Reviews

This book starts off slow, but don’t let that stop you. I tore through the last half the fastest I’ve ever read. Some of my favorite parts are the flaws in characters’ logic and failures to recognize patterns that frustrated me, reminding me that the reader sees more than any individual character can. This book is an excellent mystery, and includes rosebuds of romance without sidelining the plot or causing a toothache, including a very realistic queer tirade. The world building in pieces and parts from different perspectives causes the start to seem slow, but many details of the build up get a later callback. I was especially taken by the descriptions of how spells physically impact the body of the reader, the writer, and the spelled. An absolute delight I will gladly recommend to all of my fantasy lovers.

Content Warnings

debster1982's review against another edition

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3.0

Good book. The magic system is one of a kind.

rhensie's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-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

Phew, what a book. An exploration in intergenerational trauma through suspense, mystery, and magic. I absolutely loved how it built up the connection between the POV characters, I was DYING when I realised what

Nicholas was seeing through the mirror

. Also a bit niche, but my dad has a prosthetic eye, so I always like seeing that represented in books, and I like how it's handled in spite of the dreadful circumstances under which Nicholas acquired a need for it.

spookynerd's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is definitely one of my favorite reads this year!

I was sucked in from the very first page. I loved the twist on magic usage and lore, all the little mysteries and threads to follow, the ways they wove together by the end. It's a neat concept and makes for a great modern fantasy read.

The descriptive writing and incredibly, beautifully human characters make it all the better.

My only complaint is that I read it too fast, and now it's over.

pearlbambi's review against another edition

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4.0

I love how this book is a story about Scribes, not magicians with powers. I do wish that the book progressed a bit faster in the first half but the characters made it easy to want to follow through.

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