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lcasswrites's review
3.0
Fantastic world building
This book pulled me in with wonderful world building and an engaging main character. The pace sagged a little bit in the middle, but then sped up again for a great ending. On to read the next book...
This book pulled me in with wonderful world building and an engaging main character. The pace sagged a little bit in the middle, but then sped up again for a great ending. On to read the next book...
lib_britannia's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
warriorfaeriequeen's review
4.0
a REALLY interesting world. the world building and the mystery was really cool. I will say we spend the whole book building up to mags going into the pits and then we don't even see her in them which was a good cliffhanger cause I want to read the second one but it left me a little on the lurch like "oh is that it?"
I really liked the main character she was really cool and had a good vibe. she makes friends and has good judgement but she isn't a moron that has me yelling every time she messes up.
the dragon is adorable and I want one lol
I really liked the main character she was really cool and had a good vibe. she makes friends and has good judgement but she isn't a moron that has me yelling every time she messes up.
the dragon is adorable and I want one lol
lilyelement's review
4.0
Giveaway on my blog: http://www.lilyelement.com/2017/08/review-giveaway-magpies-song-by-allison.html
Magpie's Song is book 1 in The IronHeart Chronicles. It's been a long while since I've read an Allison Pang book and I got really excited when I saw she had a new one coming out. This is a bit different from her other series, it's a Dystopian Fantasy with a Steampunk twist. The world building and characters were weaved expertly, and I found this book hard to put down.
We start off meeting Raggy Maggy, a 19 year old Moonchild that has a clockwork heart. Her and a friend are in the junkyard trying to meet their daily quota on scrap when they run into trouble with the Inquestors (think police). This eventually leads to Maggy in the care of a woman that deals in the black market as well as a doctor. They aren't taking care of poor injured Maggy from the kindess of their hearts though. Their plan is to figure out what is really causing the deadly illness aka "rot" that runs rampant throughout Brightstone and send Maggy into the Pits to gather information. The only issue is no one has been able to escape once they're sent there so it's going to be a challenge for sure.
Magpie's Song is an enthralling read. I thought the different tiers of class in the world were well done. You have the top people being the Meridians that live on a floating city. Then you have the people that live below in BrightStone, which are the normal humans and also Moonchildren. There were lots of little steampunk bits thrown in and the story kept my interested and flowed well. If you're a fan of Dystopian reads or Steampunk you'll love this new series!
Magpie's Song is book 1 in The IronHeart Chronicles. It's been a long while since I've read an Allison Pang book and I got really excited when I saw she had a new one coming out. This is a bit different from her other series, it's a Dystopian Fantasy with a Steampunk twist. The world building and characters were weaved expertly, and I found this book hard to put down.
We start off meeting Raggy Maggy, a 19 year old Moonchild that has a clockwork heart. Her and a friend are in the junkyard trying to meet their daily quota on scrap when they run into trouble with the Inquestors (think police). This eventually leads to Maggy in the care of a woman that deals in the black market as well as a doctor. They aren't taking care of poor injured Maggy from the kindess of their hearts though. Their plan is to figure out what is really causing the deadly illness aka "rot" that runs rampant throughout Brightstone and send Maggy into the Pits to gather information. The only issue is no one has been able to escape once they're sent there so it's going to be a challenge for sure.
Magpie's Song is an enthralling read. I thought the different tiers of class in the world were well done. You have the top people being the Meridians that live on a floating city. Then you have the people that live below in BrightStone, which are the normal humans and also Moonchildren. There were lots of little steampunk bits thrown in and the story kept my interested and flowed well. If you're a fan of Dystopian reads or Steampunk you'll love this new series!
barb4ry1's review
4.0
Magpie’s Song defies easy categorization. It mixes elements of steampunk, dystopia, coming-of-age, and dark fantasy into a singular blend.
BrightStone, ruled from above by the technologically advanced Meridians, is a dangerous city rife with crime and poverty. Its citizens struggle with everyday life, lack of perspectives, and a rampaging and lethal plague known as Rot. Only Moon Children, Meridian half-breeds, seem immune to the devastating effects of the disease, and that makes them useful, but only to lead Rot victims into the dreaded Pits, a place no one returns from.
While you’ll find snippets of humor here and there, the story goes into dark places and has a serious tone overall. Titular Magpie, a Moon Child known as Raggy Maggy, is a half-breed caught between two worlds–the run-down city of BrightStone and the floating city of Meridion. When she’s framed for a crime she didn’t commit, she has to trust exiled Meridian doctor and a clanless Moon Child named Ghost to discover the cause of the Rot and the secret behind her own lineage.
Mags is a great character. An outcast who doesn’t belong anywhere. She cares for one person. She finds freedom in rooftop dancing and her prowess in climbing, leaping, gliding through the city would put most traceurs to shame. Only Ghost does it better than her.
She also has a clockwork heart, and it seems a clockwork dragon found by a Meridion’s dead body likes and follows her. An intriguing combination of the mysterious past and tenacious behavior won me over. I like Mag’s voice. Sure, she makes bizarre decisions and trusts wrong people, but hey, she’s just nineteen.
Magpie’s Song starts in the middle of the action and never slows down. Things happen, characters die, and at times I wasn’t sure where all of this was going, but I felt engaged throughout. The addition of a few subplots makes the narration unfocused in places, but at the scene level, it never disappoints.
I liked Magpie’s Song a lot and plan to follow the series.
BrightStone, ruled from above by the technologically advanced Meridians, is a dangerous city rife with crime and poverty. Its citizens struggle with everyday life, lack of perspectives, and a rampaging and lethal plague known as Rot. Only Moon Children, Meridian half-breeds, seem immune to the devastating effects of the disease, and that makes them useful, but only to lead Rot victims into the dreaded Pits, a place no one returns from.
While you’ll find snippets of humor here and there, the story goes into dark places and has a serious tone overall. Titular Magpie, a Moon Child known as Raggy Maggy, is a half-breed caught between two worlds–the run-down city of BrightStone and the floating city of Meridion. When she’s framed for a crime she didn’t commit, she has to trust exiled Meridian doctor and a clanless Moon Child named Ghost to discover the cause of the Rot and the secret behind her own lineage.
Mags is a great character. An outcast who doesn’t belong anywhere. She cares for one person. She finds freedom in rooftop dancing and her prowess in climbing, leaping, gliding through the city would put most traceurs to shame. Only Ghost does it better than her.
She also has a clockwork heart, and it seems a clockwork dragon found by a Meridion’s dead body likes and follows her. An intriguing combination of the mysterious past and tenacious behavior won me over. I like Mag’s voice. Sure, she makes bizarre decisions and trusts wrong people, but hey, she’s just nineteen.
Magpie’s Song starts in the middle of the action and never slows down. Things happen, characters die, and at times I wasn’t sure where all of this was going, but I felt engaged throughout. The addition of a few subplots makes the narration unfocused in places, but at the scene level, it never disappoints.
I liked Magpie’s Song a lot and plan to follow the series.
lisaeliza's review
5.0
This is an engaging entry into Maggy's world. I can't wait for the next instalment!
thoughtsonbooks's review
3.0
This was a solid, fun read, with a brilliant premise and world building I enjoyed a lot. While there were some flaws, I am still intrigued enough to want to read the next book in the series, whenever that will be published. As I am chronically bad at reading second books in series, this says something about how much I adored parts of this.
Set in an unspecified world, that is kind of steam punky, kind of dystopian, there is a (tropey) society with the rich (maybe alien?) upper class living on a floating city, while the middle class scramble to make a living on the ground and the lowest class is just trying to survive. The world is never really explained, as the main character - Mags - doesn't really know much about the city's history or political order. Mags is a Moon Child: some children turn into those when they are around 12, pale, with white hair, and mysteriously immune against a rampant plague. She finds a clockwork dragon and sets into motion a frantic sequence of events where she is never quite sure what is going on or how she will survive the next day.
The story itself is in points predictable but always fun; its frantic pace was enough to keep me reading during a week where I was pre-occupied with other things. Mags is a fun character and many of the others of the fairly large cast of characters are brilliant.
My main problem was the fact that I thought that the first-person-narration didn't really work here. Some of the metaphors used do not sound like things somebody like Mags, with very limited education (formal or informal), would ever use. I often thought that there was no way a young girl who grew up on the streets would know those things (would she really know what a waltz is and then use this term to explain how her climbing on rooftops feels like?). It took me out of the story and made it difficult to really connect to her.
But, overall, a really fun first installment of a series with plenty of loose ends that I cannot wait to be picked up again.
Also, where can I find myself a clockwork dragon, please?
____
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
Set in an unspecified world, that is kind of steam punky, kind of dystopian, there is a (tropey) society with the rich (maybe alien?) upper class living on a floating city, while the middle class scramble to make a living on the ground and the lowest class is just trying to survive. The world is never really explained, as the main character - Mags - doesn't really know much about the city's history or political order. Mags is a Moon Child: some children turn into those when they are around 12, pale, with white hair, and mysteriously immune against a rampant plague. She finds a clockwork dragon and sets into motion a frantic sequence of events where she is never quite sure what is going on or how she will survive the next day.
The story itself is in points predictable but always fun; its frantic pace was enough to keep me reading during a week where I was pre-occupied with other things. Mags is a fun character and many of the others of the fairly large cast of characters are brilliant.
My main problem was the fact that I thought that the first-person-narration didn't really work here. Some of the metaphors used do not sound like things somebody like Mags, with very limited education (formal or informal), would ever use. I often thought that there was no way a young girl who grew up on the streets would know those things (would she really know what a waltz is and then use this term to explain how her climbing on rooftops feels like?). It took me out of the story and made it difficult to really connect to her.
But, overall, a really fun first installment of a series with plenty of loose ends that I cannot wait to be picked up again.
Also, where can I find myself a clockwork dragon, please?
____
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
rosienreads's review
4.0
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Magpie’s Song is a fun, steampunk-esque novel about a girl with a clockwork heart who finds a dragon. In this novel, Allison Pang creates a world plagued by a mysterious rot to which only the even more mysterious moon children are immune. The girl with a clockwork heart is one such moon child. Raggy Maggy, orphaned and defined by her distinctive white hair, is a member of the Banshee clan, forced to scavenge for snacks in order to survive. The discovery of a metal dragon in the scrapheap, however, leads Maggy down a road of conspiracy, discovery and betrayal.
The novel itself is the first in a series and, as such, it involves a lot of world-building. We, as readers, are introduced to the social structure, the impenetrable meridian and those that live in its shadow. Unfortunately, this set up means that it does take a good two-thirds of the book before the main story kicks off. That being said, a lot does happen during those first parts, helping to set up the novel with action as well as description; as Maggy is forced from her normal, everyday life into playing a part for plan we’ve only seen the surface of.
Nothing feels completely safe and plenty of questions are asked, some of which are answered but some we will have to wait for the sequels. What is particularly interesting is the mystery which revolves around Raggy Maggy; the mystery of where she comes from and the reason for her clockwork heart.
Maggy, as our lead character, is reckless and also prone to mistakes, but she also has a heart. These traits make her an endearing lead. It is strongly implied, but never actually stated, that she is bi- or pan-sexual (and, indeed, there are a few diverse characters in this book). Those she teams up with are also quite distinct: Ghost, who lives up to his name; Lucian, the careful doctor with a hidden side and Molly, the harsh brothel-owner and scrap-dealer. Each contributes to the novel in their own way and each feels integral to the plot.
This novel does have a dark side, one with death, torture and hopelessness, but Pang handles it well, keeping the novel’s heart even when things take a turn for the worse. As such, it can be enjoyed by people of most ages (although it is more orientated towards teens); the writing is easy to understand and helps the story flow. If you enjoy steampunk novels with action, mystery and compelling characters, then you may enjoy this book too.
Magpie’s Song is a fun, steampunk-esque novel about a girl with a clockwork heart who finds a dragon. In this novel, Allison Pang creates a world plagued by a mysterious rot to which only the even more mysterious moon children are immune. The girl with a clockwork heart is one such moon child. Raggy Maggy, orphaned and defined by her distinctive white hair, is a member of the Banshee clan, forced to scavenge for snacks in order to survive. The discovery of a metal dragon in the scrapheap, however, leads Maggy down a road of conspiracy, discovery and betrayal.
The novel itself is the first in a series and, as such, it involves a lot of world-building. We, as readers, are introduced to the social structure, the impenetrable meridian and those that live in its shadow. Unfortunately, this set up means that it does take a good two-thirds of the book before the main story kicks off. That being said, a lot does happen during those first parts, helping to set up the novel with action as well as description; as Maggy is forced from her normal, everyday life into playing a part for plan we’ve only seen the surface of.
Nothing feels completely safe and plenty of questions are asked, some of which are answered but some we will have to wait for the sequels. What is particularly interesting is the mystery which revolves around Raggy Maggy; the mystery of where she comes from and the reason for her clockwork heart.
Maggy, as our lead character, is reckless and also prone to mistakes, but she also has a heart. These traits make her an endearing lead. It is strongly implied, but never actually stated, that she is bi- or pan-sexual (and, indeed, there are a few diverse characters in this book). Those she teams up with are also quite distinct: Ghost, who lives up to his name; Lucian, the careful doctor with a hidden side and Molly, the harsh brothel-owner and scrap-dealer. Each contributes to the novel in their own way and each feels integral to the plot.
This novel does have a dark side, one with death, torture and hopelessness, but Pang handles it well, keeping the novel’s heart even when things take a turn for the worse. As such, it can be enjoyed by people of most ages (although it is more orientated towards teens); the writing is easy to understand and helps the story flow. If you enjoy steampunk novels with action, mystery and compelling characters, then you may enjoy this book too.
deadgoodbookreviews's review
5.0
Full review and more up on my blog: http://bit.ly/2vdEn4q
Oh yeah. You read that right. There’s a clockwork dragon!
A small-enough-to-travel-with clockwork dragon.
Of course I loved this book! Whatever flaws it may have (all books have flaws, perfection is a facade) I will forever love it because there is a clockwork dragon, which means that the people who make bookish merch might make tiny clockwork dragons and I can walk around town with a clockwork dragon and live all of my wildest fantasies.
I’ve said clockwork dragon too many times now, it’s gone weird. I’ll let it go.
(Clockwork Dragon)
Right, main character Raggy Maggy/Mags/Magpie what do we think? She’s your fairly typical ‘unknown backstory, lives on the streets, scrappy and uncouth, young but world weary, pretty but also plain YA fantasy heroine. I don’t mind that. It’s a cliché for a reason. We like our teen heroines with a dash of angst and a heavy helping of sarcasm and Mags does not disappoint. What I found refreshing is that Mags is such a realist, she doesn’t dwell on situations where it doesn’t help to do so, she’s practical and she’s pragmatic and when she’s being impulsive she realises and she deals with it (sometimes a little too late I’ll admit.) She’s added to that list I’m making of YA protagonists I want to befriend.
World building? I like the concept of this, it reminded me a little of the floating city of Santaphrax from The Edge Chronicles with this floating ‘superior’ city and the dirty underbelly below. This is a little more futuristic than that but the concept is the same. What I was missing was a little more backstory. Where The Edge Chronicles start each story with a map and a short explanation of the world it took me a while to get to grips with the world in which Mags lives. I think a little bit more set up would have been beneficial since it can feel like you’re just expected to understand that Moon Children are discriminated against (before you really get what Moon Children are). It’s a little gripe, by the middle I had worked everything out but it just could have been even better.
The story is what truly captured my heart. I’m here for the mystery, the intrigue, the plots, the plans and the betrayals. This is obviously only the first book in what promises to be a great series so a lot of it is setting up who is ‘good’ and who is ‘bad’ and who is allied with whom. That being said, there is a great deal of action even in this first book, it’s not a boring book by any stretch of the imagination. Fans of action will be pleased I think.
If you like steampunk elements, dragons, mystery, action, a pinch of romance and a host of unique characters I heartily recommend picking up a copy of Magpie’s Song when it publishes tomorrow! (August 3rd)
My rating: 5/5 stars
By the way, I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Oh yeah. You read that right. There’s a clockwork dragon!
A small-enough-to-travel-with clockwork dragon.
Of course I loved this book! Whatever flaws it may have (all books have flaws, perfection is a facade) I will forever love it because there is a clockwork dragon, which means that the people who make bookish merch might make tiny clockwork dragons and I can walk around town with a clockwork dragon and live all of my wildest fantasies.
I’ve said clockwork dragon too many times now, it’s gone weird. I’ll let it go.
(Clockwork Dragon)
Right, main character Raggy Maggy/Mags/Magpie what do we think? She’s your fairly typical ‘unknown backstory, lives on the streets, scrappy and uncouth, young but world weary, pretty but also plain YA fantasy heroine. I don’t mind that. It’s a cliché for a reason. We like our teen heroines with a dash of angst and a heavy helping of sarcasm and Mags does not disappoint. What I found refreshing is that Mags is such a realist, she doesn’t dwell on situations where it doesn’t help to do so, she’s practical and she’s pragmatic and when she’s being impulsive she realises and she deals with it (sometimes a little too late I’ll admit.) She’s added to that list I’m making of YA protagonists I want to befriend.
World building? I like the concept of this, it reminded me a little of the floating city of Santaphrax from The Edge Chronicles with this floating ‘superior’ city and the dirty underbelly below. This is a little more futuristic than that but the concept is the same. What I was missing was a little more backstory. Where The Edge Chronicles start each story with a map and a short explanation of the world it took me a while to get to grips with the world in which Mags lives. I think a little bit more set up would have been beneficial since it can feel like you’re just expected to understand that Moon Children are discriminated against (before you really get what Moon Children are). It’s a little gripe, by the middle I had worked everything out but it just could have been even better.
The story is what truly captured my heart. I’m here for the mystery, the intrigue, the plots, the plans and the betrayals. This is obviously only the first book in what promises to be a great series so a lot of it is setting up who is ‘good’ and who is ‘bad’ and who is allied with whom. That being said, there is a great deal of action even in this first book, it’s not a boring book by any stretch of the imagination. Fans of action will be pleased I think.
If you like steampunk elements, dragons, mystery, action, a pinch of romance and a host of unique characters I heartily recommend picking up a copy of Magpie’s Song when it publishes tomorrow! (August 3rd)
My rating: 5/5 stars
By the way, I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
sarabook's review
4.0
I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
'Ware IronHeart's breath and IronHeart's claws, for when IronHeart roars, Meridion falls'
I ended up really enjoying this. The story opens with the discovery of a dead body in the slums underneath a floating city, by the orphans Raggy Maggy and Sparrow. The body gives off an ethereal glow and is accompanied by a strange mechanical dragon. Mags and Sparrow soon find themselves embroiled in the mysteries of the slums and the search for answers surrounding the true reason behind the appearance of a plague known as The Rot, and what goes on in the terrifying Pits - home of the plague victims. Mags and Sparrow, along with another character they meet, know as Ghost, are 'Moon Children', the supposed offspring of the slums, and immune to the plague.
I thought the story itself was well written, and the world building was good (although I would have liked to spend some time in Meridion, the floating city). It felt like a mixture of steampunk, dystopian and fantasy and was unique enough in its world to keep me interested. I liked Mags, I though she was gritty and feral and I enjoyed her relationship with Sparrow and Ghost. Although there was a hint of a possible romance, I liked that it was never the focus of the story.
I also really liked Molly and Copper Betty. The automaton, without even being able to speak, became one of my favourite characters in the few scenes she was in. I'd like to see more of her, and see if she has a back story that could explain why she's mute.
The novel wasn't perfect however. I felt the Lucien subplot was a little bit slapdash, and didn't add anything to the story. If anything I found it a bit confusing. I liked that it wasn't a big deal to be gay though, and it didn't feel contrived.
I also felt the ending wasn't really an ending, and nothing was resolved and no mysteries solved. I understand this is part one of a series, but to have some kind of resolution to a few of the mysteries involved in the plot would have been a better conclusion.
That said, I flew through this book in 2 days, and really enjoyed doing it. I'm looking forward to reading more from this world.
'Ware IronHeart's breath and IronHeart's claws, for when IronHeart roars, Meridion falls'
I ended up really enjoying this. The story opens with the discovery of a dead body in the slums underneath a floating city, by the orphans Raggy Maggy and Sparrow. The body gives off an ethereal glow and is accompanied by a strange mechanical dragon. Mags and Sparrow soon find themselves embroiled in the mysteries of the slums and the search for answers surrounding the true reason behind the appearance of a plague known as The Rot, and what goes on in the terrifying Pits - home of the plague victims. Mags and Sparrow, along with another character they meet, know as Ghost, are 'Moon Children', the supposed offspring of the slums, and immune to the plague.
I thought the story itself was well written, and the world building was good (although I would have liked to spend some time in Meridion, the floating city). It felt like a mixture of steampunk, dystopian and fantasy and was unique enough in its world to keep me interested. I liked Mags, I though she was gritty and feral and I enjoyed her relationship with Sparrow and Ghost. Although there was a hint of a possible romance, I liked that it was never the focus of the story.
I also really liked Molly and Copper Betty. The automaton, without even being able to speak, became one of my favourite characters in the few scenes she was in. I'd like to see more of her, and see if she has a back story that could explain why she's mute.
The novel wasn't perfect however. I felt the Lucien subplot was a little bit slapdash, and didn't add anything to the story. If anything I found it a bit confusing. I liked that it wasn't a big deal to be gay though, and it didn't feel contrived.
I also felt the ending wasn't really an ending, and nothing was resolved and no mysteries solved. I understand this is part one of a series, but to have some kind of resolution to a few of the mysteries involved in the plot would have been a better conclusion.
That said, I flew through this book in 2 days, and really enjoyed doing it. I'm looking forward to reading more from this world.