Scan barcode
tamara_joy's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders
looseleafellie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book started off a bit slow for me. Charlie’s backstory was fun to read, but the scenes in the present dragged at first. However, the second half of the book picked up, and the ending was a full-on rollercoaster!
The magic system was cool, even though I didn’t quite understand it. The idea of people being able to do magic using their shadows was really interesting. The story is also set in the area where I go to college, so it was cool seeing familiar places!
Overall, while this story didn’t grip me as much as I hoped, the twists at the end were awesome enough that I’m excited for the sequel! I’m hoping that with the setup done, a second book will be more fast-paced.
Thanks to Tor Books for the advance review copy!
CWs: blood/gore, body horror, self-harm for magic purposes, depression, panic attacks, captivity, child abuse, gun violence, drug use, loss of autonomy, and mentions of incest and cancer.
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gun violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Incest and Cancer
sauvageloup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
pros:
- the magic!!! i haven't read a book (that i remember) with shadow magic in it and i loved the whole thing. the alterationists, quickened shadows, the way the magic became known to the general public through the internet, etc. all of it :D
- Charlie. She's such a mess but she never really means badly by it and I loved how there's the reveal at the end how's she's been holding herself back because she's been afraid of what happens when she really tries. Her nickname of the Charlatan, her past with Rand, her really grey morality but still being loyal and good at heart, as well as her proud sexuality and her relationship with Vince - she doesn't realise how much she likes him and they've kept so many secrets, and yet they're both totally dedicated to the other and i loved that :)
- all the other characters!! Vince was amazing
- Salt was such a good villain too, and Charlie's horror story past of meeting him first was so well done and creepy, because she was so young and relatively defenseless then, but still managed to keep her wits. she's such a survivor :)
- i definitely felt the similarity between BoN and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. There's no dark academia, but the main characters are both 'not on their first mistake, but maybe their last' (as Black put it), a bit older, survivors and smart but jaded and making bad mistakes. there were strong resonances in the magic too, even though it's entirely different, there's the same wild danger of it and not quite knowing how it actually works or how the magic arises/the shadow is quickened. And there was a similar complex, mystery-based plot where both had too many names and was a bit confusing. but i loved both books all the same, and that type of tired-but-fierce female MC who is holding onto life with her teeth is the best :))
cons:
- there's a lot of names. i definitely got lost. Malik and Mahir i muddled up, i forgot who Paul Ecco and Adam and a bunch of the others, as well as small clues like the magnet Charlie found. i did rush through a bit, but it was still pretty complicated
- i did also find that Charlie's chaos kind of spilled into the plot? so i got lost a bit about how much time this was all taking, and the clues/plots/twists and turns felt very haphazard, according to just when the thought showed up in Charlie's mind. it definitely felt organic, but maybe a bit too much so
But overall, adored it and can't wait for book 2 :D
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Self harm, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Body horror, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, and Cursing
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Incest, and Forced institutionalization
the self harm is only explicitly for finger pricks for blood, but there's a lot of bad, self-sabotaging decisionshowl's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Vomit, and Gore
Minor: Incest and Panic attacks/disorders
ode_to_readers's review against another edition
4.5
Okay so the book was a little slow to begin with, the build up and understanding of how shadows worked and the lingo being a struggle. The chapters flick between past and present, Charlie and others. It's both a good thing and a bad thing because the in-between chapters give some more depth but they happen just as there's a cliffhanger on the previous chapter so half the time I'm tempted to skip forward.
At first I didn't really care for Charlie all that much. I like her now but there's still something I can't quite place my finger on why she bothers me. However, Vince became my favourite about half way through and I loved their relationship with each other.
Towards the end of the book, the amount of times you think something is about to happen the way you want it to and Holly just snatches that hope right out of your hands. And then does it again and again.
AND THAT ENDING?!?!?!
Graphic: Gore and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Self harm, Drug use, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual content and Cancer
tualha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Holly Black's twisty adult debut follows Charlie Hall, a "reformed" thief and con artist. A slow burn for a mystery, it's got bad romantic decisions, tense family dynamics, and plenty of gory violence. Though it was a bit formulaic in terms of a mystery, folks who enjoy unique systems of magic and female anti-heroes will likely be at home.
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Gun violence, and Alcohol