compass_rose's review
4.0
Not sure it's really YA. Some of the action is complex, there are a lot of characters and faction, and the theological subtext would have confused the heck out of me any time before grad school. But I loved it. Action-packed start-to-finish. Strong, but developmentally-accurate main character (12yo Mosca Mye who acts much as a 12yo would). Loved the writing style. I am excited for the sequel.
I am a fan of [a:Tamora Pierce|8596|Tamora Pierce|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1209044273p2/8596.jpg]. If you liked her books, especially those with Beka Cooper ([b:Terrier|13829|Terrier (Beka Cooper, #1)|Tamora Pierce|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294615834s/13829.jpg|3056999]), you will probably like this, too.
I am a fan of [a:Tamora Pierce|8596|Tamora Pierce|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1209044273p2/8596.jpg]. If you liked her books, especially those with Beka Cooper ([b:Terrier|13829|Terrier (Beka Cooper, #1)|Tamora Pierce|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294615834s/13829.jpg|3056999]), you will probably like this, too.
riverjk's review against another edition
5.0
I honestly felt fairly skeptical about reading this, mostly because the basic premise didn't strike me as very exciting or original. But thankfully, Fly By Night turned out to be full of wonderfully imaginative world-building and great characters. There's also something I can't quite articulate that really hit the sweet spot for me personally--it was just so enjoyable and fun to read.
planetbeth91's review against another edition
4.0
Hardinge always leaves you feeling as you've truly been somewhere else. She writes with utmost license and yet crafts something so real. Her debut is as mad and as harebrained as any of her books yet everything feels entirely possible, also Saracen is the greatest character. He will fight you on this and he will win.
burntout_bookworm's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Meh. I think I am going to have to give up on Frances Hardinge. I pick up their books because I always find the premise really interesting, however, I believe books like these are reading too you for me know. Which is a huge shame.
ginnikin's review
3.0
Although this book never grabbed me (2 & a half weeks to read a book?! Sacrilege!), I quite enjoyed what it was doing. A good read, especially for impressionable minds.
polyphonic_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mora55's review
5.0
--25 March 2023
truly the book of all time. love the way hardinge uses words and love the worldbuilding and love the themes.
--18 Dec 2020
This year's reread was accompanied by ANNOTATIONS bc Enne is the best and even though I have reread this so many times and annotated it for other people I will never get tired of it and seeing someone else's reactions was super cool.
Anyway apart from that I would like to reaffirm my undying love for Clent and Mosca and Frances Hardinge
--3 Dec 2020 (reread like,, 4)
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
I'm forever impressed with the way Frances Hardinge uses words. Her metaphors and descriptions are excellent and she'll string words together in ways no one would have ever expected and they're delightfully surprising. I laughed aloud at parts even though I'd read this like three times before this current read.
The way the plot is so intricate and detailed and it all comes together (literally everything comes together in the end and it takes your breath away) and upon reread you see so much that was dropped that later comes back. This is mainly in terms of plot, but Hardinge will also bring back a specific phrase in a similar or different context to connect pieces of the book, and I'm in awe. I also really liked how Frances Hardinge somehow effortlessly manages to slip into an omniscient POV for just a few sentences at a time before coming back to Mosca, or whatever other temporary POV she's chosen for the scene. The readers know more than Mosca, yet we don't know everything at all? We're still so surprised when everything comes together at last? It's so good.
I did a close read this time and I caught so much of this. I was aware it existed and knew a lot of it, to an extent, but this time I paid extra special attention to the details and am somehow even more in love with this book than I was before. I aspire to use words like Frances Hardinge uses words. And her PLOT goodness gracious HOW DOES SHE DO THAT. HOW. And a close read also lent itself to so much irony in both events and wordings and dramatic irony and there was so much I'd never noticed before!
The characters! are excellent! I love how Mosca and Clent's relationship develops over the course of the book, and I especially love Mosca's own character arc and how she grows and changes and learns and realizes things about the world. It's achingly beautiful. And Mosca's way of seeing the world and her way of talking is just so distinct and Mosca.
Also Saracen is the true hero of the story, we all know this, and I hecking love
The worldbuilding is also incredible. There are innumerable little details thrown in there that make it seem so fleshed out and believable and like Hardinge has actually lived there and is using firsthand experience. She writes about this world better than many people write about the place where they actually live, tbh.
There are flashes of insight about really serious and abstract or deep concepts, put really well, and I love those moments. CHILLS. Especially when Mosca is the one realizing these things, because she has such a distinct voice and way of putting things.
Also this book contains what has to be probably my favorite quote of all time (no joke): "I don't want a happy ending, I want more story."
In summary: READ THIS BOOK please there's so much good stuff in here Frances Harding is truly a master I cannot stress this enough.
truly the book of all time. love the way hardinge uses words and love the worldbuilding and love the themes.
--18 Dec 2020
This year's reread was accompanied by ANNOTATIONS bc Enne is the best and even though I have reread this so many times and annotated it for other people I will never get tired of it and seeing someone else's reactions was super cool.
Anyway apart from that I would like to reaffirm my undying love for Clent and Mosca and Frances Hardinge
--3 Dec 2020 (reread like,, 4)
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
I'm forever impressed with the way Frances Hardinge uses words. Her metaphors and descriptions are excellent and she'll string words together in ways no one would have ever expected and they're delightfully surprising. I laughed aloud at parts even though I'd read this like three times before this current read.
The way the plot is so intricate and detailed and it all comes together (literally everything comes together in the end and it takes your breath away) and upon reread you see so much that was dropped that later comes back. This is mainly in terms of plot, but Hardinge will also bring back a specific phrase in a similar or different context to connect pieces of the book, and I'm in awe. I also really liked how Frances Hardinge somehow effortlessly manages to slip into an omniscient POV for just a few sentences at a time before coming back to Mosca, or whatever other temporary POV she's chosen for the scene. The readers know more than Mosca, yet we don't know everything at all? We're still so surprised when everything comes together at last? It's so good.
I did a close read this time and I caught so much of this. I was aware it existed and knew a lot of it, to an extent, but this time I paid extra special attention to the details and am somehow even more in love with this book than I was before. I aspire to use words like Frances Hardinge uses words. And her PLOT goodness gracious HOW DOES SHE DO THAT. HOW. And a close read also lent itself to so much irony in both events and wordings and dramatic irony and there was so much I'd never noticed before!
The characters! are excellent! I love how Mosca and Clent's relationship develops over the course of the book, and I especially love Mosca's own character arc and how she grows and changes and learns and realizes things about the world. It's achingly beautiful. And Mosca's way of seeing the world and her way of talking is just so distinct and Mosca.
Also Saracen is the true hero of the story, we all know this, and I hecking love
Spoiler
Blythe's rise from highwayman to ruling the city. And just Blythe in general, like how he's convinced he's a ne'er-do-well who lives outside the law and is only roped into this "being noble and a hero" thing through Clent's ballad when really he IS a genuinely decent person.The worldbuilding is also incredible. There are innumerable little details thrown in there that make it seem so fleshed out and believable and like Hardinge has actually lived there and is using firsthand experience. She writes about this world better than many people write about the place where they actually live, tbh.
There are flashes of insight about really serious and abstract or deep concepts, put really well, and I love those moments. CHILLS. Especially when Mosca is the one realizing these things, because she has such a distinct voice and way of putting things.
Also this book contains what has to be probably my favorite quote of all time (no joke): "I don't want a happy ending, I want more story."
In summary: READ THIS BOOK please there's so much good stuff in here Frances Harding is truly a master I cannot stress this enough.
gkneveu's review against another edition
3.0
This my third Frances Hardinge book and I think it's my least favorite (after A Face Like Glass and Cuckoo Song). It's not bad by any means, but the other two are so good.
Once again, she creates an excellent world. I am so far very impressed with how different the three universes are for the three books I've read. While this book does follow some conventional fantasy setting of "vaguely England in the 18th century," the setup with the guilds, the Beloved and the Birdcatchers give it an interesting enough spin.
That being said, I wish there had been more contribution of the setting. The little bits of Birdcatcher history were so intriguing and off putting, but they hardly come up in the actual narrative. Even though the plot revolves around the guilds, there was something a bit lacking for me. The back cover promised a world where reading the wrong book could drive you mad. I was hoping for a bit more of that vibe.
Once again, she creates an excellent world. I am so far very impressed with how different the three universes are for the three books I've read. While this book does follow some conventional fantasy setting of "vaguely England in the 18th century," the setup with the guilds, the Beloved and the Birdcatchers give it an interesting enough spin.
That being said, I wish there had been more contribution of the setting. The little bits of Birdcatcher history were so intriguing and off putting, but they hardly come up in the actual narrative. Even though the plot revolves around the guilds, there was something a bit lacking for me. The back cover promised a world where reading the wrong book could drive you mad. I was hoping for a bit more of that vibe.
mattireads's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
Honestly, I read a few chapters. About 100 pages but I still had no clue what was going on. Everything is all over the place and politics seems to be very prominent.
elneveu's review against another edition
3.0
My first Frances Hardinge that I wouldn't recommend. 2.5 unfortunately.