Take a photo of a barcode or cover
alannajane 's review for:
The Enchanted Lies of Céleste Artois
by Ryan Graudin
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars
🎧Audiobook🎧 is very wonderfully read.
The world-building that makes up this beautiful, artistic world in Paris, just before and at the beginning of WW1, is incredible - the author having taken inspiration from the artistic resilience of those soldiers fighting in this horrific war. There is soul and shining spirit running through all of the text, and so many of the characters are delightful. Three strong, amazing young(er) women fight their way through a gritty Parisian life, on the dusky side of the law, in order to survive. And despite the trauma that they have each seen, their hearts are good. Once they each find their own way into the magical underworld of Paris, they will find even more to fight for.
So, why am I giving this magical story only 3.5 stars?
The writing is good, the premise magically inspired, and there are three lovely yet strong female leads who make up a wonderful "found family". There is no overt misogyny, classism or other marginalization that seeps from our own world into this one (one reason that I strongly dislike many fantasy and sci.fi. books - especially those mainly written by cishet, white male authors). This book is full of hope and imagination, as that which has the best chance of beating out fear, violence and war.
Honestly, I am not sure - I can't put my finger on it. I simply wasn't overly enamoured by the story, as a whole. I often wanted to give up (and only didn't so that I could properly review it), and had a really hard time finishing this audiobook despite all of its merits.
Really, it frequently felt just too long. Ordinarily, I love both magical fantasy and stories woven out into beautifully long adventures - this however did not hold my attention like books that I give full accolades in my reviews. I wanted more substance, somehow. Had it been edited down to 3/4 of its length, without any other change, I may have given this book 4.5-5 stars. That said, I don't want to give the impression that I dislike long books (I often adore them).
I am certain that others (of perhaps different dispositions or age groups) will adore this book. It will definitely delight many. This is very likely just a "me problem". I do urge anyone intrigued by the book's premise to cozy up in a comfy corner and give it all of your attention.
Huge gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher, Hachette Audio, for an Audio-ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
🎧Audiobook🎧 is very wonderfully read.
The world-building that makes up this beautiful, artistic world in Paris, just before and at the beginning of WW1, is incredible - the author having taken inspiration from the artistic resilience of those soldiers fighting in this horrific war. There is soul and shining spirit running through all of the text, and so many of the characters are delightful. Three strong, amazing young(er) women fight their way through a gritty Parisian life, on the dusky side of the law, in order to survive. And despite the trauma that they have each seen, their hearts are good. Once they each find their own way into the magical underworld of Paris, they will find even more to fight for.
So, why am I giving this magical story only 3.5 stars?
The writing is good, the premise magically inspired, and there are three lovely yet strong female leads who make up a wonderful "found family". There is no overt misogyny, classism or other marginalization that seeps from our own world into this one (one reason that I strongly dislike many fantasy and sci.fi. books - especially those mainly written by cishet, white male authors). This book is full of hope and imagination, as that which has the best chance of beating out fear, violence and war.
Honestly, I am not sure - I can't put my finger on it. I simply wasn't overly enamoured by the story, as a whole. I often wanted to give up (and only didn't so that I could properly review it), and had a really hard time finishing this audiobook despite all of its merits.
Really, it frequently felt just too long. Ordinarily, I love both magical fantasy and stories woven out into beautifully long adventures - this however did not hold my attention like books that I give full accolades in my reviews. I wanted more substance, somehow. Had it been edited down to 3/4 of its length, without any other change, I may have given this book 4.5-5 stars. That said, I don't want to give the impression that I dislike long books (I often adore them).
I am certain that others (of perhaps different dispositions or age groups) will adore this book. It will definitely delight many. This is very likely just a "me problem". I do urge anyone intrigued by the book's premise to cozy up in a comfy corner and give it all of your attention.
Huge gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher, Hachette Audio, for an Audio-ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail