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cjroyg's review against another edition
challenging
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? It's complicated
3.0
trashcaboose's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn’t going to start another series until I had completed reading a couple of others but whoops here we are now and this one was so ding dang goooood
immakingt0ast's review against another edition
3.0
This was a solid fantasy read. Good worldbuilding, unique and innovative magic system, and the main character is a woman, which is uncommon in fantasy novels. I appreciated the amount of gender equality and pro-LGBT messages in this novel. That's honestly why I picked it up, and while I do appreciate the representation and normalization of LGBT culture in books and literature, I can't say it did much for the story. It's a bit dry, especially in the middle. There's a lot of political drama and I was expecting a bit more of a swashbuckler, especially for how long it is.
3.5 stars. I will probably continue the series.
3.5 stars. I will probably continue the series.
ashurredly's review against another edition
3.0
The world is interesting, but the writing is a little clumsy and I had to carefully not think about several things that made no sense. Also the "oh no corsets and dresses" bits were sort of annoying and overdone. Still, definitely about to start the next book.
tapestryofwords's review against another edition
4.0
This review is written in my "panoramic review" format.
My reaction: I struggled to get into the first half of this book, I have to say, which felt rather sluggish and dense. There was a lot going on in terms of characters being introduced, and I had trouble keeping straight who was who. I really wish a character list had been provided! The first half also consisted of a lot of complex conversation — involving political intrigue and "war room"-style talk — and I kept getting confused and having to reread.
Nevertheless, I plowed through and was rewarded by the second half of the book! The pace really picked up in the last third and it was definitely more riveting. There weren't very many new characters being introduced at that point, so I was becoming more familiar with the characters involved. There were some suspenseful "what's going to happen?" sorts of scenes in the climactic part of the story, and a twist I didn't see coming ().
Best aspect: the world-building. It was a cool premise to have magic workers as the Empire's army, with their power being controlled by magic-less individuals. Also, the author really fleshes out the different players/groups and the interests they are representing (unfortunately, this means that the plot in the first half suffers due to all of this world-building). Plus, there is a map!
I also thought the characters were well drawn, in particular Amalia and Zaira. Zaira has a spitfire personality, and is a bit of a wild card, and Amalia is a relatable and sympathetic narrator who demonstrates some growth throughout the story. The dynamic between the two of them was really interesting, as they started out with some animosity (particularly on Zaira's side, since she does not take kindly to having her magic controlled), and then progressed into more of a frenemy-ship. Although they are very different characters, I liked them both, so I was rooting for them to become friends!
If I could change something... I'd cut out some of the description and detail, particularly in the first half. I felt like the story sometimes gave up momentum in order to provide more detail in a scene. The writing felt generally overwritten, as though the author felt the need to select more exotic words one might find in the thesaurus rather than more commonplace ones. (I'm not opposed to using less common descriptive words in order to bring a scene to life, but in moderation!)
I'd also bring a little more spark to the romance, as I was pretty lukewarm about it. I thought it was sweet (and it wasn't a huge part of the plot, so it wasn't a big issue), but I just wasn't super invested in that relationship. It was kinda take-it-or-leave-it for me.
If you haven't read it: and you like traditional-style fantasies with loads of political intrigue and maneuvering, as well as detailed world-building, this will be right up your alley.
If you have read it: how do you think the Prince Ruven storyline is going to develop in book 2?
Just one more thing I wanted to mention: there was a sticky spot I thought Amalia got out of way too easily ().
Final verdict: 4 shooting stars. If you're getting discouraged by the slow pace of the first half, but are enjoying the characters and world-building, I recommend persevering!
Disclaimer: I received this as an ARC for review from the publisher.
My reaction: I struggled to get into the first half of this book, I have to say, which felt rather sluggish and dense. There was a lot going on in terms of characters being introduced, and I had trouble keeping straight who was who. I really wish a character list had been provided! The first half also consisted of a lot of complex conversation — involving political intrigue and "war room"-style talk — and I kept getting confused and having to reread.
Nevertheless, I plowed through and was rewarded by the second half of the book! The pace really picked up in the last third and it was definitely more riveting. There weren't very many new characters being introduced at that point, so I was becoming more familiar with the characters involved. There were some suspenseful "what's going to happen?" sorts of scenes in the climactic part of the story, and a twist I didn't see coming (
Spoiler
somehow I did not guess that her uncle was the Raverran contactBest aspect: the world-building. It was a cool premise to have magic workers as the Empire's army, with their power being controlled by magic-less individuals. Also, the author really fleshes out the different players/groups and the interests they are representing (unfortunately, this means that the plot in the first half suffers due to all of this world-building). Plus, there is a map!
I also thought the characters were well drawn, in particular Amalia and Zaira. Zaira has a spitfire personality, and is a bit of a wild card, and Amalia is a relatable and sympathetic narrator who demonstrates some growth throughout the story. The dynamic between the two of them was really interesting, as they started out with some animosity (particularly on Zaira's side, since she does not take kindly to having her magic controlled), and then progressed into more of a frenemy-ship. Although they are very different characters, I liked them both, so I was rooting for them to become friends!
If I could change something... I'd cut out some of the description and detail, particularly in the first half. I felt like the story sometimes gave up momentum in order to provide more detail in a scene. The writing felt generally overwritten, as though the author felt the need to select more exotic words one might find in the thesaurus rather than more commonplace ones. (I'm not opposed to using less common descriptive words in order to bring a scene to life, but in moderation!)
I'd also bring a little more spark to the romance, as I was pretty lukewarm about it. I thought it was sweet (and it wasn't a huge part of the plot, so it wasn't a big issue), but I just wasn't super invested in that relationship. It was kinda take-it-or-leave-it for me.
If you haven't read it: and you like traditional-style fantasies with loads of political intrigue and maneuvering, as well as detailed world-building, this will be right up your alley.
If you have read it: how do you think the Prince Ruven storyline is going to develop in book 2?
Just one more thing I wanted to mention: there was a sticky spot I thought Amalia got out of way too easily (
Spoiler
when Prince Ruven is threatening to kill her, and she just tells him she represents the Empire, and he backs offFinal verdict: 4 shooting stars. If you're getting discouraged by the slow pace of the first half, but are enjoying the characters and world-building, I recommend persevering!
Disclaimer: I received this as an ARC for review from the publisher.
bananagramzzz's review against another edition
Sixty percent in, and I called it because I hadn’t connected with any of the characters, for good or bad, and the pace was achingly slow (I can take one out of two of those things and trust that the story will improve, but with both, I just couldn’t). However, this books does have a lot of promise, and I’ll be on the lookout for other books by this author.
ladymar's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
mickey14's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a long time to get into this book but I'm starting to wonder if that's a me problem instead of the book's. By the end, I loved it and I'm so ready for the next one...which of course isn't out yet 🙃
toggle_fow's review against another edition
4.0
REAL GOOD, LADS.
This book was great. It's set in a fake sort of Italy where Fake Venice rules all the other city states with a fist of iron and magic. As one expects from Fake Venice, there's a lot of poisoning. I won't say there's "intrigue" since the plot is really more straightforward than that word implies, but there's at least a political mystery that I enjoyed a lot.
The idea of mages conscripted into the service of the Empire and bound together with a non-mage to work as a team for the rest of their lives is also very... interesting. I liked how the Empire was shown to be messed up in some ways, and so was Ardence, and Amalia's mother was clearly shown to be ruthless and conniving, but also a sympathetic character. The only real 100% evil we have here is Skinwitch Man, and I appreciate that gray morality.
If I had written this book, I would have spent WAY more time on Zaira and Amalia's relationship, and a lot less time on Marcello. But I didn't write this book, and I still very much enjoyed reading it. Marcello's sister is great, and he's pretty cool himself, although it really doesn't seem like he has the guts necessary to take over the Falcons. I do wish that Zaira and Amalia had gotten to do more bonding under fire, or more bonding at all. Hopefully that will happen in the next books.
This book was great. It's set in a fake sort of Italy where Fake Venice rules all the other city states with a fist of iron and magic. As one expects from Fake Venice, there's a lot of poisoning. I won't say there's "intrigue" since the plot is really more straightforward than that word implies, but there's at least a political mystery that I enjoyed a lot.
The idea of mages conscripted into the service of the Empire and bound together with a non-mage to work as a team for the rest of their lives is also very... interesting. I liked how the Empire was shown to be messed up in some ways, and so was Ardence, and Amalia's mother was clearly shown to be ruthless and conniving, but also a sympathetic character. The only real 100% evil we have here is Skinwitch Man, and I appreciate that gray morality.
If I had written this book, I would have spent WAY more time on Zaira and Amalia's relationship, and a lot less time on Marcello. But I didn't write this book, and I still very much enjoyed reading it. Marcello's sister is great, and he's pretty cool himself, although it really doesn't seem like he has the guts necessary to take over the Falcons. I do wish that Zaira and Amalia had gotten to do more bonding under fire, or more bonding at all. Hopefully that will happen in the next books.