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tailynnmaria's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-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
3.25
mirakelsey's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Slow start but ramped up once entering part 2
rachelsears11's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
phoebeskok109's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
thelittlestlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book. It was interesting right from the beginning. I didn't understand the connection between the viewpoint characters right away, but once it was revealed I was invested. Nicholas is so funny and clever despite his situation. I can feel Joanna's paranoia in the pages. And Esther was the star of the book. She's trying so hard to protect her family and the people she cares about, even without knowing why. When she met Nicholas and learned she's a Scribe, it was like puzzle pieces clicking together. Everything started to make sense and the plot unraveled with such intricate detail. Incredible world building, and the magic system was so well thought out.
freckles_and_books's review against another edition
Mood reading strikes again. I will be back eventually.
copascribe's review against another edition
2.0
Eh.
I thought this would be a 5-star, but it was not. This horrible "tell, don't show" trend along with passive characters is soooo dull.
That being said, I REALLY liked the magic system. Similar to Ink and Blood, but clearer and more believable. The characters were a bit boring and cookie-cutter. We have three povs, and I very much preferred it when Collins and Nicholas were up. Johana and Esther (especially) felt forced and the same female leads we've been stuck with the last couple of years.
The story itself was meh, nothing new and quite predictable if you've read a few mysteries or fantasy novels. I think it could've been fleshed out much more...the wrap-up with the big bad happens so fast. I also could've done without the romance and purple prose, but there definitely was a point where I couldn't put it down (and several where I just wanted it to end).
In short, it is an interesting magic system with a couple of great characters and a couple of boring ones with some unfortunate plot belly and loads of exposition and passive narrative.
I listened to the audiobook, and even though Saskia Maareveld is one of my favorite narrators, as a Spanish-speaker, the Spanish pronunciation made me cringe a little.
2.5 stars, rounded down because I rolled my eyes too many times.
I thought this would be a 5-star, but it was not. This horrible "tell, don't show" trend along with passive characters is soooo dull.
That being said, I REALLY liked the magic system. Similar to Ink and Blood, but clearer and more believable. The characters were a bit boring and cookie-cutter. We have three povs, and I very much preferred it when Collins and Nicholas were up. Johana and Esther (especially) felt forced and the same female leads we've been stuck with the last couple of years.
The story itself was meh, nothing new and quite predictable if you've read a few mysteries or fantasy novels. I think it could've been fleshed out much more...the wrap-up with the big bad happens so fast. I also could've done without the romance and purple prose, but there definitely was a point where I couldn't put it down (and several where I just wanted it to end).
In short, it is an interesting magic system with a couple of great characters and a couple of boring ones with some unfortunate plot belly and loads of exposition and passive narrative.
I listened to the audiobook, and even though Saskia Maareveld is one of my favorite narrators, as a Spanish-speaker, the Spanish pronunciation made me cringe a little.
2.5 stars, rounded down because I rolled my eyes too many times.
ckillion's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
postygirl76's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0