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A review by write_of_passages
The Enchanter's Flame by Michele Notaro
3.0
(Disclaimer: I read this book after finishing book 4 of Michele’s Magi Series, so it possibly is coloring my perception). I found many similarities between the two series that I enjoyed, although I think my rating on this one has to do with the intensity more than anything. The world in this one is not quite so dangerous/dark and the world building is slightly less. Having mostly only two characters also narrows down the intensity in my opinion. Perhaps all of these things will ramp up as the series goes on.
Ultimately, it’s a fun supernatural read with all the makings of what I truly enjoyed from Michele’s Magi Series. The characters are not quite as complex and 3D yet, but it’s a promising start that hopefully will only get better with the next book.
Would I go back in time and still read this book, knowing what I know now?
Sure. This is a good one for when I’m looking for less intensity. I think I was expecting higher intensity because I’ve read her other work, but it’s good to know where this one falls.
See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book
CHARACTERS: Sebastian and Ailin both feel slightly underdeveloped to me. There are places where some of Sebastian’s actions don’t make any sense, both in terms of his history and his common sense, but he’s likeable enough to want to follow. And I got so excited when Seb, Ailin, Basil, Thayer, and Emrys got described! That is a huge plus and one that definitely made me super happy. Ultimately, they have the makings for being characters I could truly come to love, so hopefully this is just a book one sort of ‘we’re just meeting them and don’t know them super well yet’.
PLOT: The plot to this one relies far more on a mystery whodunit than actual action. Because Seb gets kept in the dark a lot about what’s going on, it ends up falling back that way on the reader. So I ended up not as fully invested because it was clear that more was going on. Being left in the dark meant that a large portion of the plot felt just in the dark and not allowing me to connect to it. That being said, it did, for the most part, maintain a consistent pace, which is good.
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.
1 out of 5/low. Not a bad thing, just good to know. I wasn’t super emotionally invested because we were kept at a divide from what was going on on the deepest levels. So ultimately it was a fun read for getting out of my head and into a different world with magic.
CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?
75%. For the most part everything is wrapped up. The ‘twist’ at the end I saw coming, though it is right at the end. The aftermath of the main conflict and the main conflict itself all occurred too fast, so there really wasn’t enough time to feel into either moment, but I’m not frustrated, so that’s the biggest thing. It just felt underwhelming overall. I’m still willing to give the rest of the series a chance though!
Ultimately, it’s a fun supernatural read with all the makings of what I truly enjoyed from Michele’s Magi Series. The characters are not quite as complex and 3D yet, but it’s a promising start that hopefully will only get better with the next book.
Would I go back in time and still read this book, knowing what I know now?
Sure. This is a good one for when I’m looking for less intensity. I think I was expecting higher intensity because I’ve read her other work, but it’s good to know where this one falls.
See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book
CHARACTERS: Sebastian and Ailin both feel slightly underdeveloped to me. There are places where some of Sebastian’s actions don’t make any sense, both in terms of his history and his common sense, but he’s likeable enough to want to follow. And I got so excited when Seb, Ailin, Basil, Thayer, and Emrys got described! That is a huge plus and one that definitely made me super happy. Ultimately, they have the makings for being characters I could truly come to love, so hopefully this is just a book one sort of ‘we’re just meeting them and don’t know them super well yet’.
PLOT: The plot to this one relies far more on a mystery whodunit than actual action. Because Seb gets kept in the dark a lot about what’s going on, it ends up falling back that way on the reader. So I ended up not as fully invested because it was clear that more was going on. Being left in the dark meant that a large portion of the plot felt just in the dark and not allowing me to connect to it. That being said, it did, for the most part, maintain a consistent pace, which is good.
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.
1 out of 5/low. Not a bad thing, just good to know. I wasn’t super emotionally invested because we were kept at a divide from what was going on on the deepest levels. So ultimately it was a fun read for getting out of my head and into a different world with magic.
CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?
75%. For the most part everything is wrapped up. The ‘twist’ at the end I saw coming, though it is right at the end. The aftermath of the main conflict and the main conflict itself all occurred too fast, so there really wasn’t enough time to feel into either moment, but I’m not frustrated, so that’s the biggest thing. It just felt underwhelming overall. I’m still willing to give the rest of the series a chance though!