him the truth about her illustrating career, but I really hope she doesn't end up falling for Hopkins.
Having the bad guys be located in Whitechapel brings the Ripper murders to mind, but it feels like lazy storytelling. Pick one of the dozens of other London neighborhoods for a change! It also strains the imagination that Charlotte could have traveled all the way across London, unaccompanied, on foot(??), at dead of night, multiple times, without anything untoward happening or anyone else noticing.
Having Magus Hopkins be the handsomest man Charlotte had ever seen is such an overused trope and unutterably boooooring. Charlotte's fiancé is fairly bland and obviously not the right man for her if she doesn't trust him enough to tell him the truth about her illustrating career, but I really hope she doesn't end up falling for Hopkins.
Having the bad guys be located in Whitechapel brings the Ripper murders to mind, but it feels like lazy storytelling. Pick one of the dozens of other London neighborhoods for a change! It also strains the imagination that Charlotte could have traveled all the way across London, unaccompanied, on foot(??), at dead of night, multiple times, without anything untoward happening or anyone else noticing.
This was a decent enough idea for a series and there's some interesting [if a little predictable] world-building going on here but this just felt more like the first half of a novel rather than a self-contained first book in a series to me. Usually I like books that are this length [200-ish pages is probably my ideal book length due to my attention span], but that's only if the author can manage to get a complete story into that space and this author did not.
Another thing that was annoying was the 'romance' aspect, which I feel barely deserves that label but nonetheless is setting up an obvious love triangle for future books and I think we all know how I feel about love triangles. It wasn't a bad book by any means but there wasn't really anything to elevate it to that next level for me, and with my TBR the way it is I have to be very picky about which series I continue on with so I think I'm going to have to abandon this series here.
Another thing that was annoying was the 'romance' aspect, which I feel barely deserves that label but nonetheless is setting up an obvious love triangle for future books and I think we all know how I feel about love triangles. It wasn't a bad book by any means but there wasn't really anything to elevate it to that next level for me, and with my TBR the way it is I have to be very picky about which series I continue on with so I think I'm going to have to abandon this series here.
Could easily have been a full length novel instead of stopping where it did. I don't usually care as much for this genre (I don't think it's quite steampunk? But this 1850's London is a pretty common fantasy seeing) but I enjoyed the concepts.
I loved this! and as always with a Tor.com novella, I wish it was longer.
I didn't for a moment believe such an independent, strong-willed woman would be so devoted to that milquetoast fiancé. Almost any other reason for her NOT to reveal her skill would have been more believable. I may still give #2 a chance. I like the plucky heroine and the clandestine partnership created at the end of the tale.
* I was sent this novella for review by the publisher *
This is the first novella in a very promising new series from Emma Newman. In this story it's mostly set-up for what is to come later on in the series as we meet the characters of Benjamin and Charlotte (a brother and sister), the setting of a world where magic manifests in children, and a Victorian England set up too. This story really is just the start point with small intros to the various plot threads and introductions of characters who will later become more essential.
Overall a very enjoyable short read and a series I certainly will continue with :) 3.5*s overall
This is the first novella in a very promising new series from Emma Newman. In this story it's mostly set-up for what is to come later on in the series as we meet the characters of Benjamin and Charlotte (a brother and sister), the setting of a world where magic manifests in children, and a Victorian England set up too. This story really is just the start point with small intros to the various plot threads and introductions of characters who will later become more essential.
Overall a very enjoyable short read and a series I certainly will continue with :) 3.5*s overall
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
This novella was quick-paced, a fast read, and fun. The story is set in 1850s Great Britain which was win number one. Win number two was the protagonist, Charlotte Gunn – intelligent, feisty, and loving (me favorite type). Win number three was the magical society set up in this book.
Charlotte is a woman who wants normal things like marrying her fiance and having a family. She also wants slightly more challenging modern things like continuing to earn her own income from her illustrations and keeping her male publishing pseudonym unknown. But most challenging off all is keeping her magic talent a secret. If it is found out, the Royal Society of the Esoteric Arts will claim her and her dreams of the future will be forfeit.
Keeping her magic a secret is not so easy. Charlotte has the guilt of not joining the Society to give her parents and brother a better life as well as the challenge of holding her magic in check and not going “Wild.” However events soon spiral out of control and Charlotte has to decide whether her dreams or her realities will determine her choices.
This novella is super short at 192 pages and felt more like a set-up or prequel to a longer novel. I loved it and wanted more. Charlotte’s family members were loving, struggled, and were realistic in many of their reactions to the occurring events. The magic of the society is introduced but ye don’t get all the bells and whistles of how it works or what it can do . . . yet. The plot was predictable at a few points but I didn’t care.
The novella had a great ending, left lots of questions to be explored, and had tantalizing hints of what may happen next. Whether the next installment be a novella or (hopefully) a longer novel – sign me up!
Side note: This author sounded familiar because I had just purchased her other novel planetfall, a sci-fi, to read! Stay tuned for that review in the next log post.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!
see me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This novella was quick-paced, a fast read, and fun. The story is set in 1850s Great Britain which was win number one. Win number two was the protagonist, Charlotte Gunn – intelligent, feisty, and loving (me favorite type). Win number three was the magical society set up in this book.
Charlotte is a woman who wants normal things like marrying her fiance and having a family. She also wants slightly more challenging modern things like continuing to earn her own income from her illustrations and keeping her male publishing pseudonym unknown. But most challenging off all is keeping her magic talent a secret. If it is found out, the Royal Society of the Esoteric Arts will claim her and her dreams of the future will be forfeit.
Keeping her magic a secret is not so easy. Charlotte has the guilt of not joining the Society to give her parents and brother a better life as well as the challenge of holding her magic in check and not going “Wild.” However events soon spiral out of control and Charlotte has to decide whether her dreams or her realities will determine her choices.
This novella is super short at 192 pages and felt more like a set-up or prequel to a longer novel. I loved it and wanted more. Charlotte’s family members were loving, struggled, and were realistic in many of their reactions to the occurring events. The magic of the society is introduced but ye don’t get all the bells and whistles of how it works or what it can do . . . yet. The plot was predictable at a few points but I didn’t care.
The novella had a great ending, left lots of questions to be explored, and had tantalizing hints of what may happen next. Whether the next installment be a novella or (hopefully) a longer novel – sign me up!
Side note: This author sounded familiar because I had just purchased her other novel planetfall, a sci-fi, to read! Stay tuned for that review in the next log post.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!
see me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
It all felt a little predictable but I enjoyed this all the same. Particularly liked the protagonist, Charlie.
The heroine was likeable, and the story interesting, but the author was too handerpants about the love interest for my tastes :/