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malinxzoe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, and Death of parent
tomas_lw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Fun premise, exceptional characters, pretty good execution.
The plot is simple and fun. Six magicians with exceptionally powerful specialities are selected to join a secret society. But only five can actually join at the end. Cue intrigue, sex, betrayal, magic weirdness, love, hate, death and other fun things.
Over all the book was a great read.
I do have som complaints though.
First of all the author seemed to almost forgot entierly about Reina for almost the entire book which was disapointing since her opening chapter made me really attached to her. I really hope she gets more to do in the next book.
And the ending of the book is very out of left field and exposition heavy. It felt like the author at the last time decided to turn the book into a trilogy and rewrote the ending to set up the sequels. It's a bit heavy handed and not entirely satifying. So lets hope it pays of in the next books!
Also, the book could have had a bit more things happening as most of the book is either characters talking with or thinking about the other characters. Don't get me wrong, I love all these characters and the talking and plotting is terrific, but the pacing of the book could probably have been better with some more action in the middle.
Overall, a great read as I said above and I'm definitely getting the rest of the series ASAP.
The plot is simple and fun. Six magicians with exceptionally powerful specialities are selected to join a secret society. But only five can actually join at the end. Cue intrigue, sex, betrayal, magic weirdness, love, hate, death and other fun things.
Over all the book was a great read.
I do have som complaints though.
First of all the author seemed to almost forgot entierly about Reina for almost the entire book which was disapointing since her opening chapter made me really attached to her. I really hope she gets more to do in the next book.
And the ending of the book is very out of left field and exposition heavy. It felt like the author at the last time decided to turn the book into a trilogy and rewrote the ending to set up the sequels. It's a bit heavy handed and not entirely satifying. So lets hope it pays of in the next books!
Also, the book could have had a bit more things happening as most of the book is either characters talking with or thinking about the other characters. Don't get me wrong, I love all these characters and the talking and plotting is terrific, but the pacing of the book could probably have been better with some more action in the middle.
Overall, a great read as I said above and I'm definitely getting the rest of the series ASAP.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol and Death
Minor: Pedophilia
danaegg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexual content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Emotional abuse
isabella_sans_merci's review against another edition
This book was too bad for me to get through, and I have gotten through a lot.
Lets start with the characters, shall we?
She is a fiercely powerful upstart from a non-magical family, he is a nepo baby from a very wealthy magical family who is her academic rival. His friends include a guy who changes into a dog, and another guy whose magical family is a pain in the ass, who he uses all of his resources to try and help. Sound familiar? I never really got into Marauders fanfic, but even I can recognize the origins of it in here. Anyway both of these characters are tolerable. Like, if the story had just focussed on them I might have been able to get through it. I also thought the description of how their powers are blended together was very compelling. But it gets worse.
Next we have Reyna. Whose thing is that she doesn't care. So why, god, should I care? Her apathy was too infectious, and as much as the author was trying to use her to talk a little bit about the elitism in academia, the way that she went about it was just so surface level and bad, it was all buzzwords with very little understanding of the nuance or the actual issue. As someone who works a lot in the space of critique of academia, this "discussion" of it, was simplistic enough to be borderline insulting.
Then we have the most compelling character of all, a guy who can convince anyone to do anything. It is such a shame that he also, is apathetic and doesn't care. So. Why. Should. I? He has the most interesting skill set and yet we spend the least amount of time with him, and the time we do spend doesn't tell us anything about him! The characters are literally so weak I could cry.
Then we have Tristan, who again, could be interesting if he wasn't just so passive in the narrative. What does he want? What moves is he making? We are told he is very smart, his skills are very interesting, and his powers are too, but then in the social structure of the group he is so incredibly passive. I got half way through the book and I could not care if he lives or dies.
And now we arrive at a character who I actively hated. The author, in all of her smug satisfaction with her own intellect, makes sure to let you know that in fact, if you hate this character, its an antifeminist thing to do. She is soooooo sexually liberated, don't you see? She just uses sex to get what she wants, in a very sexy way. She makes all men around her literal fools for her because.... she is well endowed? The writing around this character reduces all men to hormonal fools who can barely control themselves, and frankly I don't think that is a very feminist take. There is no difference between her and any femme fatale 'written by a man'. The same plot beats, and the same tropes apply. Just because this character is able to recognize the antifeminist trap she falls into, and preach some trite sex-positivity along the way, does not make her any less of a flat, failed, femme fatale.
And don't even get me started on the plot.
I think the main reason that this story does not work, is because the author has no idea what the hell she is talking about. This can be seen in little things, such as how the Library of Alexandria moved to London around the time of the Napoleonic wars, just in time for the Age of Exploration. The problem with that being, of course, that the Napoleonic wars were at turn of the 19th century, and the Age of exploration was from the 1500s to around the 1800s, if we are being generous. So in fact, if they got to London at that time, they would have just missed the Age of Exploration. This is an easily google-able fact.
However, this can also be seen in the big things. This whole plot hinges on a research fellowship, but the characters are spending their time split between experimental, guided classes, and independent, idle study, which is not what a fellowship looks like. The author intends to place magic existing in this world as like a science which can be experimented with and pushed further, but the structure of her year of study is more like a poorly adapted Hogwarts AU. Also, it is so incredibly obvious that this is going to be a death game. 6 are selected, 5 get to carry on. When first I heard that I thought oh, so one is dead. But none of the characters seem to know that. They don't even seem to think about it at all.
Finally, this institute churns out world leaders, because the smartest and the best always end up running the show right? It is only the hardest working elite that end up with power. No. That isn't how it works at all. The author, by 57% of the way through this book, is trying desperately to make some salient critique about the elitist world of academia, but she has created a world where the greatest lies of academia are in fact true. It is factually true, in her world, that some people are simply better, more powerful, and more worthy, than other people. Magical versus non-magical people can never hope to be equal because there is an intrinsic biological difference that keeps them apart. It is also factually true, in her world, that being a great mind is rewarded with power, wealth, and prestige. This is not true in our world. Perhaps the latter half of this book would have had a great reveal to the contrary, but given her flimsy and feeble attempts at writing this discourse, I gave up.
I might have tried to pick it back up again, after that, but I just could not find a reason why. No mystery existed to be compelling enough to make me want to.
Lets start with the characters, shall we?
She is a fiercely powerful upstart from a non-magical family, he is a nepo baby from a very wealthy magical family who is her academic rival. His friends include a guy who changes into a dog, and another guy whose magical family is a pain in the ass, who he uses all of his resources to try and help. Sound familiar? I never really got into Marauders fanfic, but even I can recognize the origins of it in here. Anyway both of these characters are tolerable. Like, if the story had just focussed on them I might have been able to get through it. I also thought the description of how their powers are blended together was very compelling. But it gets worse.
Next we have Reyna. Whose thing is that she doesn't care. So why, god, should I care? Her apathy was too infectious, and as much as the author was trying to use her to talk a little bit about the elitism in academia, the way that she went about it was just so surface level and bad, it was all buzzwords with very little understanding of the nuance or the actual issue. As someone who works a lot in the space of critique of academia, this "discussion" of it, was simplistic enough to be borderline insulting.
Then we have the most compelling character of all, a guy who can convince anyone to do anything. It is such a shame that he also, is apathetic and doesn't care. So. Why. Should. I? He has the most interesting skill set and yet we spend the least amount of time with him, and the time we do spend doesn't tell us anything about him! The characters are literally so weak I could cry.
Then we have Tristan, who again, could be interesting if he wasn't just so passive in the narrative. What does he want? What moves is he making? We are told he is very smart, his skills are very interesting, and his powers are too, but then in the social structure of the group he is so incredibly passive. I got half way through the book and I could not care if he lives or dies.
And now we arrive at a character who I actively hated. The author, in all of her smug satisfaction with her own intellect, makes sure to let you know that in fact, if you hate this character, its an antifeminist thing to do. She is soooooo sexually liberated, don't you see? She just uses sex to get what she wants, in a very sexy way. She makes all men around her literal fools for her because.... she is well endowed? The writing around this character reduces all men to hormonal fools who can barely control themselves, and frankly I don't think that is a very feminist take. There is no difference between her and any femme fatale 'written by a man'. The same plot beats, and the same tropes apply. Just because this character is able to recognize the antifeminist trap she falls into, and preach some trite sex-positivity along the way, does not make her any less of a flat, failed, femme fatale.
And don't even get me started on the plot.
I think the main reason that this story does not work, is because the author has no idea what the hell she is talking about. This can be seen in little things, such as how the Library of Alexandria moved to London around the time of the Napoleonic wars, just in time for the Age of Exploration. The problem with that being, of course, that the Napoleonic wars were at turn of the 19th century, and the Age of exploration was from the 1500s to around the 1800s, if we are being generous. So in fact, if they got to London at that time, they would have just missed the Age of Exploration. This is an easily google-able fact.
However, this can also be seen in the big things. This whole plot hinges on a research fellowship, but the characters are spending their time split between experimental, guided classes, and independent, idle study, which is not what a fellowship looks like. The author intends to place magic existing in this world as like a science which can be experimented with and pushed further, but the structure of her year of study is more like a poorly adapted Hogwarts AU. Also, it is so incredibly obvious that this is going to be a death game. 6 are selected, 5 get to carry on. When first I heard that I thought oh, so one is dead. But none of the characters seem to know that. They don't even seem to think about it at all.
Finally, this institute churns out world leaders, because the smartest and the best always end up running the show right? It is only the hardest working elite that end up with power. No. That isn't how it works at all. The author, by 57% of the way through this book, is trying desperately to make some salient critique about the elitist world of academia, but she has created a world where the greatest lies of academia are in fact true. It is factually true, in her world, that some people are simply better, more powerful, and more worthy, than other people. Magical versus non-magical people can never hope to be equal because there is an intrinsic biological difference that keeps them apart. It is also factually true, in her world, that being a great mind is rewarded with power, wealth, and prestige. This is not true in our world. Perhaps the latter half of this book would have had a great reveal to the contrary, but given her flimsy and feeble attempts at writing this discourse, I gave up.
I might have tried to pick it back up again, after that, but I just could not find a reason why. No mystery existed to be compelling enough to make me want to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Really though, my breaking point came at this end- 2 older characters are trying to seduce Lily Evans - sorry, Libby Rhodes - into a threesome, by literally chugging a bottle of absinthe. Disregarding how unrealistic it is to be drinking that quantity of absinthe of all things, this felt so skeevy and predatory that I had to stop. Because to the author, this evidently wasn't skeevy or predatory, it was another scandalously salacious happening by her sexually liberated character, breasting boobily around as a strategy to win the day. Perhaps the commentary later on would have tried to reframe it, but the tone of the writing in this section is undeniable. The authors tone is meant to be seductive, this scene is meant to be seductive, but it feels like two fully grown adults preying on a naive 22 year old who is infantilized in nearly every other characters perspective. It feels gross.staceyinthesticks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Infidelity, Murder, Kidnapping, Cursing, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Violence
uma_rai's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
caseymac's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, and Confinement
daisywilliams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was good when it picked up steam, but I found the ending to feel slightly rushed
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Death
cody_crumley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol
thestarsaresad's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I BREEZED through this book. This is the first book in a long time that I haven't wanted to put down and that I've thought about when I had to do other things. I love the author's writing - all the detail, all the reflection - honestly, how do people even come up with stories like this?!?! The plot twists were crazy! Initially, I was skeptical about there being multiple POVs, but I really did grow to enjoy seeing things through each character's eyes. I definitely need to get the second book NOW.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Death
Moderate: Terminal illness, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Kidnapping