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melaniesw13's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
mehitabels's review against another edition
2.0
I really struggled with writing this review.
The premise is one of my favs - plucky thieves save the world - and I acknowledge that I am totally spoiled by [a:Joe Abercrombie|276660|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1421267339p2/276660.jpg] because any fight scene is lacking compared to his.
But the writing just felt elementary to me, going on and on in some scenes/plot points, and glossing over others. I will say,
Anyhoo. I don't not recommend it, but would have spent my reading time on something more gratifying.
The premise is one of my favs - plucky thieves save the world - and I acknowledge that I am totally spoiled by [a:Joe Abercrombie|276660|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1421267339p2/276660.jpg] because any fight scene is lacking compared to his.
But the writing just felt elementary to me, going on and on in some scenes/plot points, and glossing over others. I will say,
Spoiler
the half-god character chapters were written better, which is funny to me. Like, oh puny humans get less developed writing, hahahahAnyhoo. I don't not recommend it, but would have spent my reading time on something more gratifying.
kateri's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5/5
“And if her heart did not believe her, her head was willing to pretend.”
This is a fun and thrilling read that begins with Balthazar, one of the main characters, arranging a heist at an upcoming ceremony with the help of his crew. He enlists the help of the Queen of Days, a dangerous and mysterious woman who is a well-known thief. Right off the bat, their meeting is strange. She has arranged to meet at an odd location, seems to move about unnoticed, and never reveals her face, instead hiding her identity behind an exquisite mask. I was immediately drawn in when she agreed to help Bal with the heist, but requested an unconventional payment instead of money. As the ceremony unfolds, chaos ensues when the statue shatters and a portal opens, unleashing a pissed off god. The rest of the story is just as dramatic as you'd expect.
“Let chaos reign.”
What worked for me:
One of the strongest points of this book is its world-building. Greta Kelly does an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of the setting, making it easy to visualize and fall into the world. The book does a great job of keeping its world consistent and believable.
The characters are another highlight of this book. Tass is a badass with a mysterious and dangerous vibe that makes her intriguing from the moment we meet her. Bal, on the other hand, has a personality type that I personally find incredibly annoying in a character. With that being said, I tend to appreciate any book that makes me feel so strongly about a character, so this worked for me. And let's not forget Kai and his well-timed sarcasm.
What didn't work for me:
There are so many emotions being thrown around throughout the book. The stakes are high, there are threats everywhere, and most of the characters have complicated pasts. It felt like there was so much room for character exploration and growth, and by the end of the book I was left wanting more - especially about Mira, Kai, and Tass, who were intriguing but felt underdeveloped.
Another aspect that didn't work great for me was the use of both first and third-person POV. While I understand the author's intention in using both (clever, along with the shortening of chapter names) I found it to be a bit distracting and it pulled me out of the story at times. I did eventually get used to it, but I would have preferred a more consistent POV throughout.
Add this to your TBR if you enjoy fantasy heist plots with great world building, adventure, and a hint of mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
“And if her heart did not believe her, her head was willing to pretend.”
This is a fun and thrilling read that begins with Balthazar, one of the main characters, arranging a heist at an upcoming ceremony with the help of his crew. He enlists the help of the Queen of Days, a dangerous and mysterious woman who is a well-known thief. Right off the bat, their meeting is strange. She has arranged to meet at an odd location, seems to move about unnoticed, and never reveals her face, instead hiding her identity behind an exquisite mask. I was immediately drawn in when she agreed to help Bal with the heist, but requested an unconventional payment instead of money. As the ceremony unfolds, chaos ensues when the statue shatters and a portal opens, unleashing a pissed off god. The rest of the story is just as dramatic as you'd expect.
“Let chaos reign.”
What worked for me:
One of the strongest points of this book is its world-building. Greta Kelly does an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of the setting, making it easy to visualize and fall into the world. The book does a great job of keeping its world consistent and believable.
The characters are another highlight of this book. Tass is a badass with a mysterious and dangerous vibe that makes her intriguing from the moment we meet her. Bal, on the other hand, has a personality type that I personally find incredibly annoying in a character. With that being said, I tend to appreciate any book that makes me feel so strongly about a character, so this worked for me. And let's not forget Kai and his well-timed sarcasm.
What didn't work for me:
There are so many emotions being thrown around throughout the book. The stakes are high, there are threats everywhere, and most of the characters have complicated pasts. It felt like there was so much room for character exploration and growth, and by the end of the book I was left wanting more - especially about Mira, Kai, and Tass, who were intriguing but felt underdeveloped.
Another aspect that didn't work great for me was the use of both first and third-person POV. While I understand the author's intention in using both (clever, along with the shortening of chapter names) I found it to be a bit distracting and it pulled me out of the story at times. I did eventually get used to it, but I would have preferred a more consistent POV throughout.
Add this to your TBR if you enjoy fantasy heist plots with great world building, adventure, and a hint of mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
riverlethe's review against another edition
I found it boring. The characters never drew me in. The stakes and danger never felt real. The audiobook narrator was incredibly talented but had a tone of desperation in his narration when I feel like it could have benefited from streetwise snark instead. I heard the second half didn’t improve so decided to cut my losses.
enafevurly's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this and review before it comes out!! We LOVE a found family of thieves! The world this Greta Kelly built for us all to visit is amazing. The plot is also such a cool concept I haven’t read before. This gives major Six of Crows vibes. As far as the characters, I wish there was more development there. It was also hard to believe Bal is their leader when his priorities and focus are questionable most of the time. I loved Tass and her magic and she ended up being my favorite. Fans of YA epic adventures will find a wonderfully written and engaging story here.
jessicafangs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.25
rusereviews's review against another edition
adventurous
3.5
The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly is a high fantasy heist adventure with a found family of thieves.
The publisher blurb mentioned this book is perfect for fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and I definitely agree with that. Both of these books have action that keeps going and going.
I really enjoyed Kelly's Warrior Witch duology! The blurb from this one sounded cool, especially the mention of time magic. However, I didn't love this one as much as The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.
The beginning really sucked me in; I really enjoy Kelly's writing and there is some cool world-building here. There were some pacing issues in the middle that pulled me out of the story. I didn't really identify with any of the characters, and I wish that we got a bit more depth regarding the rest of the crew.
Still an enjoyable read, though!
CW: violence, death, torture
I received a copy of this book to review. Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions contained herein are my own.
The publisher blurb mentioned this book is perfect for fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and I definitely agree with that. Both of these books have action that keeps going and going.
I really enjoyed Kelly's Warrior Witch duology! The blurb from this one sounded cool, especially the mention of time magic. However, I didn't love this one as much as The Frozen Crown and The Seventh Queen.
The beginning really sucked me in; I really enjoy Kelly's writing and there is some cool world-building here. There were some pacing issues in the middle that pulled me out of the story. I didn't really identify with any of the characters, and I wish that we got a bit more depth regarding the rest of the crew.
Still an enjoyable read, though!
CW: violence, death, torture
I received a copy of this book to review. Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions contained herein are my own.
hijinx_abound's review against another edition
2.0
* Received a copy for review.*
Gah. There is a ch potential in this book. The world building is well done and the main character is interesting.
However, the jumping between first and third person was distracting and unnecessary.
The story never really found it’s footing and was disappointing overall.
Gah. There is a ch potential in this book. The world building is well done and the main character is interesting.
However, the jumping between first and third person was distracting and unnecessary.
The story never really found it’s footing and was disappointing overall.
kellyreadsbytheriver's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
kindra_demi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
Fantasy heist, found family, and god killing? Of course I jumped at the chance to read this. This is a really solid and fun standalone to read. Most of what I read is apart of a series, so I’m used to character development and arcs taking a lot of time; however, even though this story only had the length of a standalone, it didn’t feel as it was rushed/awkwardly timed. The character developments of both Bal and Tess are very real and well paced.
What I think I appreciated a lot too was how real the motivation behind the characters felt. Characters didn’t jump to kill a god because why not? They don’t wanna die a stupid death. That is, until appropriate motivation comes into play.
This being said, the comparison to Six of Crows, even though I see why it’s there, if you read that and want to read this because of the heist, know that the heist planning and heist does not take up a lot of the book. Again, it’s not rushed, but it’s also not the core story.
Can I just say also, absolutely no pressure to Greta Kelly. If you don’t want to write another book in this world, I totally understand. You still have me as a reader because I’m definitely checking out of your other works. That being said, PLEASE CAN WE HAVE MORE OF THE SIDE CHARACTERS IN ANOTHER BOOK (totally not biased as I definitely don’t love a sarcastic character)??
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
What I think I appreciated a lot too was how real the motivation behind the characters felt. Characters didn’t jump to kill a god because why not? They don’t wanna die a stupid death. That is, until appropriate motivation comes into play.
This being said, the comparison to Six of Crows, even though I see why it’s there, if you read that and want to read this because of the heist, know that the heist planning and heist does not take up a lot of the book. Again, it’s not rushed, but it’s also not the core story.
Can I just say also, absolutely no pressure to Greta Kelly. If you don’t want to write another book in this world, I totally understand. You still have me as a reader because I’m definitely checking out of your other works. That being said, PLEASE CAN WE HAVE MORE OF THE SIDE CHARACTERS IN ANOTHER BOOK (totally not biased as I definitely don’t love a sarcastic character)??
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.