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sugarloaf's review against another edition
3.25
This book got off to an incredibly promising start with a captivating description of a post-apocalyptic Paris in a world where fallen angels are hunted for their bones, which can be ground into an essence used for magic. The city is grimy, tattered and dangerous, ruled by Houses which scheme against each other for power and littered with gangs who scrape and scavenge to get by. It was a great setting for a dark mystery like this book; it provided a fantastic atmosphere and suspense.
Then the plot starts. The author does a really terrible job making any of the characters someone you should care about because the book feels like a series of scenes that were never stitched together properly. We will be at one scene, with one event happening, then we'll move to a different scene where the new action is the only thing the characters think about. There's no bridge between the scenes, no thoughts from the characters about time passing or how their relationship with anyone has changed or how they feel about anything other than what's happening right that instant. At one point our main character, Phillippe, is mentioned to have become friendly with Emmanuelle - a reasonably important side character - but the book had never even shown him meeting Emmanuelle.
de Bodard also has a very light touch with world building, not in the sense that it's incomplete, but in the sense that there is very little exposition. The result is that it takes well over halfway into the book to understand really key aspects about this world and the characters, and some important points don't come up until almost the end. Towards the back half of the book I found myself really enjoying the world - the impact of Morningstar's disappearance on his house, the Dragon Kingdom and Phillippe's religion, the complexities of angel essence and the power and ruin it could bring - but it just came so late.
Then the plot starts. The author does a really terrible job making any of the characters someone you should care about because the book feels like a series of scenes that were never stitched together properly. We will be at one scene, with one event happening, then we'll move to a different scene where the new action is the only thing the characters think about. There's no bridge between the scenes, no thoughts from the characters about time passing or how their relationship with anyone has changed or how they feel about anything other than what's happening right that instant. At one point our main character, Phillippe, is mentioned to have become friendly with Emmanuelle - a reasonably important side character - but the book had never even shown him meeting Emmanuelle.
de Bodard also has a very light touch with world building, not in the sense that it's incomplete, but in the sense that there is very little exposition. The result is that it takes well over halfway into the book to understand really key aspects about this world and the characters, and some important points don't come up until almost the end. Towards the back half of the book I found myself really enjoying the world - the impact of Morningstar's disappearance on his house, the Dragon Kingdom and Phillippe's religion, the complexities of angel essence and the power and ruin it could bring - but it just came so late.
wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition
5.0
I need the rest of the series the way that I need oxygen. It. Was. So. Good!
I can't offer coherent words. Just go read this. The characters were amazing, the descriptions, the plot was compelling.. everything. Such perfection.
I can't offer coherent words. Just go read this. The characters were amazing, the descriptions, the plot was compelling.. everything. Such perfection.
dearestdorian's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at 25%
I was excited for this book! I thought it sounded great, but upon actually reading it, it... wasn't.
By 1/4 of the book, I should care about somebody, but I really don't give much of a damn about anybody in this. I was 10% in and waiting for the fun to start, so I began skimming and couldn't stop.
Two stars, because I didn't hate it, but I was bored.
What a disappointment.
I was excited for this book! I thought it sounded great, but upon actually reading it, it... wasn't.
By 1/4 of the book, I should care about somebody, but I really don't give much of a damn about anybody in this. I was 10% in and waiting for the fun to start, so I began skimming and couldn't stop.
Two stars, because I didn't hate it, but I was bored.
What a disappointment.
zebac's review against another edition
2.0
Meh - I found this difficult going. The opening is reasonably evocative, but the worldbuilding is not sustained, none of the characters grabbed me and it didn't really work for me.
azu's review against another edition
4.0
There is something cathartic with reading a book sets in Paris when you're a quarantined Parisian and found yourself in the impossibility of taking a walk around the Île de la Cité. Not that I would like to take a walk around a *ruined* Île de la Cité in real life but eh, I'll take it.
More seriously, this was a very stolid 1st book (already ordered the 2nd, can't wait to start it!!) with an intriguing and clever universe.
More seriously, this was a very stolid 1st book (already ordered the 2nd, can't wait to start it!!) with an intriguing and clever universe.
magicalmysmalin's review against another edition
4.0
Intense and wonderfully descriptive. I really enjoyed the many cultures represented in the blending of myth and religion with fantasy in this story. I look forward to reading the next book!
the_discworldian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
claire_loves_books's review against another edition
2.0
It felt pretty slow going, the lack of information about what was going on made it feel like not much was really happening other than people dying, it was frustrating to read as more people died and yet none of the characters really seemed that invested into finding out what was going on. I didn't actually like any of the characters, it was hard to care about the story when I didn't really care about the characters. It's not really clear when it's set (society seems to have reached 1920s level and then fallen) but I don't really get a sense of the lack of technology (lighting doesn't seem to be a problem for example). That every building in paris is decaying seemed bizarre as well, I get the magic areas being in decline but generally when people live in a building they scrape the mould off the walls.
The houses seem pointless, they don't seem to do much other than bicker with each other and harvest magic- how do they sustain themselves, they seem to have quite a few human dependants who they're feeding but it's not really clear where the food an other resources are coming from.
The houses seem pointless, they don't seem to do much other than bicker with each other and harvest magic- how do they sustain themselves, they seem to have quite a few human dependants who they're feeding but it's not really clear where the food an other resources are coming from.
ghoulscape's review against another edition
2.0
this was slooooow and apparently just a set-up for the next book in the series. so many characters and i cared for not a single one of them. it was written well but there was no payoff there for me. honestly i'm surprised this didn't end up in my DNF list.