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nikomikiri's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this. Scenes kind of jumped around and it seemed like things moved very fast over long periods but with very little indication of just how much time. So you would spend a while in a scene before realizing it had been months since the previous one. And some of the descriptions of things they did seemed...unrealistic. And I don't mean fighting being unrealistic or whatever. But more the mechanics of things (particularly any time something sexual is going on) the description can be hard to follow. Great bones of a world but the writing left much to be desired.
kitty_whimsical's review against another edition
3.0
This book has, over the course of the last few weeks, made me tired from time to time. I can see what Robins was attempting to do, and she doesn't do it badly, (exactly) but she also...confuses me.
I'm not entirely sure what she was trying to do with the gender roles, either. Clearly, there's something going on, but I have no idea what.
The characters feel fairly flat to me. One dimensional, with very few exceptions. I think the book suffers from not enough time in Maledicte's POV.
I'm writing this with about forty pages to go, and perhaps will be updating my review, as well as my opinion, a little later.
I'm not entirely sure what she was trying to do with the gender roles, either. Clearly, there's something going on, but I have no idea what.
The characters feel fairly flat to me. One dimensional, with very few exceptions. I think the book suffers from not enough time in Maledicte's POV.
I'm writing this with about forty pages to go, and perhaps will be updating my review, as well as my opinion, a little later.
abbydawn84's review against another edition
1.0
This book has an intrigueing story line, but was too dirty (lewd) for me to be able to get even a 3rd of the way through it.
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
4.0
A strange, compelling and darkly Gothic fantasy, Maledicte is set in a fantasy universe where the gods have abandoned humanity, and a decadent city sits on the threshold of disaster. Born in poverty, Miranda and Janus only have one another, but Janus is the bastard of an Earl, and he will be pulled from Miranda. Making a vow to a dangerous god, Miranda casts off her former self and becomes Maledicte, the dark cavalier, sworn to revenge. This book is full of swordplay and poison, revenge and politics, and is very queer, exploring gender and intimate relationships in ways that consistently resist heteronormative narratives. Some aspects of the story aren't very well realised - the fantasy setting is very roughly sketched, and the narrative of the gods, while interesting, isn't explored enough - but the central three characters, Janus, Maledicte and Gilly, are all compelling and well-drawn. They are all, to some extent, anti-heroes, but are also consistently interesting and believable. The intimate relationship that exists between them feels very alive. While the plot sometimes is in danger of running out of Robins' grasp, it's also refreshingly unexpected, never leading is in a conventional direction. I found this diverting, surprising, and thrilling. Recommended for fantasy lovers, and anyone who likes complex queer relationships.
marimoose's review against another edition
5.0
Girl dresses up as a boy and sells her soul to the goddess of vengeance in order to win back her true love? Yes, please! But for anyone who expects this story to be all happy pappy and "dashing debonair princely figure ends up with the dark cavalier on winged vengeance", the book might be more disappointing, because Maledicte is so much more twisty than the cover indicates.
The story is about Miranda, a destitute girl who has sworn her soul to Black-Winged Ani, a goddess thought to be long dead in a machinist-type world. In exchange for retrieving Janus from his aristocratic captors, Maledicte opens herself up to the idea of vengeance, striking down anyone who gets in her way. In order to do so, she dons the identity of Maledicte, an effeminate and scandalous courtier who's turned heads in the Court from both males and females.
But what happens when Ani harbors a dark, insatiable vengeance that will lead from one kill to the next? And what happens when, at the end of the road, the goal doesn't justify the pain and agony it cost to get there?
I really enjoyed this book, even as I was pleasantly surprised at how more adult it was! But I suppose I should have realized this, considering even the main character(s) was/were technically "whores" for at least the first third of Maledicte.
Mal definitely had one roller coaster ride throughout Maledicte, and sometimes it was a love/hate relationship as I read the story. It definitely helped that while Maledicte was the major hero of the tale, there were other characters whose POVs remained vital to telling the story. I personally loved Gilly's perspective, as well as King Aris's. But most importantly, I loved the feel of the setting! There wasn't a time period necessarily tacked into the story, but to me, it was most likely Renaissance Venice meets steampunk elements.
So yes, absolutely fabulous.
The story is about Miranda, a destitute girl who has sworn her soul to Black-Winged Ani, a goddess thought to be long dead in a machinist-type world. In exchange for retrieving Janus from his aristocratic captors, Maledicte opens herself up to the idea of vengeance, striking down anyone who gets in her way. In order to do so, she dons the identity of Maledicte, an effeminate and scandalous courtier who's turned heads in the Court from both males and females.
But what happens when Ani harbors a dark, insatiable vengeance that will lead from one kill to the next? And what happens when, at the end of the road, the goal doesn't justify the pain and agony it cost to get there?
I really enjoyed this book, even as I was pleasantly surprised at how more adult it was! But I suppose I should have realized this, considering even the main character(s) was/were technically "whores" for at least the first third of Maledicte.
Mal definitely had one roller coaster ride throughout Maledicte, and sometimes it was a love/hate relationship as I read the story. It definitely helped that while Maledicte was the major hero of the tale, there were other characters whose POVs remained vital to telling the story. I personally loved Gilly's perspective, as well as King Aris's. But most importantly, I loved the feel of the setting! There wasn't a time period necessarily tacked into the story, but to me, it was most likely Renaissance Venice meets steampunk elements.
So yes, absolutely fabulous.
midrel's review against another edition
4.0
This book was one hell of a ride. On one side, I must admit I chafed at the pacing of it. The prose was beautiful (if a bit too overwrought in some parts, maybe) and the characters engaging and the descriptions and the setting enthralling, but gods, did I hate the pacing for great chunks of it. Had i not been so enthralled with the characters and the story itself, I would have definitely put it down for good.
Really, though, the book's praises are many more than its flaw. Though it feels at times as if the world-building is partly to blame for the damning slowness in some sections of the novel, it is also one of the best parts of the entire book. I really loved Antyre, really loved learning about it, seeing it through the eyes and voices of the characters. I liked the quotes we'd sometimes get from in-universe books and such on the headings of some chapters, too.
I also believe the characters were all very well crafted, with perhaps the exception of Aris. Why? Because Aris' besottedness with Mal comes a bit too strong from the first, causing him to act rather d dumbly towards someone who is a complete and utter stranger and dangerous besides. It is hinted during his first appearance that his mind might have been affected by Ani, but this does not make reading any of his subsequent (and rather predictable) appearances any more interesting. Worse, his interactions with Mal never seem to pay off one way or the other. Other than the kiss there's neither consummation nor confrontation, which feels deeply unsatisfying.
The rest of the cast I very much loved (though I think was a little before its time, and resulted in some awkward meandering before the book refound itself again). I also can't quite express how satisfying it was to discover that
All in all, I am glad I stuck with the book. I deeply relished reading about Miranda, about Black-Winged Ani, about her transformation into Maledicte, about the mythology and the obscure reference to the dead of the gods and her love and obsession for her childhood dear. This, along with the scattered references to pistols and mechanisms brought to mind a bit of Dishonored, Corvo, and the Outsider, which only speaks well of both.
I shall certainly be checking the second book.
Really, though, the book's praises are many more than its flaw. Though it feels at times as if the world-building is partly to blame for the damning slowness in some sections of the novel, it is also one of the best parts of the entire book. I really loved Antyre, really loved learning about it, seeing it through the eyes and voices of the characters. I liked the quotes we'd sometimes get from in-universe books and such on the headings of some chapters, too.
I also believe the characters were all very well crafted, with perhaps the exception of Aris. Why? Because Aris' besottedness with Mal comes a bit too strong from the first, causing him to act rather d dumbly towards someone who is a complete and utter stranger and dangerous besides. It is hinted during his first appearance that his mind might have been affected by Ani, but this does not make reading any of his subsequent (and rather predictable) appearances any more interesting. Worse, his interactions with Mal never seem to pay off one way or the other. Other than the kiss there's neither consummation nor confrontation, which feels deeply unsatisfying.
The rest of the cast I very much loved (though I think
Spoiler
Vornatti's deathSpoiler
Janus didnt actually plan to kill Mal. He was the closest thing the book had to a villain, yet he was never just pure evil black, and that was deeply refreshing even if by the end I was hoping Mal would realize already what a piece of shit he was.All in all, I am glad I stuck with the book. I deeply relished reading about Miranda, about Black-Winged Ani, about her transformation into Maledicte, about the mythology and the obscure reference to the dead of the gods and her love and obsession for her childhood dear. This, along with the scattered references to pistols and mechanisms brought to mind a bit of Dishonored, Corvo, and the Outsider, which only speaks well of both.
I shall certainly be checking the second book.
pkrawr's review against another edition
5.0
Operatic drama in a fantasy world that seems to me like Renaissance Italy. There are the debauched aristocrats, the rise of mechanical inventions, and discovery of a New World (here called the Explorations). Gorgeous writing style, using many words I had never seen before -- and, as an avid reader, I find that singularly noteworthy. Be warned, this is as bloody as any horror novel. But at its heart it is a story of passion in all its incarnations, including lust for power and the driving force of vengeance. I just ate it up.
bookstuff's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. The problem was that I did not empathize that much with the characters.
bigpaw's review against another edition
5.0
Man man I was so into this, this book was so good!! Dark and haunting and I was constantly torn on the protagonist, but mostly I just wanted him to be ok, I wanted him to fight off the bloodlust and recover himself. And Gilly, sweet Gilly, he is too good for this world, I loved him so much. Idk I'm all jumbled cause I finished this book at like 3am after work yesterday, I couldn't go to sleep till I'd finished it, but I'm so glad it did!
nextboldmove's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book written by a friend of friends, someone I never met who was nonetheless known to many of my Lawrence people. I had meant to read it for a while, and I finally remembered to ask the library for a copy of it. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and I am disappointed to learn that my local library doesn't have a copy of the sequel.
This book had a similar feel to the Kushiel's series, and might be a good choice for people who enjoyed those books...though in some cases the similarity might be TOO strong to read them back to back. Robins has written a good book, but I am not sure it compares favorably to Carey on a one-on-one basis.
This book had a similar feel to the Kushiel's series, and might be a good choice for people who enjoyed those books...though in some cases the similarity might be TOO strong to read them back to back. Robins has written a good book, but I am not sure it compares favorably to Carey on a one-on-one basis.