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paulina_aspiringliterati 's review for:
The Memory Thief
by Lauren Mansy
„The Memory Thief” had the loveliest, most interesting premise that unfortunately wasn’t delivered upon.
We enter a world where memories can be stolen or bought. Where they can be a sought after drug and commodity of more value than gold. They can also come with a set of abilities leaving their previour owner a shadow of their former self and the new owner an addict with a haze in their eyes. It is a dangerous world indeed, where skin must be protected at all cost because it is how the Gifted can steal what’s yours and shouldn’t be anyone else’s.
The novel starts on a high note with the main character Etta receiving a notice that her mother who has been in a coma for the past 4 years will soon be auctioned by the ruthless leader of their city. To prevent that from happening Etta has no choice but to reach out to Shadows who she is currently estranged with but used to work for.
The memory auction sets the book off in a terrific way. We know that the stakes are high, the rules are unforgivably strict and the leader is a ruthless power hungry maniac ruling a city so desperate it reeks of it. In a way it reminded me of Ketterdam in „Six of Crows”; with the desperation and misery so palpable I could feel it. Happiness such a foreign, luxurious emotion that no one would dare fall into it because what if it gets stolen and the loss is too hard to come back from? Etta is a guilt ridden young woman whose actions show how much she wants to atone for sins we later learn that might not be hers to begin with.
Unfortunately as soon as deals are struck and Etta emabrks on a journey with Reid (who is a Sifter and can take memories from another person by sight), pacing start being all over the place. I would get from point A to B, declarations would be made, lost ones would be recovered and mysteries would be unveiled and truth be told I was holding my Kindle and thinking: „…wait, WHAT?”. It all happened way too fast. Someone who has never known to have much of an extended family won’t start calling their grandfather that having spent 2 scenes with them. It just… doesn’t happen? Not in my book. Relationships, be that a friendship or love and most certainly love (!) need room to breathe, they need to be built up. There needs to be a certain level of exposure because otherwise we have characters that go places and start developing these feelings that have no root whatsoever in their current given reality.
At the end of the day execution fell flat. While a way with words and storytelling skill were definitely there and I could really congratulate Lauren Mansy for writing in an engaging way that would ultimately make for a great fantasy story, I think that it could reach its fullest potential if expanded into 2 books instead of squashed into a standalone single novel. Had that story had more room, it would gave grown into something way better – with relationships property developed and us readers not shoved from one big action moment to another.
I’m giving it 3 stars but it’s more than it has in my head. The extra star is for a great premise that I feel could have become a hit fantasy hit.
**massive thank you to the publishers and Edelweiss+ for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
We enter a world where memories can be stolen or bought. Where they can be a sought after drug and commodity of more value than gold. They can also come with a set of abilities leaving their previour owner a shadow of their former self and the new owner an addict with a haze in their eyes. It is a dangerous world indeed, where skin must be protected at all cost because it is how the Gifted can steal what’s yours and shouldn’t be anyone else’s.
The novel starts on a high note with the main character Etta receiving a notice that her mother who has been in a coma for the past 4 years will soon be auctioned by the ruthless leader of their city. To prevent that from happening Etta has no choice but to reach out to Shadows who she is currently estranged with but used to work for.
The memory auction sets the book off in a terrific way. We know that the stakes are high, the rules are unforgivably strict and the leader is a ruthless power hungry maniac ruling a city so desperate it reeks of it. In a way it reminded me of Ketterdam in „Six of Crows”; with the desperation and misery so palpable I could feel it. Happiness such a foreign, luxurious emotion that no one would dare fall into it because what if it gets stolen and the loss is too hard to come back from? Etta is a guilt ridden young woman whose actions show how much she wants to atone for sins we later learn that might not be hers to begin with.
Unfortunately as soon as deals are struck and Etta emabrks on a journey with Reid (who is a Sifter and can take memories from another person by sight), pacing start being all over the place. I would get from point A to B, declarations would be made, lost ones would be recovered and mysteries would be unveiled and truth be told I was holding my Kindle and thinking: „…wait, WHAT?”. It all happened way too fast. Someone who has never known to have much of an extended family won’t start calling their grandfather that having spent 2 scenes with them. It just… doesn’t happen? Not in my book. Relationships, be that a friendship or love and most certainly love (!) need room to breathe, they need to be built up. There needs to be a certain level of exposure because otherwise we have characters that go places and start developing these feelings that have no root whatsoever in their current given reality.
At the end of the day execution fell flat. While a way with words and storytelling skill were definitely there and I could really congratulate Lauren Mansy for writing in an engaging way that would ultimately make for a great fantasy story, I think that it could reach its fullest potential if expanded into 2 books instead of squashed into a standalone single novel. Had that story had more room, it would gave grown into something way better – with relationships property developed and us readers not shoved from one big action moment to another.
I’m giving it 3 stars but it’s more than it has in my head. The extra star is for a great premise that I feel could have become a hit fantasy hit.
**massive thank you to the publishers and Edelweiss+ for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**