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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the story, especially the mythological ties. It was unique, but still familiar. I loved the characters, and I can't wait to read more about them. I'm really excited for the second book!
I'd recommend this to anyone interested in mythology, as well as mystery/fantasy fans.
Thank you to Razorbill and NetGalley for the ARC!
I'd recommend this to anyone interested in mythology, as well as mystery/fantasy fans.
Thank you to Razorbill and NetGalley for the ARC!
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:
Complicated
I was hesitant going in when I saw this was YA, but this surprised me by how well written it was. I really enjoyed this after I allowed myself to get swept up by the expert worldbuilding. The concept of siblings born with powers of gods is really cool, and what the story does with that and all the different groups of gods is satisfyingly creative. The characters, the mystery, and the overarching plot are all well done, within the limits of the fast pacing; nothing ever felt too two dimensional or shallow, but the book keeps going fast enough that there isn't a ton of time to linger. The main character and her two sisters are especially standout, I grew up in a trio of siblings and the book's constant familial power dynamics felt very familiar and real. This is still YA with some focus on romance, but it never felt overdone.
I rarely like YA, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this, its a standout in the genre.
I rarely like YA, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this, its a standout in the genre.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in the city of Alante, Io is the youngest of three sisters.
There are elements of mystery in the story that has an open ending.
There are elements of mystery in the story that has an open ending.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
There is violence in kindness and kindness in violence.
By far the most fun I've had reading all year and I wish I had read this sooner. From beginning to end, this was an exciting, fast-paced adventure that glued my eyes to the page. I truly wasn't expecting to like this this much, mostly because the summary wasn't at all enticing. I even hesitated to pick it up, but I was glad to be proven so wrong.
Set in an interesting, unique (and possibly post-apocalyptic) world roamed by the descendants of Gods from various cultures - such as Greek and Egyptian - everything in this novel is so vivid that you can't help but conjure it instantly in your mind. The main setting of Alante is a half-sunken city where the tide comes in too high and the bells sound off a warning, and seeing how the characters navigated around it was fascinating. It was such a minuscule detail, this city, but it ended up being one of my favorite aspects of the story.
It felt real and lived in, bursting with colour, like a place you could believe genuinely existed with a rich culture and an imagined history. Every mention of some past, historical event I gobbled up because everything was just so fascinating.
The world-building comes at you fast and overwhelms you, leaving you with no choice but to catch up but due to how real it all felt, I had no struggles fully immersing myself with the other-born and their unique blend of abilities. Trying to solve the mystery and unravel the grand scheme as the situation became more dire was my favorite part. I won't say the answers weren't predictable because some of them were, but I genuinely didn't see a lot of them coming. And each time I thought we were all out of twists, another one would pop up to throw me off.
Each revelation was another piece in the puzzle and seeing it all come together was positively satisfying. I felt like a detective myself, just stomping around this dreary, rainy city as I tried to figure out all the answers. I felt the danger alongside the characters and I felt the desperation to escape it all unscathed. More mystery in fantasy may be something I didn't know I desperately needed.
The world had burned to ashes because of men's good intentions.
Unfortunately, I thought the characters were the weakest part. They weren't bland or one-dimensional but many of them were simply forgettable and cookie-cutter. I thought Edei - the romantic interest of our main character Io whose sudden appearance spurns much of the story - suffered the most from this. He was just perfect. He had no major flaws or faults, I can't think of a single one, except that he says something mean to Io like one time.
There's no conflict between them and the very little of it we get is solved almost immediately on the next page or in the next chapter. He's kind, sweet, and thoughtful but also dreadfully boring. He's a good person, an upstanding citizen and there's nothing wrong with that, indeed his "goodness" is meant to contrast Io's many wrongs but it did make him feel bland.
I liked the main relationship between Edei and Io and the exploration of fate and destiny and the inevitability of fighting against a path that has already been laid beneath your feet, along with their interactions which were cotton-candy sweet but it didn't make me feel much of anything. It was just there. And that sucks for a story that hinges so much on the relationship and the fate thread between them.
She could do this, she thought, because you couldn't lose what was never yours.
Io also felt like a typical YA protagonist but she was bolstered by her relationships with her sisters, and the tragedy of the guilt she carries due to the effect of her sister and her thread-cutting made her more interesting. And solving the mystery alongside her was very fun. She wasn't as bland as the other characters around her but she wasn't particularly memorable either. She fits right into that typical YA box.
The sisters - Thasis, Ava, and Io - were the heart of this story and I loved them. All three of them felt real and layered and I loved their interactions. Thasis and Io especially were a great exploration of sisterhood and how in poverty, sibling love can often become frayed and dangerous. Both of them were very flawed people who did and said some awful things to each other, eventually being the catalyst for this novel's very plot. But with very few exceptions, none of the other characters were much of anything and outside of the sisters, they felt very generic and shallow.
But this was just a genuine blast of a novel, fast-paced and adventurous with loads of suspense and mystery set in a rich, colourful world inhabited by people with a fascinating set of abilities that explores themes of fate, godhood, sisterhood, prejudice, and the corruption of those in authority. Oh, and a beautiful cover too. What's not to love?
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
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:
Yes
It was a difficult read because English isn’t my first language. I didn’t fully get everything because it’s a lot of information with difficult words.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I initially wasn't particularly interested in the book (in hindsight: ew @ me) and was somewhat ready to unhaul while still unread.
However, this turned out to be a really fun book! Loved the plot, the characters, the magic system and the way it all played out in the end.
I'm not big into Greek mythology retellings and books inspired by such and had I known the mythology aspect before reading this book, I don't know if I would have enjoyed it to the extent that I did.
Having said that: I think a big part of the fun for me was actually the magic system in general, and especially the incorporation of threads into the magic part, as well as the world building.
Then there's also rebellion, gangs, politics, which are a big yes from me.
Really excited for book two!
Bonus: I read the Fairyloot edition which has a really nice flop.
However, this turned out to be a really fun book! Loved the plot, the characters, the magic system and the way it all played out in the end.
I'm not big into Greek mythology retellings and books inspired by such and had I known the mythology aspect before reading this book, I don't know if I would have enjoyed it to the extent that I did.
Having said that: I think a big part of the fun for me was actually the magic system in general, and especially the incorporation of threads into the magic part, as well as the world building.
Then there's also rebellion, gangs, politics, which are a big yes from me.
Really excited for book two!
Bonus: I read the Fairyloot edition which has a really nice flop.