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accidentalspaceexplorer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is very complex, sad, and brutal. While I found it an interesting setting & world, & thought the characters were well-fleshed out, I never actually came to care about anyone, and I didn't feel like the story grabbed me the way I prefer. Ultimately, I won't be continuing on, because I didn't think it was good enough to outweigh the way the tragedy of this world makes me feel.
rosieclaverton's review against another edition
4.0
Engaging, thought-provoking fantasy. I enjoyed how colonialism was explored through the veil of magic, with the different traditions well-described in the world.
I don’t enjoy spending time with unlikeable characters and the ending was more bitter than sweet, but overall, I enjoyed it and will pick up the sequel.
I don’t enjoy spending time with unlikeable characters and the ending was more bitter than sweet, but overall, I enjoyed it and will pick up the sequel.
readingelli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and War
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
In an alternate Paris, fallen angels rule the city. The Great War left its mark on the city, leaving the Seine polluted and grand landmarks in ruins. When Phllipe is present when Isabel falls, he is drawn into House Silverspires, who live surrounded by the remains of Notre Dame.
I just loved the world created by Aliette de Bodard, twining together elements from both sides of her heritage (Vietnamese and French). Paris is recognisable but changed. None of the fallen know why they were banished from Heaven, but what remains of their power has helped them rise above the humans.
The houses are all at a sort of stalemate, all of them seek power but no one wants another war, so they circle each other, on the look out for weaknesses. When Phillipe finds a mirror which appears to hold memories of the first fallen, Morningstar, little does he know he's opened Silverspires up to something dark.
Phillipe is an immortal, unable to return to his homeland (an alternative version of Vietnam). He hates what the fallen stand for and is angry at being bound to Silverspires. Yet, he has a bond with the new fallen, Isabelle, who is an innocent in all this. The fallen represent colonialism, using their power to spread across the globe, ruling where they don't belong. But then the fallen are also exiles of a kind. I hope the other books explain a bit more of the history of this world and explore how the fallen came to be.
Then there's the house alchemist, addicted to the ground up bones of the fallen and trying to block out the memories of her previous house. The bodies of fallen possess power and when one dies, it's important to harvest every last drop. But this power isn't for humans, and Madeleine is slowly killing herself. She turns to drugs because reality is too hard to bear.
As well as all these fantastic characters, there are the power struggles of the houses, not all of them as kind as Silverspires. Plus the plot lines of the dark forces unleashed by Phillipe, if accidentally, and the mystery of who is behind it.
It took me a little while to get into, just because of all the elements. Once I'd absorbed the world and characters, I loved it. A breath of fresh air in a genre so often dominated by US and UK settings.
I just loved the world created by Aliette de Bodard, twining together elements from both sides of her heritage (Vietnamese and French). Paris is recognisable but changed. None of the fallen know why they were banished from Heaven, but what remains of their power has helped them rise above the humans.
The houses are all at a sort of stalemate, all of them seek power but no one wants another war, so they circle each other, on the look out for weaknesses. When Phillipe finds a mirror which appears to hold memories of the first fallen, Morningstar, little does he know he's opened Silverspires up to something dark.
Phillipe is an immortal, unable to return to his homeland (an alternative version of Vietnam). He hates what the fallen stand for and is angry at being bound to Silverspires. Yet, he has a bond with the new fallen, Isabelle, who is an innocent in all this. The fallen represent colonialism, using their power to spread across the globe, ruling where they don't belong. But then the fallen are also exiles of a kind. I hope the other books explain a bit more of the history of this world and explore how the fallen came to be.
Then there's the house alchemist, addicted to the ground up bones of the fallen and trying to block out the memories of her previous house. The bodies of fallen possess power and when one dies, it's important to harvest every last drop. But this power isn't for humans, and Madeleine is slowly killing herself. She turns to drugs because reality is too hard to bear.
As well as all these fantastic characters, there are the power struggles of the houses, not all of them as kind as Silverspires. Plus the plot lines of the dark forces unleashed by Phillipe, if accidentally, and the mystery of who is behind it.
It took me a little while to get into, just because of all the elements. Once I'd absorbed the world and characters, I loved it. A breath of fresh air in a genre so often dominated by US and UK settings.
irobarte's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.5
banditisafatcat's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tani's review against another edition
4.0
In the interest of full disclosure, I got this through a Goodreads giveaway.
I was extremely excited about this book because there was so much hype around it, so I'm afraid it ended up being a bit of a disappointment. (Isn't that often the way that it goes?) I liked the premise of the book, but I failed to truly connect with any of the characters. Selene and Phillipe were probably my favorites, and I wouldn't say I had any strong attachment to either of them. I think the problem, for me, was that so much of who these characters are is defined by their pasts. We're told of these pasts, but it's kind of disconnected from the present, so I had trouble empathizing.
Another downfall was that this is a murder mystery, and that's a hard genre for me. I get bored with that kind of story pretty easily. I'm all for crime shows, but somehow mystery books aren't nearly as good for me. If the pacing doesn't work perfectly for me, then I don't like the story as much. In this case, the middle of the book really dragged for me. There was a time when I just felt like the characters were floundering around and nothing was really happening. That was a struggle for me to get through.
Thankfully, the last quarter of the book picked up dramatically and I finally found myself drawn into the story. I breezed through that last section! Everything came together really well, and the climax of the story was quite exciting.
I think my expectations were just a bit too high going in. Still, I felt that this was a very unique take on the genre, and one that will stand out in my mind for quite some time.
I was extremely excited about this book because there was so much hype around it, so I'm afraid it ended up being a bit of a disappointment. (Isn't that often the way that it goes?) I liked the premise of the book, but I failed to truly connect with any of the characters. Selene and Phillipe were probably my favorites, and I wouldn't say I had any strong attachment to either of them. I think the problem, for me, was that so much of who these characters are is defined by their pasts. We're told of these pasts, but it's kind of disconnected from the present, so I had trouble empathizing.
Another downfall was that this is a murder mystery, and that's a hard genre for me. I get bored with that kind of story pretty easily. I'm all for crime shows, but somehow mystery books aren't nearly as good for me. If the pacing doesn't work perfectly for me, then I don't like the story as much. In this case, the middle of the book really dragged for me. There was a time when I just felt like the characters were floundering around and nothing was really happening. That was a struggle for me to get through.
Thankfully, the last quarter of the book picked up dramatically and I finally found myself drawn into the story. I breezed through that last section! Everything came together really well, and the climax of the story was quite exciting.
I think my expectations were just a bit too high going in. Still, I felt that this was a very unique take on the genre, and one that will stand out in my mind for quite some time.
shigai's review against another edition
1.0
This is, without any doubt, one of the worst things I've ever read. And I've read fics written by obnoxious 12 year olds... I cannot even try to define what was wrong with it, since it was mostly everything. Plot wise it could have been ok, nice idea, but oh the development of it. It made no sense, it was spread too long at times, rushed at others, going on an endless loop of repeating the same sentences again and again. I am not exaggerating, there were sentences, descriptions mostly, that I could recite from heart by the end of the book. Yes, we get Philippe hates houses; Yes, we get Asmodeus smells like oranges and bergamot, etc.
None of the characters were likeable and none of their motives to do things made sense. I still don't understand the necessity of Madeleine in this story. Or, even, Philippe. OR, even, Morningstar, and he was the most likeable character, even if he's not even in the story. And they act so contradictory! I'm a prisoner, but I leave, but I come back, but I leave again, buuuuut then I will come back once more, hating every choice I make and having not even a good reason for why I act like this.
Mental.
I finished it because I try to never abandon a book, but you cannot imagine how hard and infuriating reading this was. The ammount of times I exclaimed 'ffs' was too high.
Conclusion: No. Never again.
None of the characters were likeable and none of their motives to do things made sense. I still don't understand the necessity of Madeleine in this story. Or, even, Philippe. OR, even, Morningstar, and he was the most likeable character, even if he's not even in the story. And they act so contradictory! I'm a prisoner, but I leave, but I come back, but I leave again, buuuuut then I will come back once more, hating every choice I make and having not even a good reason for why I act like this.
Mental.
I finished it because I try to never abandon a book, but you cannot imagine how hard and infuriating reading this was. The ammount of times I exclaimed 'ffs' was too high.
Conclusion: No. Never again.
sibil's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25