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booksthatburn's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Suicide, Torture, and Grief
Minor: Ableism, Rape, Excrement, Vomit, and Cannibalism
literarypenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Master of One follows Rags, a street thief arrested for his latest crime by the Queen’s law enforcers. Morien hires him, the Queen’s most trusted sorcerer, to infiltrate an ancient Fae ruin to reclaim the treasure held within. What he finds there is something no one especially himself didn’t expect that will lead him on a journey that will change his life forever. After a couple of friends recommended reading this book and enjoying it quite a bit I gave in and wanted to try it for myself. After I got done with the book I felt myself needing a sequel and wanting to know where the book was heading next. I had some pretty high expectations of this book going in and can say I wasn’t disappointed. I do still need a sequel to this book and hope that they do write a sequel soon! I loved how unique this story was and certain elements were very interesting to read about. You have an interesting plot, great characters, and relationships that are meaningful and make you feel good inside.
The writing was slow at points but it did start to pick up after the first 100 pages. It gave us several characters' points of view and was told from their perspective throughout the story. Because of the multiple points of view, it let us know what was happening at different points of the story which was to the story's benefit. The pace was slow to start but it picked up the further I got into the book and the story. It did work for the story because it set up the plot and the characters for what was going to happen. The different points of view were what I liked the most about this book because they gave us a look into what the characters were thinking and what they were doing at different points in the story.
Master of One is about Rags and his newfound rag-tag group of friends as they uncover secrets involving a lost race of people and an ancient powerful weapon that is the key to peace between two races of people. I thought the story was very good and kept me interested the whole way through! I loved how certain things happened in the story that you didn’t expect and it made you feel a certain way during it. At one point I thought that the story was going in one direction but then it would go in another direction. I think that was a part of what made the story work so well and gave it strength. You were expecting a certain thing to happen but then another thing happens that you weren’t ready for. Things happened organically and naturally though and didn’t feel forced or go against the plot.
The characters were definitely the highlight of the story and the majority of my enjoyment of this novel! Rags, the foul-mouthed, guarded, and loner street thief was by far my favorite character! The way he would disguise his emotions with humor and how he would put himself in harm's way just to make sure other people wouldn’t get hurt. At first, you think he is just some foul-mouthed hardened street urchin but you soon begin to see that he is just a soft-hearted and secretly caring person. You also learn that he has a dark and sad secret from his past that has shaped him and who he became. Shining Talon was another favorite character, A Fae warrior who was put to sleep by his people and is awoken by Rags. He is curious, honorable, and fiercely devoted to his people and the people he cares for. Rags and Talon were so cute and wonderful together! Their romance was a slow-burning but wonderful and organic romance that felt natural and worked very well in the story and the plot. The side characters were also interesting as well! You have a male character with what could be described as chronic pain, who uses a cane and a crutch, a couple of characters with PTSD, and a trans character who I hope we get to see more of in the next book because she was amazing!
The book takes place in a kingdom ruled by a queen that has ruled for many decades. She has expanded her kingdom and trusted a group of sorcerers to do her bidding. She and her sorcerers use magic known as Mirrorcraft, magic that uses glass and mirrors to control or subdue a person. I loved the world that this book took place in and the lore was very fascinating to me. Learned about Mirrorcraft and what the magic could do and the lengths that sorcerers would go to use this magic. How different parts of the kingdom were more well off than the others and how the kingdom had its dark secrets hidden beneath the surface that you learn about in the book.
This book portrays PTSD super well! The way it is explored with several characters and the different tragedies that have befallen them. How the characters have to face their trauma and overcome it throughout the story was very well done. It also explored has someone with chronic pain feels, and how he doesn’t let his disability hinder him or stop him from what he wants to achieve. He has his struggles but they don’t define him as a person or a character. These themes are portrayed very well and done in a great way that didn’t hinder the plot or affect it in a negative way.
I hope that you can give this book a try and take some positive things away from this review. I think you should read this book if you want some really great characters and a plot that will leave you wanting more. I can not wait until the sequel comes or if any word of a sequel comes out! I hope that some questions will be answered and we get to see some new adventures from this crew of misfits!
The writing was slow at points but it did start to pick up after the first 100 pages. It gave us several characters' points of view and was told from their perspective throughout the story. Because of the multiple points of view, it let us know what was happening at different points of the story which was to the story's benefit. The pace was slow to start but it picked up the further I got into the book and the story. It did work for the story because it set up the plot and the characters for what was going to happen. The different points of view were what I liked the most about this book because they gave us a look into what the characters were thinking and what they were doing at different points in the story.
Master of One is about Rags and his newfound rag-tag group of friends as they uncover secrets involving a lost race of people and an ancient powerful weapon that is the key to peace between two races of people. I thought the story was very good and kept me interested the whole way through! I loved how certain things happened in the story that you didn’t expect and it made you feel a certain way during it. At one point I thought that the story was going in one direction but then it would go in another direction. I think that was a part of what made the story work so well and gave it strength. You were expecting a certain thing to happen but then another thing happens that you weren’t ready for. Things happened organically and naturally though and didn’t feel forced or go against the plot.
The characters were definitely the highlight of the story and the majority of my enjoyment of this novel! Rags, the foul-mouthed, guarded, and loner street thief was by far my favorite character! The way he would disguise his emotions with humor and how he would put himself in harm's way just to make sure other people wouldn’t get hurt. At first, you think he is just some foul-mouthed hardened street urchin but you soon begin to see that he is just a soft-hearted and secretly caring person. You also learn that he has a dark and sad secret from his past that has shaped him and who he became. Shining Talon was another favorite character, A Fae warrior who was put to sleep by his people and is awoken by Rags. He is curious, honorable, and fiercely devoted to his people and the people he cares for. Rags and Talon were so cute and wonderful together! Their romance was a slow-burning but wonderful and organic romance that felt natural and worked very well in the story and the plot. The side characters were also interesting as well! You have a male character with what could be described as chronic pain, who uses a cane and a crutch, a couple of characters with PTSD, and a trans character who I hope we get to see more of in the next book because she was amazing!
The book takes place in a kingdom ruled by a queen that has ruled for many decades. She has expanded her kingdom and trusted a group of sorcerers to do her bidding. She and her sorcerers use magic known as Mirrorcraft, magic that uses glass and mirrors to control or subdue a person. I loved the world that this book took place in and the lore was very fascinating to me. Learned about Mirrorcraft and what the magic could do and the lengths that sorcerers would go to use this magic. How different parts of the kingdom were more well off than the others and how the kingdom had its dark secrets hidden beneath the surface that you learn about in the book.
This book portrays PTSD super well! The way it is explored with several characters and the different tragedies that have befallen them. How the characters have to face their trauma and overcome it throughout the story was very well done. It also explored has someone with chronic pain feels, and how he doesn’t let his disability hinder him or stop him from what he wants to achieve. He has his struggles but they don’t define him as a person or a character. These themes are portrayed very well and done in a great way that didn’t hinder the plot or affect it in a negative way.
I hope that you can give this book a try and take some positive things away from this review. I think you should read this book if you want some really great characters and a plot that will leave you wanting more. I can not wait until the sequel comes or if any word of a sequel comes out! I hope that some questions will be answered and we get to see some new adventures from this crew of misfits!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism and Child abuse
Minor: Cursing
emily_mh's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
There are lots of things I liked about this one. The plot got going right away - by the literal 60th page I was deep in an Indian Jones type mission along with the main character, Rags. I liked the writing style and loved the concept of the Great Parable and the direction this gave the story. The magic - mirrorcraft - was unique and fascinating and was deeply intwined in the plot. Finally, for the most part, the main romance was written well.
There were, however, some kind of important things I didn't like. The middle section of this book was BLOATED. The pacing was incredibly slow, which was a huge disappointment after the firecracker start. This book really didn't need 500+ pages to tell its story. I would have liked the characters to feel a little more rounded, especially given the time we spend with them. The side romances felt a little contrived. Finally, and perhaps most jarringly, this was written as a standalone but does not feel like one. Everything felt so unfinished by the end that I felt like I had another two books to go. I understand that the authors have more ideas for more books in this world, but I think this should have been the first in a planned series from the get go.
Overall though the book was fine and I look forward to what the two authors bring out in the future.
There were, however, some kind of important things I didn't like. The middle section of this book was BLOATED. The pacing was incredibly slow, which was a huge disappointment after the firecracker start. This book really didn't need 500+ pages to tell its story. I would have liked the characters to feel a little more rounded, especially given the time we spend with them. The side romances felt a little contrived. Finally, and perhaps most jarringly, this was written as a standalone but does not feel like one. Everything felt so unfinished by the end that I felt like I had another two books to go. I understand that the authors have more ideas for more books in this world, but I think this should have been the first in a planned series from the get go.
Overall though the book was fine and I look forward to what the two authors bring out in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Slavery, Torture, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
paigemandia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
4.0
if i do not get a sequel to this book i will scream!!!! please i am manifesting it so intensely i need more of this motley crew 😭😭😭😭 i really really enjoyed this one!! the syntax and writing style took a while for me to get used to because it was a lot of fragmented sentences and super short sentences so i wasn’t quite vibing with that. but i loved the main characters so much—especially rags, tal, and inis. ugh inis is so powerful i adore her. HOWEVER why TF did i not get a tal pov PLEASE i am begging you give me a tal pov as a little treat. i deserve it. anyways this is literally not a review i finished this book 3 seconds ago and im just emotional and rambling. but yes i loved the plot, it was VERY fast paced so if you don’t like down-time in books, this is a perfect one for you. the chapters are also insanely short. um yeah id die for rags and tal in about a millisecond i love them so much and i need more of them!!!!!! i wanna see rags find his little beastie friend and there’s just so many loose ends that are perfect for a sequel. so please. also CHECK THE PRONUNCIATION GUIDE IN THE BACK BEFORE READING bc i was saying literally every single name wrong in my head and it was too late to turn back when i saw the pronunciation guide 😪😪
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
hysrae's review against another edition
dark
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
4.5
I didn't go into this book thinking that it would single-handedly rekindle my love for reading, but it turns out I was dead wrong. The cast of characters is diverse and likable, and the plot is pretty unique. I had SO much fun with this one; I really hope that this series is continued!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
reocalabra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Blood
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Torture, and Grief
spiritedfaraway's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
This book is what you get when you mix dark humor, a quest, advanced machinery, magic and a queer slowburn warrior prince/pragmatic thief romance together and I absolutely adored it! It also doesn't hurt that there is lots of diversity in the cast of main characters.
"They only problem was that Rag's couldn't think of any story or rhyme where a human shook hands with a fae and came out on top."
I will say that Rags' point of view was my favorite. Rags is my grumpy son and he needs to be protected at all costs, okay? I have such a soft spot for grumpy and sarcastic characters and the people that love them. Which brings me to my brand new OTP: Shining Talon and Rags! All the scenes with them were *chef's kiss* and I would scream in joy if we got Shining Talon's point of view in the next book!
The only thing about this book that wasn't my favorite was how I probably would have enjoyed this more if it was just from a couple point of views, instead of five. Which isn't to say I hated the other point of views, I just wasn't as engaged in them as I was with Rags'. But that's totally a me thing.
Overall, I found this to be an amazingly fun beginning and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. Because I seriously need more Rags and Shining Talon and the fact that there isn’t any fanfic for them is a shame lol
"They only problem was that Rag's couldn't think of any story or rhyme where a human shook hands with a fae and came out on top."
I will say that Rags' point of view was my favorite. Rags is my grumpy son and he needs to be protected at all costs, okay? I have such a soft spot for grumpy and sarcastic characters and the people that love them. Which brings me to my brand new OTP: Shining Talon and Rags! All the scenes with them were *chef's kiss* and I would scream in joy if we got Shining Talon's point of view in the next book!
The only thing about this book that wasn't my favorite was how I probably would have enjoyed this more if it was just from a couple point of views, instead of five. Which isn't to say I hated the other point of views, I just wasn't as engaged in them as I was with Rags'. But that's totally a me thing.
Overall, I found this to be an amazingly fun beginning and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. Because I seriously need more Rags and Shining Talon and the fact that there isn’t any fanfic for them is a shame lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death and Infertility
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
**Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
I stayed up late to finish this book last night, and honestly all I want to do is shout about it!! While the pacing was a little difficult sometimes, that was the only piece that kept me from rating this a full 5 stars.
Things that this book has that you will love:
- a heist. Enough said.
- a quest that comes about from the above heist. It is such an adventure and there were some fantastic twists!
- awesome characters! I honestly loved all of the characters. And they are so realistically flawed. It is amazing to see!
- rep! There is LGBTQ+ rep, and a character is disabled. And these are both characters that get povs.
- fae! I feel like so many of us love fae in stories 😅
- a really cool magic system. This one is so unique, I honestly haven't encountered another magic system like this one which was so refreshing and intriguing!!!
- a creepy evil sorcerer 🙌
- a found family of sorts.
There isn't a lot I can get into without giving things away, so I am going to leave it at that. While there are numerous differences, could definitely recommend this if you liked the heist, adventure, and found family parts of Six of Crows. They have some small similarities in my opinion!
I will mention - check the pronunciation guide! A few character names are based on Celtic words and sounds I think, so they are pronounced quite different than how they are spelt (ie. Somhairle is pronounced SORE-luh). I was definitely pronouncing quite a few of the names wrong in my head before I found the pronunciation guide at the back...
I stayed up late to finish this book last night, and honestly all I want to do is shout about it!! While the pacing was a little difficult sometimes, that was the only piece that kept me from rating this a full 5 stars.
Things that this book has that you will love:
- a heist. Enough said.
- a quest that comes about from the above heist. It is such an adventure and there were some fantastic twists!
- awesome characters! I honestly loved all of the characters. And they are so realistically flawed. It is amazing to see!
- rep! There is LGBTQ+ rep, and a character is disabled. And these are both characters that get povs.
- fae! I feel like so many of us love fae in stories 😅
- a really cool magic system. This one is so unique, I honestly haven't encountered another magic system like this one which was so refreshing and intriguing!!!
- a creepy evil sorcerer 🙌
- a found family of sorts.
There isn't a lot I can get into without giving things away, so I am going to leave it at that. While there are numerous differences, could definitely recommend this if you liked the heist, adventure, and found family parts of Six of Crows. They have some small similarities in my opinion!
I will mention - check the pronunciation guide! A few character names are based on Celtic words and sounds I think, so they are pronounced quite different than how they are spelt (ie. Somhairle is pronounced SORE-luh). I was definitely pronouncing quite a few of the names wrong in my head before I found the pronunciation guide at the back...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Infertility, Torture, and Kidnapping
For the minor spoilers, they are very briefly mentioned. There is not much detail but these are things that happen through the story. The child abuse is related to fae children. It makes more sense in the story but something I wanted to add. There is a lot of cursing since Rags is a thief from the streets...