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abeillebee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
adrzeck's review
3.0
Starts with a few threads that get pulled together over the course of the story. Obedient and loyal daughter, arty and rebellious daughter. On the other side, crack shot fighter, who's dying of a mysterious disease (where it's acknowledged that Tombstone is a gem of a movie). Not to worry cause everyone has damage. Also, there is a virus that's hunting them and killing people...and a controlling quasi-evil/delusional father is also hunting them.
You also get lots of feelings and connections with multiple parties and a cliff hanger.
You also get lots of feelings and connections with multiple parties and a cliff hanger.
codeimagine's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sulphuric's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tiredbookish's review
4.0
Thank you to netgalley and North Star Editions/Flux for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
When I first started this book the writing style took me a little while to get used to, but once I got invested, I got INVESTED
This book was so FUN. The characters were easy to connect to (Riven was my favorite, love her) and the plot/plot twists had me speeding through to find out where everyone would end up
I also thought the heists were super fun to follow, it's always great to see how characters get out of a situation when their plans get all messed up.
I am a sucker for ragtag crew/found family as well so this book was right up my alley.
I have mixed feelings on the romance in the book, not because I thought it was bad, and not because there was a love triangle, but the pacing of them just kind of felt strange. This wasn't the case with every romantic scene, but there were a couple where I was like "Isn't there something else you should be focusing on right now?"
Overall though I loved this book, I do highly recommend it to anyone looking for sci fi with romance, found families, and crime (these are a few of my favorite things)
When I first started this book the writing style took me a little while to get used to, but once I got invested, I got INVESTED
This book was so FUN. The characters were easy to connect to (Riven was my favorite, love her) and the plot/plot twists had me speeding through to find out where everyone would end up
I also thought the heists were super fun to follow, it's always great to see how characters get out of a situation when their plans get all messed up.
I am a sucker for ragtag crew/found family as well so this book was right up my alley.
I have mixed feelings on the romance in the book, not because I thought it was bad, and not because there was a love triangle, but the pacing of them just kind of felt strange. This wasn't the case with every romantic scene, but there were a couple where I was like "Isn't there something else you should be focusing on right now?"
Overall though I loved this book, I do highly recommend it to anyone looking for sci fi with romance, found families, and crime (these are a few of my favorite things)
sammireads7's review
5.0
I read a e-arc of this book via Netgally. I loved this book. It has an intriguing plot, amazing characters, and so much more.
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Characters:
The characters in this book were so well written. I adored all of them. You could really see what type of person they were just by how they were written which was amazing.
Plot:
The plot of this book is super intriguing. It hooks you and you just need to know. The plot is one of many reasons you cannot put this book down.
World Building:
The world building in this book is done really well. In some books the world building is done with an info dump this was not the case with this book which was amazing.
Overall:
Overall I loved this book. It is amazing and beautiful and SAPHIC!!!! It is one of my new favorites. Definitely in my favorite reads so far this year.
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Characters:
The characters in this book were so well written. I adored all of them. You could really see what type of person they were just by how they were written which was amazing.
Plot:
The plot of this book is super intriguing. It hooks you and you just need to know. The plot is one of many reasons you cannot put this book down.
World Building:
The world building in this book is done really well. In some books the world building is done with an info dump this was not the case with this book which was amazing.
Overall:
Overall I loved this book. It is amazing and beautiful and SAPHIC!!!! It is one of my new favorites. Definitely in my favorite reads so far this year.
ripavengers's review
3.0
I would say a solid 3.5 stars really.
Starting off, I think the writing style was very good. I loved the voices of the two main characters and how distinct they were. With the povs changing sometimes within chapters it was easy enough to follow along.
The plot I really enjoyed. The idea of one girl doing everything in her power to save her sister and the other to save her home while simultaneously lining up their objectives but not fully trusting each other was played out so well. I think they complimented each other perfectly.
As for the pacing though I’m not too sure. It started off well but then the first part became very Asa centric. The second part I really enjoyed but the third started to lag and by the fourth part I was unfortunately at that stage where I really just wanted the whole thing to end.
The characters were all well written and captivating. Riven had such a tragic backstory but we didn’t dive into it as much which I was kind of disappointed with. Asa was your classic “spoiled rich girl turned rebel” but it wasn’t too cliche and I did like her story. I feel like Ty had a lot more potential than shown and was more reduced to a love interest. Samir and Diego I loved, I just wished we saw more of them and got more of their story as individuals and a “couple” (are they together? were they together? I honestly don’t know).
So there was a love triangle. I personally feel like it was so pointless and added nothing to the plot. Like I was told this book was sapphic, and while it was, it honestly felt like there were more Asa and Ty moments than there were for Asa and Riven. And like not that there’s anything wrong with mlw relationships (especially since like both Asa and Riven are bi/queer) but most of the Asa and Ty moments would have served so much better with Asa and Riven instead (like the club scene where they sneak into a corridor), in my opinion anyway. Like I just was not feeling Asa and Ty as a potential romantic couple at all, they would be better as just friends. Maybe it’s just because this was sold a sapphic story to me but they didn’t really do anything until the last 3 chapters whereas we get told about Asa and Ty, and Riven and her two ex-boyfriends a lot, but I felt extremely underwhelmed.
All in all I think this was a good book and a good story but it started to feel a bit flat and repetitive, and slow but also rushed at the same time. Plus if you’re looking for romance out of this it doesn’t really fulfill (in my point of view anyway). But the ending makes me believe there’s possibly another book or few in the works and I will keep an eye out for that in the future (hopefully).
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Starting off, I think the writing style was very good. I loved the voices of the two main characters and how distinct they were. With the povs changing sometimes within chapters it was easy enough to follow along.
The plot I really enjoyed. The idea of one girl doing everything in her power to save her sister and the other to save her home while simultaneously lining up their objectives but not fully trusting each other was played out so well. I think they complimented each other perfectly.
As for the pacing though I’m not too sure. It started off well but then the first part became very Asa centric. The second part I really enjoyed but the third started to lag and by the fourth part I was unfortunately at that stage where I really just wanted the whole thing to end.
The characters were all well written and captivating. Riven had such a tragic backstory but we didn’t dive into it as much which I was kind of disappointed with. Asa was your classic “spoiled rich girl turned rebel” but it wasn’t too cliche and I did like her story. I feel like Ty had a lot more potential than shown and was more reduced to a love interest. Samir and Diego I loved, I just wished we saw more of them and got more of their story as individuals and a “couple” (are they together? were they together? I honestly don’t know).
So there was a love triangle. I personally feel like it was so pointless and added nothing to the plot. Like I was told this book was sapphic, and while it was, it honestly felt like there were more Asa and Ty moments than there were for Asa and Riven. And like not that there’s anything wrong with mlw relationships (especially since like both Asa and Riven are bi/queer) but most of the Asa and Ty moments would have served so much better with Asa and Riven instead (like the club scene where they sneak into a corridor), in my opinion anyway. Like I just was not feeling Asa and Ty as a potential romantic couple at all, they would be better as just friends. Maybe it’s just because this was sold a sapphic story to me but they didn’t really do anything until the last 3 chapters whereas we get told about Asa and Ty, and Riven and her two ex-boyfriends a lot, but I felt extremely underwhelmed.
All in all I think this was a good book and a good story but it started to feel a bit flat and repetitive, and slow but also rushed at the same time. Plus if you’re looking for romance out of this it doesn’t really fulfill (in my point of view anyway). But the ending makes me believe there’s possibly another book or few in the works and I will keep an eye out for that in the future (hopefully).
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
marymoth's review
4.0
"When all the world has burnt, even the ashes feel like home."
Thank you Flux and Netgalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
4/5 stars!!
Trigger warnings: death, gore, manipulation, emotional abuse, terminal illness, body horror.
I have no words for how spectacular this book was, or how it made me feel while reading it. I was hooked. It´s been a long time since I truly enjoyed a YA novel, let alone sat down and ignored everyone for the sole purpose of finishing. It´s unputdownable and action-packed. Its full of chaos and heists. It has a found family! a queer found family! <3 It was utterly fantastic and everything I was hoping for!
Riven and her crew want nothing more than to have enough money to get by in Requiem´s sprawling city. On the other hand, Asa is heiress to Alameda Industries, a techy corporation in Cortellion: an elite planet, quite the contrary to Requiem, which is brimming with crime syndicates and ruthless matriarchs. As heiress, Asa must decide whether the Industry and the progress it claims to be doing is worth it, or if she should give it up and run away.
"Right now, she was a part of one of the galaxy's biggest crime syndicates--a thief, a runaway, a liar. She was a nobody. And she fit right in."
Asa is such an amazing character. However, even though Asa was the most relatable (to me) I gotta applaud the author´s development of Riven: she is ruthless and unapologetically ambitious. She considers paths other characters probably wouldn´t take and is not afraid to use her guns. She is the very definition of hard on the outside and soft on the inside. We are living for it.
That being said, I did relate to Asa much more than Riven: her struggle to stand up to her father, the desire of being validated, her talent being acknowledged. She has a tremendous development throughout the course of the book. She misses the privileges she had:a warm bed, knowing her only preoccupation was failing her exams, etc and yet, she is willing to do everything for her sister. She is looked down upon but she is one of the most intelligent characters out there. I wish I were half as good with machines as she is: I barely even know how to print, it´s a struggle.
I loved the crew. I think that, whilst being a bit underdeveloped (compared to Asa and Riven) they were written well. Ty (don´t ask me why I pictured him as Rio from Money Heist) is pretty much an antithesis to Riven: he refuses to use a gun, kill or hurt other people and trained to become a medic. (Can we also just take a moment to appreciate the fact that he is afraid of germs??? Whilst being a medic???) I loved Samir and Diego (and their lil puppy). But most importantly: I loved the crew´s banter . It was immaculate. I can´t say much about it, but Riven and Samir´s interactions were gold.
"You know the adage about how bad things always happen to good people?"Riven opened the door, unleashing a flood of jarring bass. The gemstone skull on her face glimmered under the galaxy of colored lights.“I figure we’re safe”
The world-building is clear and precise. Requiem: a city full of violent syndicates, run by ruthless matriarchs and Duchesses. Cortellion an elite planet full of technological advances (and evil AIs) and Earth. It´s a rich book and I´d be lying if I said I didn´t want to go to Requiem´s nightclubs and hangars with the sole purpose of creating my own little gang and pissing off some matriarchs. I´d be killed in less than a day, but I think it would be worth it.
Besides its incredible world building and wonderful, witty and ambitious characters, the book is full of
excitement. As I said before, I really did ignore everyone. There was not a singular moment in which I was bored, no unnecessary moments. Towards the end, I was gripping my Kindle with such force that I´m surprised it didn´t break. It truly was remarkable.
After all that was stated, my only complaint is its predictability. I cannot say much without spoiling, but I can say I knew what would go down from the start. (I´ll edit my review when this comes out to explain why) However, it did not take the fun or the excitement away.
Overall, I truly truly recommend City of Shattered Light: its action packed, it has incredible banter, interactions, romance and rep. I cannot wait for the reactions and most importantly, I´m dying to know what happens next!
-----------------------------------------------------------
EDIT: YESSS! I got it!! I´m collapsing, I´m so excited!
-----------------------------------------------------------
A tech Empire and LGBT characters? I´m in
Thank you Flux and Netgalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
4/5 stars!!
Trigger warnings: death, gore, manipulation, emotional abuse, terminal illness, body horror.
I have no words for how spectacular this book was, or how it made me feel while reading it. I was hooked. It´s been a long time since I truly enjoyed a YA novel, let alone sat down and ignored everyone for the sole purpose of finishing. It´s unputdownable and action-packed. Its full of chaos and heists. It has a found family! a queer found family! <3 It was utterly fantastic and everything I was hoping for!
Riven and her crew want nothing more than to have enough money to get by in Requiem´s sprawling city. On the other hand, Asa is heiress to Alameda Industries, a techy corporation in Cortellion: an elite planet, quite the contrary to Requiem, which is brimming with crime syndicates and ruthless matriarchs. As heiress, Asa must decide whether the Industry and the progress it claims to be doing is worth it, or if she should give it up and run away.
"Right now, she was a part of one of the galaxy's biggest crime syndicates--a thief, a runaway, a liar. She was a nobody. And she fit right in."
Asa is such an amazing character. However, even though Asa was the most relatable (to me) I gotta applaud the author´s development of Riven: she is ruthless and unapologetically ambitious. She considers paths other characters probably wouldn´t take and is not afraid to use her guns. She is the very definition of hard on the outside and soft on the inside. We are living for it.
That being said, I did relate to Asa much more than Riven: her struggle to stand up to her father, the desire of being validated, her talent being acknowledged. She has a tremendous development throughout the course of the book. She misses the privileges she had:a warm bed, knowing her only preoccupation was failing her exams, etc and yet, she is willing to do everything for her sister. She is looked down upon but she is one of the most intelligent characters out there. I wish I were half as good with machines as she is: I barely even know how to print, it´s a struggle.
I loved the crew. I think that, whilst being a bit underdeveloped (compared to Asa and Riven) they were written well. Ty (don´t ask me why I pictured him as Rio from Money Heist) is pretty much an antithesis to Riven: he refuses to use a gun, kill or hurt other people and trained to become a medic. (Can we also just take a moment to appreciate the fact that he is afraid of germs??? Whilst being a medic???) I loved Samir and Diego (and their lil puppy). But most importantly: I loved the crew´s banter . It was immaculate. I can´t say much about it, but Riven and Samir´s interactions were gold.
"You know the adage about how bad things always happen to good people?"Riven opened the door, unleashing a flood of jarring bass. The gemstone skull on her face glimmered under the galaxy of colored lights.“I figure we’re safe”
The world-building is clear and precise. Requiem: a city full of violent syndicates, run by ruthless matriarchs and Duchesses. Cortellion an elite planet full of technological advances (and evil AIs) and Earth. It´s a rich book and I´d be lying if I said I didn´t want to go to Requiem´s nightclubs and hangars with the sole purpose of creating my own little gang and pissing off some matriarchs. I´d be killed in less than a day, but I think it would be worth it.
Besides its incredible world building and wonderful, witty and ambitious characters, the book is full of
excitement. As I said before, I really did ignore everyone. There was not a singular moment in which I was bored, no unnecessary moments. Towards the end, I was gripping my Kindle with such force that I´m surprised it didn´t break. It truly was remarkable.
After all that was stated, my only complaint is its predictability. I cannot say much without spoiling, but I can say I knew what would go down from the start. (I´ll edit my review when this comes out to explain why) However, it did not take the fun or the excitement away.
Overall, I truly truly recommend City of Shattered Light: its action packed, it has incredible banter, interactions, romance and rep. I cannot wait for the reactions and most importantly, I´m dying to know what happens next!
-----------------------------------------------------------
EDIT: YESSS! I got it!! I´m collapsing, I´m so excited!
-----------------------------------------------------------
A tech Empire and LGBT characters? I´m in
nyx_transfem_of_the_night's review
adventurous
emotional
- 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
3.75
tabithapagie's review
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions/Flux books for giving me an eARC to review!
City of Shattered Light is a YA sci-fi novel by debut author Claire Winn. I can't believe this is a debut novel, it was so gritty, original, and most of all, fun! As a lover of sci-fi, this is a must for any sci-fi fans or people trying to get into the genre.
To start off with some of my favorite aspects about this book, let's talk about the characters!
Asanna (Asa) Almeida is the heiress to her father's huge IT empire. However when his experiments go too far, it hurts her sister Kaya, and ends up putting her life in danger. In order to save her, she must steal an important piece of the experiment and flee from her home and her family. However when things keep going wrong, she gets stranded on Requiem, and needs help getting herself to Earth to save her sister.
Next, we have Riven Hawthorne. A futuristic gunslinger with an amazing aim, a smuggler, and overall a badass woman with her crew, made up of Ty, Diego, and Samir. All she wants is to end up at the top of the society of crime on Requiem, but she ends up getting into more trouble when she has to aid another girl with a very high price tag on her. I just loved her Riven and her attitude and personality, and I think it was a great balance of personality types we commonly see in novels, but still refreshing at the same time. Both her and Asa are great main characters, and they both go through character growth which made them even more interesting and layered.
Also, I just have to mention the originality and fresh plot story. Most books in this genre can get really repetitive or predictable, but Winn's world-building is new and refreshing. I was always interested in what was going to happen next, and everything was so detailed which really helped me picture the story playing out.
The plot and storyline starts quick, and doesn't let up or slow down much, which is great! Once you start reading, you won't want to put it down. I love heist stories, and this one was a fun one to read about, and it kept getting more complex as more pieces of the puzzle came into play.
If you love the tropes of found family (especially involving lgbt+ characters), heist stories, enemies to lovers, and love triangles, you'll enjoy this book. It's such a fun read, and I really recommend it.
Also, can we just talk about that epilogue? I need a book 2 stat! Also I just need more Asa and Riven content, I wish I got more in the book!
City of Shattered Light is a YA sci-fi novel by debut author Claire Winn. I can't believe this is a debut novel, it was so gritty, original, and most of all, fun! As a lover of sci-fi, this is a must for any sci-fi fans or people trying to get into the genre.
To start off with some of my favorite aspects about this book, let's talk about the characters!
Asanna (Asa) Almeida is the heiress to her father's huge IT empire. However when his experiments go too far, it hurts her sister Kaya, and ends up putting her life in danger. In order to save her, she must steal an important piece of the experiment and flee from her home and her family. However when things keep going wrong, she gets stranded on Requiem, and needs help getting herself to Earth to save her sister.
Next, we have Riven Hawthorne. A futuristic gunslinger with an amazing aim, a smuggler, and overall a badass woman with her crew, made up of Ty, Diego, and Samir. All she wants is to end up at the top of the society of crime on Requiem, but she ends up getting into more trouble when she has to aid another girl with a very high price tag on her. I just loved her Riven and her attitude and personality, and I think it was a great balance of personality types we commonly see in novels, but still refreshing at the same time. Both her and Asa are great main characters, and they both go through character growth which made them even more interesting and layered.
Also, I just have to mention the originality and fresh plot story. Most books in this genre can get really repetitive or predictable, but Winn's world-building is new and refreshing. I was always interested in what was going to happen next, and everything was so detailed which really helped me picture the story playing out.
The plot and storyline starts quick, and doesn't let up or slow down much, which is great! Once you start reading, you won't want to put it down. I love heist stories, and this one was a fun one to read about, and it kept getting more complex as more pieces of the puzzle came into play.
If you love the tropes of found family (especially involving lgbt+ characters), heist stories, enemies to lovers, and love triangles, you'll enjoy this book. It's such a fun read, and I really recommend it.
Also, can we just talk about that epilogue? I need a book 2 stat! Also I just need more Asa and Riven content, I wish I got more in the book!