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yorkshirepud's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thebasicbookworm's review
Not the right time for me to get into this heavy epic fantasy, will come back to it another time.
alchaea's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
pagesofash's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
literatureish_liz's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
residual_sizzle's review
3.0
2.5 Rounded up.
While I felt neutral toward this book, I felt that it was too long for where the story went. It took me over a month and a half to get through it. And while I did pick it up and read it regularly, and didn’t dread continuing it, it wasn’t holding my attention well enough to want to read it over other things.
While I thought the idea of using soul magic to power the realm was a very interesting form of magic system, the other aspects of this book fell a little flat. I didn’t really care much about the main character or what she did and found the side characters to be more interesting than her. (Specifically, Tatterlain and Yali). In the beginning, as with a lot of high fantasy (granted), the world building was a bit confusing in my opinion and not very clear. I did like the different perspectives back and forth between the Castellan and Kat to give a dual perspective to the revolution.
I thought this book was fine, but its not one that I am going to think about much later, and I am not sure if it’s a series I would like to continue. It was okay. I think investing almost 600 pages of reading to feel not a lot was disappointing.
While I felt neutral toward this book, I felt that it was too long for where the story went. It took me over a month and a half to get through it. And while I did pick it up and read it regularly, and didn’t dread continuing it, it wasn’t holding my attention well enough to want to read it over other things.
While I thought the idea of using soul magic to power the realm was a very interesting form of magic system, the other aspects of this book fell a little flat. I didn’t really care much about the main character or what she did and found the side characters to be more interesting than her. (Specifically, Tatterlain and Yali). In the beginning, as with a lot of high fantasy (granted), the world building was a bit confusing in my opinion and not very clear. I did like the different perspectives back and forth between the Castellan and Kat to give a dual perspective to the revolution.
I thought this book was fine, but its not one that I am going to think about much later, and I am not sure if it’s a series I would like to continue. It was okay. I think investing almost 600 pages of reading to feel not a lot was disappointing.
tashellreads's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
bookishgenerations's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
esdeecarlson's review
3.0
[This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review]
3 stars
An action-filled new fantasy set in an imaginative world ruled by a remote immortal king, this book will probably appeal to a broad range of modern fantasy fans.
The good: the metaphysics of this world are inventive and gratifyingly disturbing. Human soul parts are harvested (by ‘shrivers’) after death and used to power lights, security systems, train engines, you name it—and smaller slivers of soul called ‘talent wisps’ can be ingested to give the user a boost in the deceased’s area of expertise. This is a world powered by death, and that’s absolutely fascinating; I wish the existential horror of it were explored slightly more. The short chapters keep the physical reading pace feeling quick.
Unfortunately, I found it hard to invest much in either the society or Kat, the heroine, for the first 70% of the story. The inciting incident happens after a few chapters. Kat joins the rebellion at the 30% mark, but with an ambivalence that isn’t wholly satisfying—at this point we know her personal grievances against certain individuals in power, but have yet to learn what the rebellion as an organization is actually fighting for other than ‘nobles are assholes.’ 49% of the way through, Kat finally decides what she wants, which feels quite late in the narrative for her to start actually acting instead of merely being carried along by events.
However, the last 30% of the book really ramps up into an interesting and satisfying response to everything that came before.
There’s a lot of action in this book, stealth missions and heists and desperate fights, which kept the pace moving nicely but weren’t my favorite in their execution. A lot of fight scenes had an anime-esque quality, where the ‘cool’ characters strike poses while murdering guards (‘custodians’). In the last third, however, Kat starts to shine in a genuinely interesting way, employing some truly creative problem-solving as she refuses to be as ruthless as her enemies.
Overall, this is an inventive new fantasy world that gets off to an ambivalent start but properly sticks the landing. I don’t intend to continue in the series, but I don’t doubt this will appeal to a lot of fantasy readers.
3 stars
An action-filled new fantasy set in an imaginative world ruled by a remote immortal king, this book will probably appeal to a broad range of modern fantasy fans.
The good: the metaphysics of this world are inventive and gratifyingly disturbing. Human soul parts are harvested (by ‘shrivers’) after death and used to power lights, security systems, train engines, you name it—and smaller slivers of soul called ‘talent wisps’ can be ingested to give the user a boost in the deceased’s area of expertise. This is a world powered by death, and that’s absolutely fascinating; I wish the existential horror of it were explored slightly more. The short chapters keep the physical reading pace feeling quick.
Unfortunately, I found it hard to invest much in either the society or Kat, the heroine, for the first 70% of the story. The inciting incident happens after a few chapters. Kat joins the rebellion at the 30% mark, but with an ambivalence that isn’t wholly satisfying—at this point we know her personal grievances against certain individuals in power, but have yet to learn what the rebellion as an organization is actually fighting for other than ‘nobles are assholes.’ 49% of the way through, Kat finally decides what she wants, which feels quite late in the narrative for her to start actually acting instead of merely being carried along by events.
However, the last 30% of the book really ramps up into an interesting and satisfying response to everything that came before.
There’s a lot of action in this book, stealth missions and heists and desperate fights, which kept the pace moving nicely but weren’t my favorite in their execution. A lot of fight scenes had an anime-esque quality, where the ‘cool’ characters strike poses while murdering guards (‘custodians’). In the last third, however, Kat starts to shine in a genuinely interesting way, employing some truly creative problem-solving as she refuses to be as ruthless as her enemies.
Overall, this is an inventive new fantasy world that gets off to an ambivalent start but properly sticks the landing. I don’t intend to continue in the series, but I don’t doubt this will appeal to a lot of fantasy readers.
naomielaine's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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? No
3.25