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A review by justinekorson
Stolen City by Elisa A. Bonnin
5.0
I was lucky enough to have received an E-Arc of this book and I was NOT disappointed by what I read. I’m going to try to not spoil things in my review but I will be mentioning a few characters that aren’t named specifically in the book’s description.
This is a story of magic, colonization, and the lengths people will go to for those that they love. The characters in this story are all driven by fear, for themselves or the ones they love, loyalty, for their city and it’s people, and responsibility, either for their desire to run from it or accept it. All of these emotions drive the characters down different paths that converge together in the best way imaginable.
The four POV’s that Elisa established in this novel were all very different and unique. I could feel each specific character’s emotions, understand their actions through their mindset, and found myself falling in love with these characters because of it.
The twins, Arian the master thief, and Liam that last mage of Arcanum, had very contrasting personalities but were still in tune with one another enough to gauge each others reactions and feelings. Their arc’s in the story were incredible to witness as they pushed past their own fear of failure in an effort to create change.
Zephyr, a Knight turned traitor, is a prime example of what someone will do for the people they love. Although she was outwardly hated by those around her, she never backed down from a fight. Without giving too much away… I’m very excited to see more of her storyline with a certain someone should we get a sequel.
Cavar, the Weaver of the Wastes, was probably my FAVORITE character but I’m also biased towards cute, sarcastic boys who like to steal artifacts and hearts. He’s smart, captivating and all around a joy to read about. I trusted/fell in love with him from the moment Arian met Cavar.
The world building in this novel was incredible. I ate up every little bit of it from the descriptions of the Leithon itself, to talk of the Wastes/Empire, and all of the discussion about magic and how it worked in the world. The way magic was used in this story almost gave me a sci-fi feeling to it and I’ve always loved when magic almost sounds like technology instead of fantasy.
There is very little in the way of romance, and while that would usually upset me (I’m a big romance reader) this did not. Any more than what we were given would have felt like a distraction from the plot and what we DID receive was perfect for any readers who like a good slow burn. With that in mind, I REALLY HOPE Y’ALL HAVE PREORDERED I WANT A SEQUEL.
Overall this book was MORE than I expected. The twins POV’s I anticipated but the addition of Zephyr and Cavar was a delightful surprise. All four of these characters, their different experiences, and thoughts worked so well together and I ended up loving the book from start to finish. I’d recommend this to anyone who loved Elisa’s world building from her first book and anyone who loves heists and fantasy.
This is a story of magic, colonization, and the lengths people will go to for those that they love. The characters in this story are all driven by fear, for themselves or the ones they love, loyalty, for their city and it’s people, and responsibility, either for their desire to run from it or accept it. All of these emotions drive the characters down different paths that converge together in the best way imaginable.
The four POV’s that Elisa established in this novel were all very different and unique. I could feel each specific character’s emotions, understand their actions through their mindset, and found myself falling in love with these characters because of it.
The twins, Arian the master thief, and Liam that last mage of Arcanum, had very contrasting personalities but were still in tune with one another enough to gauge each others reactions and feelings. Their arc’s in the story were incredible to witness as they pushed past their own fear of failure in an effort to create change.
Zephyr, a Knight turned traitor, is a prime example of what someone will do for the people they love. Although she was outwardly hated by those around her, she never backed down from a fight. Without giving too much away… I’m very excited to see more of her storyline with a certain someone should we get a sequel.
Cavar, the Weaver of the Wastes, was probably my FAVORITE character but I’m also biased towards cute, sarcastic boys who like to steal artifacts and hearts. He’s smart, captivating and all around a joy to read about. I trusted/fell in love with him from the moment Arian met Cavar.
The world building in this novel was incredible. I ate up every little bit of it from the descriptions of the Leithon itself, to talk of the Wastes/Empire, and all of the discussion about magic and how it worked in the world. The way magic was used in this story almost gave me a sci-fi feeling to it and I’ve always loved when magic almost sounds like technology instead of fantasy.
There is very little in the way of romance, and while that would usually upset me (I’m a big romance reader) this did not. Any more than what we were given would have felt like a distraction from the plot and what we DID receive was perfect for any readers who like a good slow burn. With that in mind, I REALLY HOPE Y’ALL HAVE PREORDERED I WANT A SEQUEL.
Overall this book was MORE than I expected. The twins POV’s I anticipated but the addition of Zephyr and Cavar was a delightful surprise. All four of these characters, their different experiences, and thoughts worked so well together and I ended up loving the book from start to finish. I’d recommend this to anyone who loved Elisa’s world building from her first book and anyone who loves heists and fantasy.