valhecka's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
satisfying
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
4.0
Book Summary:
Centuries ago, the Jeweled Valley and its treasures (magical gems) were lost to time. Or so everyone thought. The legends still hold strong, even as most people believe them to be little more than a bit of lore.
Dr. Devina Brunai isn't one of those. She believes the Book of Gems is real, alongside the Palace of Gems. When the Palace is uncovered, she knows that she was right, and thus the rest of her theories might prove true as well...
My Review:
If this is the conclusion to The Gem Universe, it's the conclusion we've been waiting for. The Book of Gems is a fantastical adventure full of complex storytelling and magical elements. In truth, I never wanted it to end.
The Book of Gems made rooting for Dev and Lurai (her cousin) so easy. Dev's backstory is less than simple, with more than one unscrupulous character messing up her chosen path in life. This backstory fills the reader with righteous indignation, adding an emotional tie between the reader and the character.
As for the rest of this plot? Well, that's the stuff of magic. We never get to see too much of the magical system at any one time. It's enough to make you crave more – ironic, given that is likely how every magic hunter feels in this world. It's possible to see the larger story when combined with the rest of this world. In other words, it was perfect.
Highlights:
Fantasy World
Magical Gems
Sentient Book
Thanks to Tor.com and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Centuries ago, the Jeweled Valley and its treasures (magical gems) were lost to time. Or so everyone thought. The legends still hold strong, even as most people believe them to be little more than a bit of lore.
Dr. Devina Brunai isn't one of those. She believes the Book of Gems is real, alongside the Palace of Gems. When the Palace is uncovered, she knows that she was right, and thus the rest of her theories might prove true as well...
My Review:
If this is the conclusion to The Gem Universe, it's the conclusion we've been waiting for. The Book of Gems is a fantastical adventure full of complex storytelling and magical elements. In truth, I never wanted it to end.
The Book of Gems made rooting for Dev and Lurai (her cousin) so easy. Dev's backstory is less than simple, with more than one unscrupulous character messing up her chosen path in life. This backstory fills the reader with righteous indignation, adding an emotional tie between the reader and the character.
As for the rest of this plot? Well, that's the stuff of magic. We never get to see too much of the magical system at any one time. It's enough to make you crave more – ironic, given that is likely how every magic hunter feels in this world. It's possible to see the larger story when combined with the rest of this world. In other words, it was perfect.
Highlights:
Fantasy World
Magical Gems
Sentient Book
Thanks to Tor.com and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
fictionlostandfound's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The Book of Gems by Fran Wilde is the third book in the Gemworld series, but supposedly should be able to stand on its own as well. I have not read any of the prior Gemworld books, and although it did feel like some details were lacking overall it was fairly easy to pick up what was happening. This is a short quick read and kind of gave me Indiana Jones, forbidden/cursed object trope vibes. I may need to dig back and read the previous books to get a better grasp of what brought the characters to this moment.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
shanaqui's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Received to review via Netgalley
I don't recall loving The Jewel and Her Lapidary, but what I did remember was intriguing, and this said it's a stand-alone in the same world so I thought I'd give it another shot. I don't know whether to blame the world-building and coming in on the third installment barely remembering the first, but this just never felt coherent to me. Why was anything happening, what was happening, who are these people even, and why should I care?
It seems like this might be a me thing, from other reviews, but for me it just didn't come together. Some stuff felt rushed, other stuff I was ready to stop hearing about yesterday or sooner.
Not a good fit for me, I think.
I don't recall loving The Jewel and Her Lapidary, but what I did remember was intriguing, and this said it's a stand-alone in the same world so I thought I'd give it another shot. I don't know whether to blame the world-building and coming in on the third installment barely remembering the first, but this just never felt coherent to me. Why was anything happening, what was happening, who are these people even, and why should I care?
It seems like this might be a me thing, from other reviews, but for me it just didn't come together. Some stuff felt rushed, other stuff I was ready to stop hearing about yesterday or sooner.
Not a good fit for me, I think.
lorialdenholuta's review
5.0
Fran Wilde has a knack for pulling readers under the skin of her well-crafted characters, where we intimately ride out their hopes and fears as they experience horrifyingly beautiful situations.
This would explain why my tea repeatedly grew cold as I gobbled up chapter after chapter of The Book of Gems. I just kept forgetting to come up for air.
If you haven’t read the first two books in the Gem Universe series, The Jewel and Her Lapidary and The Fire Opal Mechanism, you will still be able to sympathize with the plight of our protagonist, Dr. Devina Brunai. But, keep in mind that you’ll need to figure out what makes gems so special in this world along the way. You’ll be given enough information to figure it all out, though. And if you enjoy this adventure, you may want to read the first two books in the series.
In this adventure, “Dev” discovers that she has put her faith in the wrong person, the man who’s been acting as her mentor. When he mysteriously vanishes, the Society for Scientific Endeavors of the Six Republics denies her the right to journey to the Jeweled Valley to search for him. However, she is compelled to either find him, or finish the research he started, thus earning her standing in the scientific community. Without backing or proper credentials, “Dev” sneaks into the Jeweled Valley. From the moment she arrives in the valley and checks in at the Deaf King Inn, it’s clear that this trip isn’t going to be anything like what Dev expected it to be.
Want to come along? Steep a cup of tea to neglect and crack in to chapter one.
My thanks to author Fran Wilde, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book. This review was originally posted at SciFi.Radio https://scifi.radio/2023/03/15/book-review-the-book-of-gems/
This would explain why my tea repeatedly grew cold as I gobbled up chapter after chapter of The Book of Gems. I just kept forgetting to come up for air.
If you haven’t read the first two books in the Gem Universe series, The Jewel and Her Lapidary and The Fire Opal Mechanism, you will still be able to sympathize with the plight of our protagonist, Dr. Devina Brunai. But, keep in mind that you’ll need to figure out what makes gems so special in this world along the way. You’ll be given enough information to figure it all out, though. And if you enjoy this adventure, you may want to read the first two books in the series.
In this adventure, “Dev” discovers that she has put her faith in the wrong person, the man who’s been acting as her mentor. When he mysteriously vanishes, the Society for Scientific Endeavors of the Six Republics denies her the right to journey to the Jeweled Valley to search for him. However, she is compelled to either find him, or finish the research he started, thus earning her standing in the scientific community. Without backing or proper credentials, “Dev” sneaks into the Jeweled Valley. From the moment she arrives in the valley and checks in at the Deaf King Inn, it’s clear that this trip isn’t going to be anything like what Dev expected it to be.
Want to come along? Steep a cup of tea to neglect and crack in to chapter one.
My thanks to author Fran Wilde, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book. This review was originally posted at SciFi.Radio https://scifi.radio/2023/03/15/book-review-the-book-of-gems/
sebrittainclark's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is the third book in the Gem Universe. Each book is technically a standalone, and this was the first book in the series I read. Dev is a scientist who must enter the Jeweled Valley to find her mentor and retrieve the research he stole from here, but Dev is going to learn that perhaps there is more to science than what happens with the gems in the Valley.
I really liked the horror elements on the novel and the mystery. I found Dev's slow reactions to the horror a little frustrating, but overall it was a good read. I think there might be some small aspects that I would have understood better if I had read the books set in the earlier history of this world, but overall I was able to understand the world and the story.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the horror elements on the novel and the mystery. I found Dev's slow reactions to the horror a little frustrating, but overall it was a good read. I think there might be some small aspects that I would have understood better if I had read the books set in the earlier history of this world, but overall I was able to understand the world and the story.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
sarrie's review
dark
sad
tense
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
3.0
The Book of Gems by Fran Wilde is the third book in the Gem Universe, a world in which a valley of powerful gems are lost and then found again as magic claws it’s way back to the surface. These gems whisper to those that can hear them, causing madness in those that can hear them and jealousy in those that can’t. In the first two books in this series we saw first the Jeweled Valley, home to the gems, to fall in another kingdom’s quest for power. In the second book we saw another kingdom years down the road attempt to harness the power of a false gem, and the power of the knowledge of history.
The Book of Gems follows our main character as she returns to the Jeweled Valley from which her family comes from and her quest both for academic redemption and knowledge. Unfortunately for me this might have been the biggest tripping point for me. Dev, this main character, is the worst kind of character archetype for me. The type that refuses to believe what’s in front of her. Magic is not real, the power of them gems is not real even though from the beginning she talks of seeing writing magically appear on a piece of stone paper. She hears constant humming and talking - but don’t worry! It’s not magic. Gems are eating a man’s body - but don’t worry! It’s not magic!!
Outside of Dev the story felt incredibly dry. I love the idea and setting of the Gem World. I’ve read all three of these novellas! Likely due to the character choices and the absolute refusal to acknowledge the actual beauty of the magic here it’s painful to read. Fran Wilde’s story’s peak briefly with intense magic and horror at about the 70% mark and then drop completely, so you have to be prepared for that dry slide to a climax.
For me the Gem Universe was strongest in the second novella, The Fire Opal Mechanism. The horror of that final third of the novella made the story dynamic and interesting. The Book of Gems attempts to capture some of that horror but the character’s refusal to see the truth, and the avoidance of the conversations that would spark leads this to feeling dry and ultimately lacking for me as a reader.
I’d recommend these in a quick succession read and only if you’re very interested in the ideas here. How history is lost, power is coveted but misunderstood, and how the mistakes of the past can cause havoc on the future. Even the whispering gems are only briefly given page time, so don’t get into these for a lot of those.
3 Whispering Opals
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cultural appropriation
Minor: Violence
library_rift's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
4.25
When this book was offered to me as an arc, the blurb indicated that it was the kind of book that could stand alone but also drive anyone new to the series to seek out the rest.
They weren't wrong, I'm definitely going to be picking up the rest of the series in the next week.
I enjoyed the blend of fantasy, mystery, and scientific/historical research, as well as the hint of what to look forward to, magically and politically, when I pick up the earlier books.
Though I didn't feel any great connection to any of the book's characters, that's no fault of the characterizations. They are well written, and we are given vast insights to Dev and Lurai with the right word choice, or the same word choice to link them, not just as cousins who'd never met before, but once who'd grown in different societies and are thus very different, but with the same foundation and parallel struggles.
The magic system, of which we merely get hints, is so deftly referred to so that it simultaneously has you wishing to know more but doesn't leave you confused about what it has revealed.
Thanks to Emily from the Tor Marketing team for sending this book my way.
They weren't wrong, I'm definitely going to be picking up the rest of the series in the next week.
I enjoyed the blend of fantasy, mystery, and scientific/historical research, as well as the hint of what to look forward to, magically and politically, when I pick up the earlier books.
Though I didn't feel any great connection to any of the book's characters, that's no fault of the characterizations. They are well written, and we are given vast insights to Dev and Lurai with the right word choice, or the same word choice to link them, not just as cousins who'd never met before, but once who'd grown in different societies and are thus very different, but with the same foundation and parallel struggles.
The magic system, of which we merely get hints, is so deftly referred to so that it simultaneously has you wishing to know more but doesn't leave you confused about what it has revealed.
Thanks to Emily from the Tor Marketing team for sending this book my way.
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