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A review by exteenawreads
Fundamental Magics by Alex Evans
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
(3.5 ⭐ - ARC) I really enjoyed the story and the steampunk/Arcane magical science vibes of this book, but it definitely needs more editing. I'm having a hard time summarizing my thoughts so I'll break it down a bit:
Characters - I really love our MC, Adrienne, a dedicated scientist who is essentially studying the niche equivalent of magic theoretical physics. Her life is formulaic and mundane and she's content with that - until her niche abilities are suddenly very sought after by some powerful people. She has her work and her handful of acquaintances, and couldn't be bothered by socializing or wearing corsets or courting a man. It's not until she finds someone who is as deeply dedicated to research as she is where her interests are piqued, though that doesn't change who she is. She's just a huge nerd (kind of reminded me of Bones or Elizabeth Zott), love that about her and enjoyed reading her POV.
"To me, a man was just a waste of time. Not that I was completely devoid of experience in this area. I had tried a few things during my second year of college , more out of scientific curiosity than lust. I had concluded that sex was a complicated, uncomfortable, slimy business, much less interesting than what we were led to believe. No comparison with the exhilarating thrill of research or the sharp pleasure of discovery."
Some other characters were fun, but a lot were introduced and we don't get to see enough development or spend enough time with each one to see their impact.
World - we are introduced to a large world that has many places, cultures, political strife, religions, differing tech, and war. And then there's magic or "the Power", which isn't well understood, and even other planes where magical creatures like demons, jinn, and unicorns preside. It's hard to get the full picture from a short book, but it felt like a rich lore is there ready to be explored. It maybe needs to be called a bit in this first introduction, though, to focus more on building where the story takes place.
Writing - another reviewer said this was translated from French, and it is self published, so what is here is impressive. I do think it needs more help in terms of editing, though. There are misused words, repeated paragraphs that seem like rewrites that weren't deleted, and other various typos. I think with some more serious polish, it would be a great read
Characters - I really love our MC, Adrienne, a dedicated scientist who is essentially studying the niche equivalent of magic theoretical physics. Her life is formulaic and mundane and she's content with that - until her niche abilities are suddenly very sought after by some powerful people. She has her work and her handful of acquaintances, and couldn't be bothered by socializing or wearing corsets or courting a man. It's not until she finds someone who is as deeply dedicated to research as she is where her interests are piqued, though that doesn't change who she is. She's just a huge nerd (kind of reminded me of Bones or Elizabeth Zott), love that about her and enjoyed reading her POV.
"To me, a man was just a waste of time. Not that I was completely devoid of experience in this area. I had tried a few things during my second year of college , more out of scientific curiosity than lust. I had concluded that sex was a complicated, uncomfortable, slimy business, much less interesting than what we were led to believe. No comparison with the exhilarating thrill of research or the sharp pleasure of discovery."
Some other characters were fun, but a lot were introduced and we don't get to see enough development or spend enough time with each one to see their impact.
World - we are introduced to a large world that has many places, cultures, political strife, religions, differing tech, and war. And then there's magic or "the Power", which isn't well understood, and even other planes where magical creatures like demons, jinn, and unicorns preside. It's hard to get the full picture from a short book, but it felt like a rich lore is there ready to be explored. It maybe needs to be called a bit in this first introduction, though, to focus more on building where the story takes place.
Writing - another reviewer said this was translated from French, and it is self published, so what is here is impressive. I do think it needs more help in terms of editing, though. There are misused words, repeated paragraphs that seem like rewrites that weren't deleted, and other various typos. I think with some more serious polish, it would be a great read
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content