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emdirl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? No
3.5
narbeleth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
crownoflaurel's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Drug use
amandaskye's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
sara11_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Solid standalone fantasy novel which are hard to come by. I'm not interested in long series right now so I'm always excited to find a fantasy story that starts and wraps up in one book. Interesting characters, but I thought the last third dragged a bit. I wanted to get back to the revenge plot versus wandering around in caves/catacombs. I also wanted a little bit more insight into Madeline and Nic's relationship.
judex's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This story takes place a hundred years after it's prequel, and for those who absolutely must try this series, I would recommend starting with this book rather than the prequel; it's much easier to follow. The pace is initially slow, hindered by the overly deep explanations of scene and costume that don't add enough to justify their inclusion, but picks up markedly once the action starts. Despite some dead ends in the flow of the story, it does build towards its climax, which is satisfying if a little unbelievable. Unfortunately, not all plot threads are wrapped up by the climax, leaving some dangling threads that are awkwardly wrapped up in the denouement instead of being neatly wrapped up in the climax.
The main characters don't really have a character arc throughout the story, but they are competent and proactive, and it's fun to watch them unravel the mystery. I enjoyed that the story brought together two of the most effective characters, though as mirrors of each other, I'm not sure it was needed. In summary, this story is fun despite its flaws, easy to read if not gripping, and it's payoff is satisfying enough to justify the investment, though would have been more worthwhile at the tail end of a tighter story.
The main characters don't really have a character arc throughout the story, but they are competent and proactive, and it's fun to watch them unravel the mystery. I enjoyed that the story brought together two of the most effective characters, though as mirrors of each other, I'm not sure it was needed. In summary, this story is fun despite its flaws, easy to read if not gripping, and it's payoff is satisfying enough to justify the investment, though would have been more worthwhile at the tail end of a tighter story.
beginningbookend's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Second of Martha Wells' books set in Ille-rein, this one I think is where she hit her stride. Engaging characters, a lovely little mystery, moments of horror and pathos both. It feels like Wells asked herself, what if Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson had a protégé? And we follow that through a world that feels like a city on the cusp of an industrial revolution, with extra magic. It's a good standalone. The ending is a bit abrupt but it does a better job fleshing out the characters than her first book, and she's tamed the protagonist snark down into a level you can start to see might develop into the murderbot levels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gore
bobshmob's review against another edition
3.5
Overall I thought it was a pretty good book, especially given the time it came out. It’s aged pretty well.
First off, I am definitely biased against this sort of “gentleman thief” genre, so that might affect the score.
Pros:
- plot was interesting and had enough twists and turns to keep it moving
- the world was very well built and engaging
- I loved how inclusive the book was. I had no idea it was written in the 90s, and I wish I had read books like this as a kid.
Cons:
- I didn’t quite buy Nicholas as a mastermind thief. The amount of times he accidentally gives away more than he means to is off the charts, and he is somewhat impulsive
- I didn’t feel like there was a lot of motivation for some of the characters to love Nicholas, mostly Madeline and Reynard. Madeline says she loves acting above all but put off the season in the theater just for him? Reynard has committed to spending his entire existence playing a character for reasons (???)
- Arisilde was the worst character for me. Part powerful wizard, part damsel in distress, with the least convincing depiction of opium addiction I’ve read. Much of the story about him felt contrived to forward the story.
- A lot of the plot points seem to rely on the characters randomly running into each other
- I know this is an area where you need to suspend your disbelief for these kinds of novel, but makeup during that time period was not so believable that you can just make 10000 disguises that no one will see through.
I know the cons seems to outweigh the pros, but I did have fun reading it and will probably read more books set in this world.
First off, I am definitely biased against this sort of “gentleman thief” genre, so that might affect the score.
Pros:
- plot was interesting and had enough twists and turns to keep it moving
- the world was very well built and engaging
- I loved how inclusive the book was. I had no idea it was written in the 90s, and I wish I had read books like this as a kid.
Cons:
- I didn’t quite buy Nicholas as a mastermind thief. The amount of times he accidentally gives away more than he means to is off the charts, and he is somewhat impulsive
- I didn’t feel like there was a lot of motivation for some of the characters to love Nicholas, mostly Madeline and Reynard. Madeline says she loves acting above all but put off the season in the theater just for him? Reynard has committed to spending his entire existence playing a character for reasons (???)
- Arisilde was the worst character for me. Part powerful wizard, part damsel in distress, with the least convincing depiction of opium addiction I’ve read. Much of the story about him felt contrived to forward the story.
- A lot of the plot points seem to rely on the characters randomly running into each other
- I know this is an area where you need to suspend your disbelief for these kinds of novel, but makeup during that time period was not so believable that you can just make 10000 disguises that no one will see through.
I know the cons seems to outweigh the pros, but I did have fun reading it and will probably read more books set in this world.
joshuacaps's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A master thief and his crew on a mission of revenge get pulled into a deadly mystery while having to deal with everything from ghouls and necromancers to Ile-Rien's own Holmes and Watson. What's not to enjoy?