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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
(3.5) I think this book had very beautiful, vivid, imaginative descriptions of objects and scenery, really immersing me in the cozy atmosphere. It also had a catching premise. However, my biggest gripes with the book were, when nearing the end of the book it lost me in the complicated plea to tie everything together. Also, it had romance that felt both right and wrong depending on the characters? But, I think Natasha Pulley has a wonderful and complex imagination, specifically in atmosphere and detail, which would get me to read another one of her books
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Odd and confusing at times, crucial times even, but somehow still an entertaining ride.
The audiobook narration was very good!
The audiobook narration was very good!
This is one of my all time favourite books and it will be for a long time. It is the perfect genre of historical magical-realism with a dadh of queer. And the industrial developments that take place around the time the story was set make it an even more interesting read
“You weren’t my Thaniel yet. You weren’t finished. You wouldn’t have liked me.”
~
2022
@ dani u were right
~
2022
@ dani u were right
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
what in the orientalist garbage did i just read? jfc. nearly dnf’d but hesitantly continued after reading some positive reviews, so please, if you are here in a similar place, just put it down. absolutely wild that this got published in the first place.
the characters are poorly written, and the majority of them are god awful people with no recourse. the book is rife with racist, xenophobic, imperialist sentiment with no further plot or character development. it’s categorized as lgbtq but there is literally not a single queer or trans character identified in the entire book. the two main japanese characters are highly fetishized - one for his looks and the other is put in the « magical POC » trope. plot is half baked with serious holes as to make it almost incomprehensible. all in all, a complete waste of time.
oh, and the ebook formatting is terrible.
the characters are poorly written, and the majority of them are god awful people with no recourse. the book is rife with racist, xenophobic, imperialist sentiment with no further plot or character development. it’s categorized as lgbtq but there is literally not a single queer or trans character identified in the entire book. the two main japanese characters are highly fetishized - one for his looks and the other is put in the « magical POC » trope. plot is half baked with serious holes as to make it almost incomprehensible. all in all, a complete waste of time.
oh, and the ebook formatting is terrible.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia
Minor: Police brutality, Colonisation
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm a little lost, but fair enough I guess.
Can't really decide if I like it or not. It's different and that's good, but it doesn't make me like the characters as much as I prefer.
I don't know if I maybe missed something in the beginning but through half of the book I pictured the main character as middle aged or older, when it turned out he's in his twenties it tilted my perception of the whole story.
The writing is almost poetic, though sometimes hard to understand with expressions I've never heard or strange sentences.
I also feel the story doesn't add up all the time, I have the same problem with time travelling stories.
But generally an interesting story in a romantic steampunk setting.
I don't know if I maybe missed something in the beginning but through half of the book I pictured the main character as middle aged or older, when it turned out he's in his twenties it tilted my perception of the whole story.
The writing is almost poetic, though sometimes hard to understand with expressions I've never heard or strange sentences.
I also feel the story doesn't add up all the time, I have the same problem with time travelling stories.
But generally an interesting story in a romantic steampunk setting.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No