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bookdevouringmisfit's review
3.0
2.5-3 stars
I feel a bit underwhelmed but I'm just glad that after weeks of reading this, I'm finally done with it. I think I'm one of the few who didn't like this book. There are so many things that just failed for me that if it weren't for them I honestly think this would've worked for me. I mean, this revolves around a magical town with mob-type families. I don't think I've read a book with that premise before. This book just screamed interesting and exciting from that blurb alone.
Okay so first off there was Lila, the main character. At first glance she seemed to be an interesting and bad-ass heroine. She's the kind of heroine who would do anything for her survival, who considers no right or wrong as long as she survives. I liked that. Unfortunately, that was short-lived and only lasted for about 10% of the book. I was expecting to see more of an anti-heroine who will eventually win my heart. Sure she's still tough and badass but her priorities went the other way around when she was tasked to guard Devon--whom Lila suddenly had this insta-lovey dovey connection with the help of her "soul sight" talent that made her see the inner depths of his soul just by looking into his eyes. Insta-love locked and loaded.
For a girl with an I-don't-care-I'm-so-tough attitude, Lila soon found herself caring for Devon and wanting to protect him when she was asked to be his bodyguard. Her loyalty which was solely hers before went straight to him and the Sinclair Family. Where is that ruthless and selfish girl that I saw before? I'm all for character development but I really was expecting that Lila wouldn't go the typical route of prioritizing other people than herself when she was introduced as the opposite.
I have so many issues with Lila but the one that I hate the most is how special she is. Not only does she have the sight talent and the "soul sight" but when she was faced with a dire situation in the pawnshop we suddenly find out she has another secret talent where another person's talent could be transferred to her by contact which eventually helped her in defeating the bad guys. How convenient. After that, she became a special snowflake for me and nothing more. I hate special snowflakes. We have too many of them in the YA universe already, thank you very much.
In terms of the plot, I like the idea of this magical town with mob-type families. I think that's the only thing I truly found interesting in all of this. Most of my issues regarding this book stem from the main character. I have a lot more to go on but I don't have all the time in the world so I'll leave my review with this. I'm out.
An arc was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I feel a bit underwhelmed but I'm just glad that after weeks of reading this, I'm finally done with it. I think I'm one of the few who didn't like this book. There are so many things that just failed for me that if it weren't for them I honestly think this would've worked for me. I mean, this revolves around a magical town with mob-type families. I don't think I've read a book with that premise before. This book just screamed interesting and exciting from that blurb alone.
Okay so first off there was Lila, the main character. At first glance she seemed to be an interesting and bad-ass heroine. She's the kind of heroine who would do anything for her survival, who considers no right or wrong as long as she survives. I liked that. Unfortunately, that was short-lived and only lasted for about 10% of the book. I was expecting to see more of an anti-heroine who will eventually win my heart. Sure she's still tough and badass but her priorities went the other way around when she was tasked to guard Devon--whom Lila suddenly had this insta-lovey dovey connection with the help of her "soul sight" talent that made her see the inner depths of his soul just by looking into his eyes. Insta-love locked and loaded.
For a girl with an I-don't-care-I'm-so-tough attitude, Lila soon found herself caring for Devon and wanting to protect him when she was asked to be his bodyguard. Her loyalty which was solely hers before went straight to him and the Sinclair Family. Where is that ruthless and selfish girl that I saw before? I'm all for character development but I really was expecting that Lila wouldn't go the typical route of prioritizing other people than herself when she was introduced as the opposite.
I have so many issues with Lila but the one that I hate the most is how special she is. Not only does she have the sight talent and the "soul sight" but when she was faced with a dire situation in the pawnshop we suddenly find out she has another secret talent where another person's talent could be transferred to her by contact which eventually helped her in defeating the bad guys. How convenient. After that, she became a special snowflake for me and nothing more. I hate special snowflakes. We have too many of them in the YA universe already, thank you very much.
In terms of the plot, I like the idea of this magical town with mob-type families. I think that's the only thing I truly found interesting in all of this. Most of my issues regarding this book stem from the main character. I have a lot more to go on but I don't have all the time in the world so I'll leave my review with this. I'm out.
An arc was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I don't remember reading a book this quickly. I could not put it down. There was nothing I didn't love about it. The setting and world are fantastic, the action is intense and visceral, the descriptions vivid and creative, the story deep and filled with twists, the characters deep and fun, and a lead heroine who I know I'm just going to keep loving. A must for all Estep fans (if you like Gin, you're going to LOVE Lila), as well as any fans of YA novels in general. This new series is already off to a great start, and I know it will keep getting better.
luischen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
witchylevy's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it! I can't wait on read more. The important characters had depth. Lots of sad facts of the main characters life and childhood. It has completely hooked me so I cannot wait to see what happens next.
wiebke_0603's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
Cold Burn of Magic starts of a new trilogy (?) for Jennifer Estep. I have loved her Elemental Assassin series and reading Cold Burn of Magic one can immediately see similarities between the two series even though Cold Burn of Magic would be considered YA. I agree with my fellow VBC Reviewer Margaret's thoughts in that Lila is very similar to Gin, but not enough to make this series a complete rewrite.
I loved Lila's character. She doesn't read like a teenager at all and at first I had difficulty believing this was supposed to be YA which in my opinion is a good thing. I think it makes the characters more relatable to a wider range of readers.
I also liked that Jennifer Estep decides to hold back on the relationship. Lila is the bodyguard for Devon Sinclair, second-in-command in the Sinclair Family. There's obvious chemistry between them, but I would much rather see a friendship develop between these two first before anything romantic. Since the death of her mother, Lila has spent a lot of time on her own. She has pretty much zero friends (besides Mo, who used to work with her mother and promised he's take care of Lila). So first and foremost I want to see her open herself up more, and being situated within a Family gives her that opportunity.
Like Gin, Lila is very good at what she does. Also like Gin, she's got a good heart. She may start off the book as a thief, but she ends up in the employ of a Family because she steps in to help Devon and his friends in a bad situation. Not because she feels any loyalties towards the Families (the exact opposite is true however) but because it's the right thing to do.
The secondary characters were great in this one. I especially loved Gin's pixie helper Oscar. He starts out so surly and angry, but it becomes clear soon enough that he's a softy too. I look forward to reading more about the tentative love-hate relationship they develop.
Overall, I was very happy with how this series starts out. It is definitely promising for things to come.
I loved Lila's character. She doesn't read like a teenager at all and at first I had difficulty believing this was supposed to be YA which in my opinion is a good thing. I think it makes the characters more relatable to a wider range of readers.
I also liked that Jennifer Estep decides to hold back on the relationship. Lila is the bodyguard for Devon Sinclair, second-in-command in the Sinclair Family. There's obvious chemistry between them, but I would much rather see a friendship develop between these two first before anything romantic. Since the death of her mother, Lila has spent a lot of time on her own. She has pretty much zero friends (besides Mo, who used to work with her mother and promised he's take care of Lila). So first and foremost I want to see her open herself up more, and being situated within a Family gives her that opportunity.
Like Gin, Lila is very good at what she does. Also like Gin, she's got a good heart. She may start off the book as a thief, but she ends up in the employ of a Family because she steps in to help Devon and his friends in a bad situation. Not because she feels any loyalties towards the Families (the exact opposite is true however) but because it's the right thing to do.
The secondary characters were great in this one. I especially loved Gin's pixie helper Oscar. He starts out so surly and angry, but it becomes clear soon enough that he's a softy too. I look forward to reading more about the tentative love-hate relationship they develop.
Overall, I was very happy with how this series starts out. It is definitely promising for things to come.
fyrekatz's review against another edition
5.0
My Review: This book rates as high as the frost series in my opinion. I love Jennifer's writing style and the way she makes kickass girls! And now I have something to look forward to in Nov. Book 2, Dark Heart of Magic will be out! So this story is about an orphan with secrets of her own as she takes care of herself but then gets caught in something that changes her life forever. The twist in this story had me gasping for air at the end and I couldn't read this book any faster than I did. And lets just say what another colorful world she painted for us again. Thanks again for writing these stories for us!
http://fkrants.blogspot.com/2015/07/cold-burn-of-magic.html
http://fkrants.blogspot.com/2015/07/cold-burn-of-magic.html
rikerandom's review against another edition
3.0
Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele
Juchu, ein neues Buch aus der Feder von Jennifer Estep! Nach ihrer "Mythos Academy"-Serie habe ich mich ja doch sehr auf ihre neue Serie "Black Blade" gefreut. Und dann ist es doch tatsächlich das erste Buch der Autorin geworden, das nur drei Sterne von mir bekommen hat...
Das letzte Buch von Jennifer Estep, das ich rezensiert habe, war "Spinnenjagd" und das erste, das weniger als fünf Sterne bekommen hat. Und bei einem Blick in die Rezension fiel mir gerade vor allem ein Wort ins Auge: Repetitiv! Und genau dieses Wort wollte ich, sehr zur Belustigung einer guten Freundin, auch unbedingt in dieser Rezension unterbringen, denn es beschreibt die ersten 64% des Buchs nur allzu gut.
Jennifer Esteps neue Welt ist nicht uninteressant. Die Geschichte spielt in Cloudburst Falls, einer Stadt in den USA (?), in der es vor Magie nur so wimmelt und zwar in Form von Magiern und Monstern. Zu ersteren gehört auch Lila, die sogar direkt über zwei besondere Talente verfügt und sich als Auftragsdiebin über Wasser hält. Dazu kommen die Familien, Mafia-artige Strukturen magischer Familien, die über die Stadt herrschen und von denen sich Lila eigentlich fernhalten wollte - eigentlich. Denn plötzlich ist ihr das nicht mehr möglich.
Klingt cool, oder? War es eigentlich auch. Aber eben nicht nur. Denn erst einmal war die Geschichte vor allem auch sehr langatmig. Wobei das gar nicht so sehr die Handlung selbst betraf sondern viel mehr die Hintergrundinformationen, denn die gibt es nur häppchenweise und diese Häppchen werden dann wieder und wieder durchgekaut. Das war auf Dauer eben doch recht ermüdend und ich hätte mir mehr Informationen gewünscht bzw. dass man einige, die man sich durchaus schon selbst zusammen reimen konnte, einfach früher erhalten hätte.
Und leider war das nicht der einzige Punkt, in dem ich mit "Black Blade: Das eisige Feuer der Magie" nicht so recht glücklich war. Denn auch in Sachen Spannung konnte mich der Roman nicht überzeugen. Ja, er ist spannend, aber eben nicht spannend genug, denn im Grunde genommen ist hier das eine oder andere doch schon von Anfang an vorhersehbar. Auch die Figuren waren zwar interessant, konnten mich aber nicht restlos in ihren Bann ziehen - wobei ich es durchaus positiv fand, dass die Romanze hier nicht im Mittelpunkt steht.
Alles in allem ist Jennifer Esteps "Black Blade: Das eisige Feuer der Magie" zwar kein schlechter Roman, aber eben auch kein überzeugender Serienauftakt. Ich werde die Serie zwar aller Wahrscheinlichkeit weiter verfolgen, aber einen richtig positiven Eindruck konnte dieser erste Band dann doch nicht bei mir hinterlassen - sehr schade!
Juchu, ein neues Buch aus der Feder von Jennifer Estep! Nach ihrer "Mythos Academy"-Serie habe ich mich ja doch sehr auf ihre neue Serie "Black Blade" gefreut. Und dann ist es doch tatsächlich das erste Buch der Autorin geworden, das nur drei Sterne von mir bekommen hat...
Das letzte Buch von Jennifer Estep, das ich rezensiert habe, war "Spinnenjagd" und das erste, das weniger als fünf Sterne bekommen hat. Und bei einem Blick in die Rezension fiel mir gerade vor allem ein Wort ins Auge: Repetitiv! Und genau dieses Wort wollte ich, sehr zur Belustigung einer guten Freundin, auch unbedingt in dieser Rezension unterbringen, denn es beschreibt die ersten 64% des Buchs nur allzu gut.
Jennifer Esteps neue Welt ist nicht uninteressant. Die Geschichte spielt in Cloudburst Falls, einer Stadt in den USA (?), in der es vor Magie nur so wimmelt und zwar in Form von Magiern und Monstern. Zu ersteren gehört auch Lila, die sogar direkt über zwei besondere Talente verfügt und sich als Auftragsdiebin über Wasser hält. Dazu kommen die Familien, Mafia-artige Strukturen magischer Familien, die über die Stadt herrschen und von denen sich Lila eigentlich fernhalten wollte - eigentlich. Denn plötzlich ist ihr das nicht mehr möglich.
Klingt cool, oder? War es eigentlich auch. Aber eben nicht nur. Denn erst einmal war die Geschichte vor allem auch sehr langatmig. Wobei das gar nicht so sehr die Handlung selbst betraf sondern viel mehr die Hintergrundinformationen, denn die gibt es nur häppchenweise und diese Häppchen werden dann wieder und wieder durchgekaut. Das war auf Dauer eben doch recht ermüdend und ich hätte mir mehr Informationen gewünscht bzw. dass man einige, die man sich durchaus schon selbst zusammen reimen konnte, einfach früher erhalten hätte.
Und leider war das nicht der einzige Punkt, in dem ich mit "Black Blade: Das eisige Feuer der Magie" nicht so recht glücklich war. Denn auch in Sachen Spannung konnte mich der Roman nicht überzeugen. Ja, er ist spannend, aber eben nicht spannend genug, denn im Grunde genommen ist hier das eine oder andere doch schon von Anfang an vorhersehbar. Auch die Figuren waren zwar interessant, konnten mich aber nicht restlos in ihren Bann ziehen - wobei ich es durchaus positiv fand, dass die Romanze hier nicht im Mittelpunkt steht.
Alles in allem ist Jennifer Esteps "Black Blade: Das eisige Feuer der Magie" zwar kein schlechter Roman, aber eben auch kein überzeugender Serienauftakt. Ich werde die Serie zwar aller Wahrscheinlichkeit weiter verfolgen, aber einen richtig positiven Eindruck konnte dieser erste Band dann doch nicht bei mir hinterlassen - sehr schade!
pnwtinap's review against another edition
3.0
This story took me a little bit to get into, but the more I read the more I wanted to know more about Lila. She is actually a really interesting main character with flaws and history that makes you want to learn more about her life. The side characters are equally interesting.