Reviews

An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard

janeaustentatious2's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

being_b's review against another edition

4.0

This is a lovely book to read in a post-Kavanagh era, with angry women kicking ass, taking names, and breaking down oppressive systems. It doesn't pull any punches when describing the systematic injustice and horror at the heart of the Unseen World's magical system, which was somehow also cathartic.

I did feel the characterizations and relationships were a little rushed and one-note, but not so much that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the story.

closteroven's review against another edition

4.0

(8/10)- I LOVED this book, but I did have a few problems with it. The writing was incredible, the dialogue felt super natural and it was overall just so easy and pleasing to read. The plot and characters were interesting and very compelling. The setup was confusing, since it was a book that introduced you to things as they happen, with no info dumps or stuff like that. That meant I was super confused for almost the entire book, because I couldn’t understand the magic system, the stakes of the competition or the main conflicts very well. Also, the climax felt a bit rushed. The build up to it felt natural, and the cool down afterwards, but the actual “final conflict” happened really fast and it was hard to register what had happened fully. But overall, I loved this book and would definitely recommend it. I’m also excited about the sequel, since even though it’s a good standalone, I’m curious to see where the story could go.

nhdk's review against another edition

5.0

This book is full of familial war, magical wonder and page turning characters. A must read for any fan of magician fantasy.

I LOVED this book so much. I saw it ages ago and wanted to read it based on the cover alone. *I know, so shallow* TURNS OUT I WAS RIGHT THOUGH!! I devoured this book and was completely drawn into the urban fantasy world. I loved the magical system, I loved the characters and their complexity. I also loved that all the characters had shades of grey, no one was perfect. I really REALLY hope the author writes another book in this world.

ninabina's review against another edition

4.0

I would’ve liked a bit more character development, but definitely a fun read!

denk's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

isabelll1336's review against another edition

4.0

I'm not sure how others felt about the book but it made me feel extremely conflicted. Like so much happened and I'm like what did I just read... I definitely think it was good like maybe a 4.4 stars but it did give a lot of information in its 350 pages. I will say that I think my favourite part of the book was the relationship between Ian and Sydney then closely followed by Sydney and Laurent. Like I rly didn't want Ian to die. I did feel like the ending was a but rushed but other than that, it was a good book and I keep picturing Ian from clueless as the Ian in this book and Sydney as the pink haired woman from spy family.

beze0's review against another edition

3.0

Aghhhh uhhh. Characters thumbs up but the pacing was insane and made me feel like I was being gaslit. This book was so so so low stakes the entire time it was kind of crazy but it was still interesting enough I guess

posies23's review against another edition

4.0

The Amazing Book Club of DOOM book for Oct, 2021.

smemmott's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

2.5