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pmiller1208's review
3.0
It was slow during some parts, but otherwise it was a good book in the end. I would consider reading the next book.
malus23's review
5.0
Shelved under general sci-fi or future, but it's more a future-fantasy, maybe? Whatever it's called, it was fun.
stevequinn's review
4.0
Full disclosure--I work for the distributor of this publisher. But yes, I read and really liked this book. Xhea was a very cool, different main character. I've recently started reading sci fib again after a break. What I used to read was mostly make written, so I found myself wondering if this book was influenced by the author bring a woman. Who knows? That comment sounds stupid even as I type it, but whatever. Good book with neat concepts dealt with in an unusual way: not a lot of shooting and fighting, and many plot elements left unfinished, but that didn't "feel" unfinished.
Definitely moving on to book two of the series.
Definitely moving on to book two of the series.
nilaffle's review
5.0
I can't rave to enough people about how much I love this book. It's quiet moodiness and vivid world-building are the very thing I search for in a fantasy novel, the qualities that allow me to sink into a story and leave me craving more long after it's over. In this world magic is currency and there's the implication that we are in a distant future, where magic has made modern technology obsolete and privileged society has risen to the sky in grand towers. It's also a ghost story. Xhea, an anomalous dark spot in a world of bright magic users has the ability to see ghosts, and she becomes embroiled in the (after)life of Shai, young and dead before her time. Through Xhea's colorblind eyes, we explore this world, discover the pasts of both girls, and delve deeper into a plot that may doom Shai to nothingness. It's a tale of great friendship between two girls as well, and I'm always a fan of such relationships. Radiant is rich and savory in its prose, I've become a huge fan of Sumner-Smith, and I can't wait until the next book.
kolymaarasto's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cjweiss's review
2.0
What drove me away were the data dumps. It felt like minute details were unnecessarily included and that important details were explored all at once. They weren't presented in a way which felt natural from the protagonist's perspective and kept stalling out the narrative. I personally didn't find the protagonist compelling either.
Bright sides: the prose fits YA fantasy and reads easy. The general premise is also interesting. Ended up not finishing.
Bright sides: the prose fits YA fantasy and reads easy. The general premise is also interesting. Ended up not finishing.
mollymortensen's review
4.0
I'm sick of dystopians but throw in fantasy and ghosts, and you've got my interest.
The story and worldbuilding are definitely unique. A lot of thought went into this society. The world was cool, with floating towers for the upper classes and the lower classes living in the ruins. All technology is run by magic, so magic is currency. Xhea has no magic, so she's essentially always broke. She can see ghosts though and that's where the action comes in.
I love good friendships in books and I really fell for Xhea and Shai's. Though on their own neither character was anything special. Shai's a big question mark, because her history is the mystery of the book. Xhea is a the kind of character, which on paper (figuratively speaking) I hate. Bitter, angry, and a bit of a magic addict. (Though she didn't face any of the problems normal addicts face, so that part didn't bother me.) But in the end she was a sympathetic character. At first she comes off hard, but we quickly learn that she isn't really.
There were a few minor characters but none got enough page time to get to know them. Lorn, the young ruler of one of the lower skyscrapers, has the most promise. I'm curious about his mysterious history with Xhea.
The plot was rather slow, dispite all of the action and running. Xhea just reacted to everything, not really having a goal. Towards the end, she gained a goal but not a plan or the intellect to enact it. (Which was annoying but still entertaining.)
I hadn't planned to read the sequel but I might have to. No cliffhanger, but the author didn't answer all my questions!
The story and worldbuilding are definitely unique. A lot of thought went into this society. The world was cool, with floating towers for the upper classes and the lower classes living in the ruins. All technology is run by magic, so magic is currency. Xhea has no magic, so she's essentially always broke. She can see ghosts though and that's where the action comes in.
I love good friendships in books and I really fell for Xhea and Shai's. Though on their own neither character was anything special. Shai's a big question mark, because her history is the mystery of the book. Xhea is a the kind of character, which on paper (figuratively speaking) I hate. Bitter, angry, and a bit of a magic addict. (Though she didn't face any of the problems normal addicts face, so that part didn't bother me.) But in the end she was a sympathetic character. At first she comes off hard, but we quickly learn that she isn't really.
There were a few minor characters but none got enough page time to get to know them. Lorn, the young ruler of one of the lower skyscrapers, has the most promise. I'm curious about his mysterious history with Xhea.
The plot was rather slow, dispite all of the action and running. Xhea just reacted to everything, not really having a goal. Towards the end, she gained a goal but not a plan or the intellect to enact it. (Which was annoying but still entertaining.)
I hadn't planned to read the sequel but I might have to. No cliffhanger, but the author didn't answer all my questions!
cupiscent's review
Interesting lady-protags, interesting post-apoc(?) dystopia, complex magic world systems, good atmosphere... but just not grabbing me, even after a hundred-odd pages. No harm, no foul, just not for me.