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A review by ignitingpages
No Plain Rebel by M.C. Frank
4.0
Thank you to M. C. Frank for sending an e-copy of No Plain Rebel for me to read and review! All thoughts and opinions are my own :) Also, this is the second instalment in this trilogy, so if you haven’t already, you should read No Ordinary Star first (check out my review here).
I forgot how amazing M. C. Frank’s writing is, but when I started reading this novel, I remembered how much I adored her writing and her plot. The prologue was immediately captivating, and I was ready to devour the story because the author’s writing is just so beautiful and lyrical. And I couldn’t wait to see Astra’s and Felix’s relationship grow and develop.
Astra and Felix were mainly the main protagonists of Nor Ordinary Star, and I feel that In No Plain Rebel, they were further developed and we were able to learn a lot more about them individually. But I definitely ship them together, because THEY ARE JUST SO CUTE!! We were able to discover more about both Felix’s and Astra’s family history and how they came to be who they were and where they were. Felix’s past is especially sad and my heart breaks for my favourite tin soldier. I love Astra’s stubbornness and how that has helped her to survive and not let anyone trample over her – in my eyes, despite the harsh world she is living in, she’s a strong and independent woman. I also adore how sweet and caring Felix is, how he’s once cold heart has warmed and he doesn’t push anyone to do whatever he wants. Seriously, I’m just obsessed with these characters, especially together, BUT a specific scene made my heart break (hehe, you’ve gotta read it to find out what). I was actually hoping to see another appearance of Ursa, the polar bear because I love her, hehe.
In this instalment, we also get to revisit characters that were mentioned in No Ordinary Star, and I already love Karim, who I guess would be considered Felix’s best friend. When I first met him, I wasn’t sure what to think about him, mostly because M. C. Frank has built up a lot of suspense in her novel and you practically cannot trust him. But Karim grew on me and he’s fiercely protective and loyal, in a way. I hope we get to see more of him in the last novel. We also get to meet other soldiers and it saddens me that they are influenced to be so cold and heartless because majority of them seem to be only teenagers.
I loved how the Clockmaster seemed to still have a voice in No Plain Rebel, the author was clever to weave a deceased character’s voice into it. He’s basically helping guide Astra and Felix to understanding the world as we know it, the world where Christmas and love and natural births existed. He’s voice was heard through the journal entries and recordings he left behind for Felix and through Felix’s recollections of all the things the Clockmaster has told him in the duration of the time spent in the cabin. It definitely was a good way to know the Clockmaster’s thoughts and hopes and dreams and feelings before he passed away.
I found that the world-building was developed very well, and I was able to understand more of how the world came to be in that particular time period and how the world works. The plot kept thickening and every page had me wanting more, whether because I wanted more of the character’s appearances of because of suspense. I also found myself laughing and smiling through most of the novel, because the writing was weaved with humour that kept me entertained. The cover is also GORGEOUS!! I love how all the covers in this series match and look pretty next to each other. Why can’t all series do this?
The ending is killing me, because I NEED to know what happens next. There are so many questions, so many theories and thoughts I want answered. Hopefully, I get my hands on No Vain Loss soon! It comes out December 5th so keep an eye out!
I forgot how amazing M. C. Frank’s writing is, but when I started reading this novel, I remembered how much I adored her writing and her plot. The prologue was immediately captivating, and I was ready to devour the story because the author’s writing is just so beautiful and lyrical. And I couldn’t wait to see Astra’s and Felix’s relationship grow and develop.
Astra and Felix were mainly the main protagonists of Nor Ordinary Star, and I feel that In No Plain Rebel, they were further developed and we were able to learn a lot more about them individually. But I definitely ship them together, because THEY ARE JUST SO CUTE!! We were able to discover more about both Felix’s and Astra’s family history and how they came to be who they were and where they were. Felix’s past is especially sad and my heart breaks for my favourite tin soldier. I love Astra’s stubbornness and how that has helped her to survive and not let anyone trample over her – in my eyes, despite the harsh world she is living in, she’s a strong and independent woman. I also adore how sweet and caring Felix is, how he’s once cold heart has warmed and he doesn’t push anyone to do whatever he wants. Seriously, I’m just obsessed with these characters, especially together, BUT a specific scene made my heart break (hehe, you’ve gotta read it to find out what). I was actually hoping to see another appearance of Ursa, the polar bear because I love her, hehe.
In this instalment, we also get to revisit characters that were mentioned in No Ordinary Star, and I already love Karim, who I guess would be considered Felix’s best friend. When I first met him, I wasn’t sure what to think about him, mostly because M. C. Frank has built up a lot of suspense in her novel and you practically cannot trust him. But Karim grew on me and he’s fiercely protective and loyal, in a way. I hope we get to see more of him in the last novel. We also get to meet other soldiers and it saddens me that they are influenced to be so cold and heartless because majority of them seem to be only teenagers.
I loved how the Clockmaster seemed to still have a voice in No Plain Rebel, the author was clever to weave a deceased character’s voice into it. He’s basically helping guide Astra and Felix to understanding the world as we know it, the world where Christmas and love and natural births existed. He’s voice was heard through the journal entries and recordings he left behind for Felix and through Felix’s recollections of all the things the Clockmaster has told him in the duration of the time spent in the cabin. It definitely was a good way to know the Clockmaster’s thoughts and hopes and dreams and feelings before he passed away.
I found that the world-building was developed very well, and I was able to understand more of how the world came to be in that particular time period and how the world works. The plot kept thickening and every page had me wanting more, whether because I wanted more of the character’s appearances of because of suspense. I also found myself laughing and smiling through most of the novel, because the writing was weaved with humour that kept me entertained. The cover is also GORGEOUS!! I love how all the covers in this series match and look pretty next to each other. Why can’t all series do this?
The ending is killing me, because I NEED to know what happens next. There are so many questions, so many theories and thoughts I want answered. Hopefully, I get my hands on No Vain Loss soon! It comes out December 5th so keep an eye out!