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4.5 AVERAGE
4.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Probably the most recommended book I've ever read since coming back to regularly reading for pleasure, I was worried that my overexposure was setting up unfair expectations. However, I was delighted to discover that this book is truly Very Good Actually.
Characters were the draw here, and by and large they were excellent. Nina, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, loved ye immediately, very easy to appreciate their deal while not making them less complex (would have killed for more Wylancentric chapters but alas, love him). Matthias took a bit longer but while I'm still mmm on the direction that the author went vis a vis romance I get why that was done and it does work mechanically, which given the character and my initial thoughts on him is sterling work.
Kaz is the most complex character here and I separate him because his perspective is the most interesting to me. For everyone else, we follow who they are as people, how they got here and what they carry with them. With Kaz (and inej to an extent but not nearly as much) there's an extra dimension aside from "Kaz as he knows himself" that's "Kaz as he is seen." Kaz has established his own mythos and deliberately cultivates it, so when reading him it's harder to feel as though we're experiencing things with him or as him, rather than a mediated presentation. Especially in the first half, he seems too in control and too much a master of the moment for me to see him otherwise than as a third party, even when he is the POV.
However, when the heist goes a bit wrong (there's a heist, it's the main plot, not to "whatever" it but the actual mechanics of planning and calculating the intricacies of the heist are to me somewhat underbaked next to the work done to make the characters journey's interesting) and Kaz does lose control and find himself in positions of vulnerability, we do see into his inferiority in a way that feels much more authentic and vivid. I really liked it as a great example of unity between story and prose. By the end, I was totally bought in on Kaz as the leading guy in a way that went beyond his aura farming.
The worldbuilding is fantastic, especially with the amount that it needs to set up vis a vis not just the various nations but how each of them perceives each other and making it feel real. Nina and Matthias (for as much as I don't think the romantic elements of that dynamic were necessary) were very well realised in this regard, making the conflict feel authentic. Everything, down to the financing (loved how much of a role that appropriately played) wove together.
Only a few complaints. A certain antagonist being in the prison in the third act themselves (surely they'd have sent a team of their gang rather than go themselves to do this heist and risk their own death when they're a powerful casino chief?) felt contrived, and I do think the characters are too young for what they do.
However, on the whole this was a great, fun adventure/heist story, the characters were fantastic, the prose was detailed yet easy, it fits so much into a surprisingly short page length (I can tell you, that's difficult to do), just a great book.
Characters were the draw here, and by and large they were excellent. Nina, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, loved ye immediately, very easy to appreciate their deal while not making them less complex (would have killed for more Wylancentric chapters but alas, love him). Matthias took a bit longer but while I'm still mmm on the direction that the author went vis a vis romance I get why that was done and it does work mechanically, which given the character and my initial thoughts on him is sterling work.
Kaz is the most complex character here and I separate him because his perspective is the most interesting to me. For everyone else, we follow who they are as people, how they got here and what they carry with them. With Kaz (and inej to an extent but not nearly as much) there's an extra dimension aside from "Kaz as he knows himself" that's "Kaz as he is seen." Kaz has established his own mythos and deliberately cultivates it, so when reading him it's harder to feel as though we're experiencing things with him or as him, rather than a mediated presentation. Especially in the first half, he seems too in control and too much a master of the moment for me to see him otherwise than as a third party, even when he is the POV.
However, when the heist goes a bit wrong (there's a heist, it's the main plot, not to "whatever" it but the actual mechanics of planning and calculating the intricacies of the heist are to me somewhat underbaked next to the work done to make the characters journey's interesting) and Kaz does lose control and find himself in positions of vulnerability, we do see into his inferiority in a way that feels much more authentic and vivid. I really liked it as a great example of unity between story and prose. By the end, I was totally bought in on Kaz as the leading guy in a way that went beyond his aura farming.
The worldbuilding is fantastic, especially with the amount that it needs to set up vis a vis not just the various nations but how each of them perceives each other and making it feel real. Nina and Matthias (for as much as I don't think the romantic elements of that dynamic were necessary) were very well realised in this regard, making the conflict feel authentic. Everything, down to the financing (loved how much of a role that appropriately played) wove together.
Only a few complaints. A certain antagonist being in the prison in the third act themselves (surely they'd have sent a team of their gang rather than go themselves to do this heist and risk their own death when they're a powerful casino chief?) felt contrived, and I do think the characters are too young for what they do.
However, on the whole this was a great, fun adventure/heist story, the characters were fantastic, the prose was detailed yet easy, it fits so much into a surprisingly short page length (I can tell you, that's difficult to do), just a great book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
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:
Yes
La conclusión, me ha encantado y quiero leerme ya el segundo, como puede ser que solo sean 2 libros???
Llega a la altura de sus expectativas?? No se que decir, ósea si me encanta, la trama me mola (aunque me ha parecido demasiado “fácil” dentro de todo lo que podía salir mal, aunque es un libro juvenil y esa parte se nota muuucho.
No me hago a la idea de que los personajes sean tan pequeños y he adorado las interacciones de varios de ellos (es que un si pero no y un fíltrelo me puede)
No creo que se convierta en uno de mis favs for ever (igual si porque me queda un libro) pero si lo recomendó por mil, te engancha, los personajes están genial y literalmente te lo bebes.
Jesper te quiero
this was really good! the world and plot are pretty engaging, but the characters are what really shine through for me. they really come alive on the page, and them and their relationships are ultimately what kept me engaged.
i do feel like some of the names (i.e. place names etc) and language things could’ve used some workshopping. but that’s a minor thing.
i do feel like some of the names (i.e. place names etc) and language things could’ve used some workshopping. but that’s a minor thing.
I was not expecting to like this book, but it sucked me in! I loved the development of the characters the unique heist, and the set up for the next book…
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing read I did find myself getting confused slightly with the different languages and the multiple pov but in third person
But it's an immersive and well written book that I highly enjoyed
But it's an immersive and well written book that I highly enjoyed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Torture
Minor: Vomit
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
dark
funny
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:
Yes