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A review by elle_aline
Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
This is peak YA and expecting anything else will disappoint you.
And by that I mean that it's a really enjoyable YA book with a few little weaknesses, without them it would've been easily 4 stars.
Many people seem to dislike 2nd installments in trilogies including this one but I feel differently.
Does this book have a lot of plot? ....no. Did it lessen my fun? Uhh, no.
Really, not much happens in this book, plot wise. It's incredible how little happened while not feeling like that at all. I was having a blast reading that.
It's a lot of worldbuilding and generally setting the scene for the big stuff. But in a good and entertaining way.
My issues with this book were mainly that I couldn't emotionally connect with the characters and the love triangle.
Also I really love the politics of this book. It is so unapologetic and direct about it without feeling performative. Nice.
For example Astrea being a matriarchy (which we obv alread knew lol), the concept of virginity, sex liberation and queer people.
I mean we got Heron (gay?), Erik (bi?) And Giosetta (bi?). I was THRILLED when giosetta appeared. Didn't see that coming and I loved it, even if she just was a minor side character.
The plottwists / reveals were nice. A bit too obvious but it was fine. I like guessing, so I felt validated a lot but sometimes it was a little too easy.
E.g. the guy dying was clear a page before it happened (good) while Coltella what's her name got too much time. At some point i was just screaming at my ebook reader.
The end SHOCKED me. I was just sitting there mouth wide agape.
I also liked how søren confessing his love in the garden (something i got upset over bc it's so stupid and dangerous but disregared as the author simply not thinking it through) actually played out to be the reason for the killings.
Also I really mistrusted the dead guy cause of his dumb ass reasoning to start a war BC OF A CHESS GAME. Like couldn't he have sent some secret agents??? So realizing he'd drop dead was a surprise.
After Theo's cool ass moment killing coletta whatver it went downhill sadly, albeit it was nothing major.
Firstly, the plan is kinda dumb. They're so little people, starved and untrained. Also they're about 3000 soldiers??? That's nothing. According to my estimation Astrea is inhibited by 20.000 people. That's not a lot....
Secondly, I hated how out of nowhere the romance suddenly took off.
As a romance girlie I was surprised by the lack of romance about 70 % in but I didn't mind AT ALL. It just didn't matter.
And then, out of nowhere, Theo knows she's in love with søren. When??? I didn't feel it at all.
That was a major disappointment. I was totally ready to just leave out the romance here.
I really tried liking their moment but i just didn't. And when søren said he fell for the real theo i was like"???? And when???". Obv he loves her, but I want to feel it. To me it just came out of the blue and it felt "unearned".
Thirdly.... obv the love triangle.
A love triangle can be crafted well, but this one wasn't.
It's clear that søren is endgame. But in the first book I enjoyed the moments so much more. Both for søren and for blaise. I just didn't feel anything reading their moments here. This is just individually for the romance.
I was so confused when she told blaise she loved him..... like uh. But I was convinced, that it was platonic love from her.
And then when søren left she kissed blaise???? I was shocked.
Laura Sebastian, are you trying to recreate the twilight moment?
And by that I mean that it's a really enjoyable YA book with a few little weaknesses, without them it would've been easily 4 stars.
Many people seem to dislike 2nd installments in trilogies including this one but I feel differently.
Does this book have a lot of plot? ....no. Did it lessen my fun? Uhh, no.
Really, not much happens in this book, plot wise. It's incredible how little happened while not feeling like that at all. I was having a blast reading that.
It's a lot of worldbuilding and generally setting the scene for the big stuff. But in a good and entertaining way.
My issues with this book were mainly that I couldn't emotionally connect with the characters and the love triangle.
Also I really love the politics of this book. It is so unapologetic and direct about it without feeling performative. Nice.
For example Astrea being a matriarchy (which we obv alread knew lol), the concept of virginity, sex liberation and queer people.
I mean we got Heron (gay?), Erik (bi?) And Giosetta (bi?). I was THRILLED when giosetta appeared. Didn't see that coming and I loved it, even if she just was a minor side character.
The plottwists / reveals were nice. A bit too obvious but it was fine. I like guessing, so I felt validated a lot but sometimes it was a little too easy.
E.g. the guy dying was clear a page before it happened (good) while Coltella what's her name got too much time. At some point i was just screaming at my ebook reader.
The end SHOCKED me. I was just sitting there mouth wide agape.
I also liked how søren confessing his love in the garden (something i got upset over bc it's so stupid and dangerous but disregared as the author simply not thinking it through) actually played out to be the reason for the killings.
Also I really mistrusted the dead guy cause of his dumb ass reasoning to start a war BC OF A CHESS GAME. Like couldn't he have sent some secret agents??? So realizing he'd drop dead was a surprise.
After Theo's cool ass moment killing coletta whatver it went downhill sadly, albeit it was nothing major.
Firstly, the plan is kinda dumb. They're so little people, starved and untrained. Also they're about 3000 soldiers??? That's nothing. According to my estimation Astrea is inhibited by 20.000 people. That's not a lot....
Secondly, I hated how out of nowhere the romance suddenly took off.
As a romance girlie I was surprised by the lack of romance about 70 % in but I didn't mind AT ALL. It just didn't matter.
And then, out of nowhere, Theo knows she's in love with søren. When??? I didn't feel it at all.
That was a major disappointment. I was totally ready to just leave out the romance here.
I really tried liking their moment but i just didn't. And when søren said he fell for the real theo i was like"???? And when???". Obv he loves her, but I want to feel it. To me it just came out of the blue and it felt "unearned".
Thirdly.... obv the love triangle.
A love triangle can be crafted well, but this one wasn't.
It's clear that søren is endgame. But in the first book I enjoyed the moments so much more. Both for søren and for blaise. I just didn't feel anything reading their moments here. This is just individually for the romance.
I was so confused when she told blaise she loved him..... like uh. But I was convinced, that it was platonic love from her.
And then when søren left she kissed blaise???? I was shocked.
Laura Sebastian, are you trying to recreate the twilight moment?