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mommybookwyrmm's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
beachybookstack's review
4.0
I picked up this book based on the cover & the construction of magic within the world. Mages controlled at childhood? Sounds interesting. For some reason, I didn't expect the sheer amount if political intrigue involved in the story. But hey, for reading the first 3 pages and purchasing? It was a solid positive experience.
Amalia isn't overpowered or unfortunately shy, she's essentially in training to take over what seems to be much like a Game of Thrones ish family. Being the Cornaro heir is something she is not yet ready for, or maybe she doesn't truly want, but it's her duty to pick up where her mother leaves off. La Contessa (her mother) is an illusive figure, I'm glad she wasn't the star of the show. She slipped in and out of the story like a good spy and mentor. Zaira is another story, she's clearly the counterweight to the elitism that runs their country. And yet she could burn it all down if she was not controlled by the jess on her wrist. She's salty, aggressive, roguesque.
There are a lot of great characters, but one thing bugged me. The author didn't let anything happen until I hit 80%. There were moments of "something is about to happen"/"explosion perhaps?"/"JUST KISS HIM YOU IDIOT"......Yeah, not a fan of having all that wait until the last 20%. But once things got rolling, they caught fire. So that's the end of that without spoiling anything.
I'm definitely going to read the next book.
Amalia isn't overpowered or unfortunately shy, she's essentially in training to take over what seems to be much like a Game of Thrones ish family. Being the Cornaro heir is something she is not yet ready for, or maybe she doesn't truly want, but it's her duty to pick up where her mother leaves off. La Contessa (her mother) is an illusive figure, I'm glad she wasn't the star of the show. She slipped in and out of the story like a good spy and mentor. Zaira is another story, she's clearly the counterweight to the elitism that runs their country. And yet she could burn it all down if she was not controlled by the jess on her wrist. She's salty, aggressive, roguesque.
There are a lot of great characters, but one thing bugged me. The author didn't let anything happen until I hit 80%. There were moments of "something is about to happen"/"explosion perhaps?"/"JUST KISS HIM YOU IDIOT"......Yeah, not a fan of having all that wait until the last 20%. But once things got rolling, they caught fire. So that's the end of that without spoiling anything.
I'm definitely going to read the next book.
readlikeitsmyjob's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tvandoren's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hebberelle's review
4.0
Definitely excited about this world the author has built. I really loved the way the society worked and hope the characters interact within it. Very unique!!
florishimself's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
nonesensed's review against another edition
5.0
Amalia is a Cornaro, which means her whole life as been staked out from day one. She is her mother's sole heir. She is supposed to invest herself in the politics of the empire. She isn't supposed to sneak around and read books on magic she can't even perform herself. She still does this. This minor rebellion lands her in more complex politics than she's ever had to face before.
When I heard the premise of "a setting where people with magic are enslaved by the government to work for the military", I had a very set idea of what the story would be about. It'd be about the poor magician who's captured and fighting to escape enslavement. Turns out, this book is far from that black and white in its morals. While it's extremely clear that the idea of forcing people to join the military based on a thing they can't control is Bad, the problem of having people born with the ability to literally murder everything and everyone around them with a tantrum makes the need for a solution other than "live and let live" is also very clear.
In addition to the complex moral decisions the characters need to deal with, there's also a threatening uprising! And the POV is of the person who's "captured" the mage and needs to deal with the guilt from that! And there's a traitor somewhere! Maybe!
At the halfway point of this book, I just went out and bought book 2 & 3, that's how intriguing the setting, characters and plot were. Recommended!
When I heard the premise of "a setting where people with magic are enslaved by the government to work for the military", I had a very set idea of what the story would be about. It'd be about the poor magician who's captured and fighting to escape enslavement. Turns out, this book is far from that black and white in its morals. While it's extremely clear that the idea of forcing people to join the military based on a thing they can't control is Bad, the problem of having people born with the ability to literally murder everything and everyone around them with a tantrum makes the need for a solution other than "live and let live" is also very clear.
In addition to the complex moral decisions the characters need to deal with, there's also a threatening uprising! And the POV is of the person who's "captured" the mage and needs to deal with the guilt from that! And there's a traitor somewhere! Maybe!
At the halfway point of this book, I just went out and bought book 2 & 3, that's how intriguing the setting, characters and plot were. Recommended!
kaela35's review
4.5
This was exactly what I was looking for right now - an interesting fantasy world that’s also easy enough to follow. The world building was not super complex, but that was actually a big plus for me (adulting is exhausting). Will definitely read book 2!
rafaellamikayla's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0