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thelauramay's review against another edition
4.0
4.5*
Okay. I have no idea what I just read--I've genuinely never read anything like it. Is this steam-punk? I don't think so. Is it sci-fi? Not quite. Fantasy? Nah, too many machines. I just don't understand!!! I never realised how used to genre markers and tropes we get until I read this book. It's like you're suddenly cast adrift and don't know how to understand the text--but in this case, it was a very good thing. I'm confused, but fascinated.
I do have to agree with other reviewers that the ending feels a little too neat, but overall I enjoyed this book--it was just so *different*. Plus I loved the character of Rictus.
I think I'm buying the next one. Yup, I think that's happening. Confusion be damned!
Okay. I have no idea what I just read--I've genuinely never read anything like it. Is this steam-punk? I don't think so. Is it sci-fi? Not quite. Fantasy? Nah, too many machines. I just don't understand!!! I never realised how used to genre markers and tropes we get until I read this book. It's like you're suddenly cast adrift and don't know how to understand the text--but in this case, it was a very good thing. I'm confused, but fascinated.
I do have to agree with other reviewers that the ending feels a little too neat, but overall I enjoyed this book--it was just so *different*. Plus I loved the character of Rictus.
I think I'm buying the next one. Yup, I think that's happening. Confusion be damned!
justaguy's review against another edition
4.0
Whoa!
It was so foreign at beginning but as I read deeper into this! It was marvel and so different from many books I read before. Now, I want to read more of it. So hey author...when will you finish your second book on this?
It was so foreign at beginning but as I read deeper into this! It was marvel and so different from many books I read before. Now, I want to read more of it. So hey author...when will you finish your second book on this?
kate_1910's review against another edition
3.0
I couldn't even finish this book. It was too long for what it needed to be. It was interesting but I just could't get through it because it was so long. I think it would need to be edited down.
kate_1910's review against another edition
3.0
I couldn't even finish this book. It was too long for what it needed to be. It was interesting but I just could't get through it because it was so long. I think it would need to be edited down.
thepageunfolds's review
1.0
Thanks to the publisher -Future House Publishing for providing ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley
I thought this book would give me more. Although the cover is fantastic, let's admit but, the story didn't live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, I like SciFi but, don't know why even after trying hard I didn't get so much moved by the story.
There were times when the story wasn't able to grab my attention and I was just skimming through the pages to see it's end. There were also times when it grabbed me into the plot for once in a while.
Overall, it was so-so. Not so bad. Not so good. The construction of the story, the character development, the world building, nothing I wanted to care or feel for. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.
Release Date : 04 Jan 2022
Review Posted : 15 Jan 2022
I thought this book would give me more. Although the cover is fantastic, let's admit but, the story didn't live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, I like SciFi but, don't know why even after trying hard I didn't get so much moved by the story.
There were times when the story wasn't able to grab my attention and I was just skimming through the pages to see it's end. There were also times when it grabbed me into the plot for once in a while.
Overall, it was so-so. Not so bad. Not so good. The construction of the story, the character development, the world building, nothing I wanted to care or feel for. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.
Release Date : 04 Jan 2022
Review Posted : 15 Jan 2022
dbateman002's review
5.0
An excellent read. The beginning felt familiar to any reader of fantasy novels, but it quickly brought unique elements that differentiated it from any other book I have read. Loved the characters and character development. Looking forward to the sequel.
justaguy's review against another edition
4.0
Whoa!
It was so foreign at beginning but as I read deeper into this! It was marvel and so different from many books I read before. Now, I want to read more of it. So hey author...when will you finish your second book on this?
It was so foreign at beginning but as I read deeper into this! It was marvel and so different from many books I read before. Now, I want to read more of it. So hey author...when will you finish your second book on this?
omnombailey's review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
What a garbage story.
The only thing I liked was the synopsis, which was what drove me to get this book to begin with. Even that was written better than this entire novel. It just isn't good. Every aspect is boring and outstays its welcome rapidly. Maybe people into hard sci-fi will love the pages upon pages of explanation, but it felt like unnecessary filler to me. All the way until the end, new elements of the world are explained. That doesn't make for good storytelling. The prose is either too simple or over-exaggerated. The pacing was awful, going from a four-minute chapter to an hour chapter. Many of the narrative arcs make no sense, especially the middle when Enoch is with the king. I had such a difficult time making sense of anything and I don't know if that was due to my boredom-induced skimming or the absolute lack of concise explanation in the story.
The worst was having to stomach the parts when Enoch stumbled upon ~a girl~ for the first time and he immediately thinks OH MY GOD SHE'S BEAUTIFUL. Every time. With every girl. Which sadly isn't a lot, considering there are only two girls throughout the whole story (maybe three if you want to count the cat thing he gets). And to make matters worse, one of said girls is subjected to having her wings removed/clipped, which reads like a rape scene. I get it was trying to be disturbing and paint how awful the king is, but wow it was really thoughtless.
Halfway through reading, I had to look up the author to see if he had written anything else, because this hot mess read like Baby's First Novel. Come to find out this guy has written stories for Blizzard and works there as a narrative something or other. And honestly? That explained a lot about this novel; it reads like a reject Blizzard game novelization. And that is not a good thing.
This book was a chore to read. I don't even know why I forced myself to go through it. Maybe I hoped something interesting would happen? Well, it never did. Plenty of loose ends were left forgotten and the climax was abrupt and uninteresting. Apparently it's the first book of a series, but considering there hasn't been a second book in five or so years.... Yeah.
The only thing I liked was the synopsis, which was what drove me to get this book to begin with. Even that was written better than this entire novel. It just isn't good. Every aspect is boring and outstays its welcome rapidly. Maybe people into hard sci-fi will love the pages upon pages of explanation, but it felt like unnecessary filler to me. All the way until the end, new elements of the world are explained. That doesn't make for good storytelling. The prose is either too simple or over-exaggerated. The pacing was awful, going from a four-minute chapter to an hour chapter. Many of the narrative arcs make no sense, especially the middle when Enoch is with the king. I had such a difficult time making sense of anything and I don't know if that was due to my boredom-induced skimming or the absolute lack of concise explanation in the story.
The worst was having to stomach the parts when Enoch stumbled upon ~a girl~ for the first time and he immediately thinks OH MY GOD SHE'S BEAUTIFUL. Every time. With every girl. Which sadly isn't a lot, considering there are only two girls throughout the whole story (maybe three if you want to count the cat thing he gets). And to make matters worse, one of said girls is subjected to having her wings removed/clipped, which reads like a rape scene. I get it was trying to be disturbing and paint how awful the king is, but wow it was really thoughtless.
Halfway through reading, I had to look up the author to see if he had written anything else, because this hot mess read like Baby's First Novel. Come to find out this guy has written stories for Blizzard and works there as a narrative something or other. And honestly? That explained a lot about this novel; it reads like a reject Blizzard game novelization. And that is not a good thing.
This book was a chore to read. I don't even know why I forced myself to go through it. Maybe I hoped something interesting would happen? Well, it never did. Plenty of loose ends were left forgotten and the climax was abrupt and uninteresting. Apparently it's the first book of a series, but considering there hasn't been a second book in five or so years.... Yeah.
Content Warnings
There's a scene where a winged female character has her wings ripped off by a male character and it reads like rape.
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