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jessicaduncan's review
4.0
Great if you love a good enemies to lovers romance with some interesting deception and politics thrown in. Can’t wait to read the next book to see Clark and Addies relationship develop, and the cliff hanger at the end is making me want to drop everything and pick up the next book!
smellybooklady's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
princessleopard's review
4.0
Preface: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4.25 stars
Explicit content: Sexual activity is alluded to, pretty PG violence
Recommended for: Romance/fantasy lovers, anyone interested in steam/dieselpunk
I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of "Princess of Death," another YA romance featuring a hate/love romance in a tropical setting that I read earlier this year. It also gives me vague Atlantis (Disney version) vibes, probably because of the tech involved. Overall, it's just a very competently written romance. The characters are varied, likable, and feel like real people. The plot keeps moving, and is surprisingly important to the story, compared to a lot of romances. It's also really intriguing in itself, and there were several twists and turns I didn't expect. I'm genuinely interested to learn more about the mysterious forgotten kingdom, the necklace, and especially the agendas of a few characters unveiled in the last few chapters. The romance itself is really well-written - the two leads are very snarky and snippy at times, but always set that aside to look out for each other, in the end.
My one quibble is that the novel spits out all these really interesting plot threads, but none of them are actually resolved by the end. It's basically a cliffhanger on all fronts. Addie is in a terrible position, we still don't know anything about the mysterious forgotten kingdom, one character is potentially dead, several others are unveiled as having secret agendas, others are imprisoned, we don't know what the necklace is or what it's for, and we haven't learned anything more about the explosion that claimed the lives of Addie's mother and sister. It left the story feeling unfinished, which makes sense for a trilogy, but isn't satisfying when reading it just by itself; even trilogy books should have something about them that stands alone, and this one didn't really have that.
Overall, though, I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the blurb. It delivers exactly what it promises - a fun romance in an interesting setting with plenty of mysterious and intrigue.
Actual rating: 4.25 stars
Explicit content: Sexual activity is alluded to, pretty PG violence
Recommended for: Romance/fantasy lovers, anyone interested in steam/dieselpunk
I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of "Princess of Death," another YA romance featuring a hate/love romance in a tropical setting that I read earlier this year. It also gives me vague Atlantis (Disney version) vibes, probably because of the tech involved. Overall, it's just a very competently written romance. The characters are varied, likable, and feel like real people. The plot keeps moving, and is surprisingly important to the story, compared to a lot of romances. It's also really intriguing in itself, and there were several twists and turns I didn't expect. I'm genuinely interested to learn more about the mysterious forgotten kingdom, the necklace, and especially the agendas of a few characters unveiled in the last few chapters. The romance itself is really well-written - the two leads are very snarky and snippy at times, but always set that aside to look out for each other, in the end.
My one quibble is that the novel spits out all these really interesting plot threads, but none of them are actually resolved by the end. It's basically a cliffhanger on all fronts. Addie is in a terrible position, we still don't know anything about the mysterious forgotten kingdom, one character is potentially dead, several others are unveiled as having secret agendas, others are imprisoned, we don't know what the necklace is or what it's for, and we haven't learned anything more about the explosion that claimed the lives of Addie's mother and sister. It left the story feeling unfinished, which makes sense for a trilogy, but isn't satisfying when reading it just by itself; even trilogy books should have something about them that stands alone, and this one didn't really have that.
Overall, though, I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the blurb. It delivers exactly what it promises - a fun romance in an interesting setting with plenty of mysterious and intrigue.
libraryofabibliotaph's review
4.0
A great book containing the right amount of adventure, mystery, friendship, royal shenanigans, witty conversations, handsome boys coming to the rescue and an independent heroine. There are some plot twists in the book, because not all characters possess all information, and as a reader you also discover some more things along the way, just like the main characters. I really liked the dynamics between Addie and the Nobel brothers, hopefully we'll get some more of that in the next books. Nelly and Perry should have received some more spotlight moments in my opinion, you won't see them that much throughout the story and that's a pity. But overall a great story, I'm curious about how the rest of the series will unfold.
Thank you [a:Robin D. Mahle|18183759|Robin D. Mahle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1571321729p2/18183759.jpg] for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you [a:Robin D. Mahle|18183759|Robin D. Mahle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1571321729p2/18183759.jpg] for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
joelleandthebooks's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
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? No
3.5
dragon_lion64's review
3.0
Story is good but
The story or plot was interesting but something was lacking. I'm not exactly sure what bothered me about it but I found myself getting bored and frustrated so I would set ot aside and come back to it later.
Maybe the main female character had no personality whatsoever. She seemed almost robotic in her thoughts and was unlikable.
The other characters carried the story. They had a lot more personality.
The back and forth timeline also drove me bonkers since I had already read the prequel and it was just repeating it.
I think I'm going to try to read the next book despite my gripes.
The story or plot was interesting but something was lacking. I'm not exactly sure what bothered me about it but I found myself getting bored and frustrated so I would set ot aside and come back to it later.
Maybe the main female character had no personality whatsoever. She seemed almost robotic in her thoughts and was unlikable.
The other characters carried the story. They had a lot more personality.
The back and forth timeline also drove me bonkers since I had already read the prequel and it was just repeating it.
I think I'm going to try to read the next book despite my gripes.
janallan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
mad_about_books's review
4.0
I am new to the world of dieselpunk, which, in this case, is a modern time with cars and elevators and electricity but set in a world quite different from our own. Since I have read my fair share of steampunk (both Victorian and otherworldly) and cyberpunk (William Gibson is a favorite), adding diesel to my punk repertoire seemed like a logical next step.
THE FRACTURED EMPIRE is conceptually interesting and relies pretty heavily on the assumption that readers will have read the short story prequel "The Silent Explosion." The idea of soundless devastation is pretty mind boggling. No sound at all until the screaming starts. Along with the various sub-genres of science fiction and fantasy, I am a big fan of the horror novel. The thing about reading graphic depictions is that the horror is as bad as your own mind chooses to make it. Unlike movies, where the gore is in your face, books inform your imagination. This book, and the preceding story, are written to engage a younger audience whose sensibilities are still forming. I did find it quite well written and engaging. The only downside is that it ends on a cliffhanger. As such, the need to read the next book is definitely fostered. I like to read series as if they were one continuous novel. In that way, the cliffhanger is not so devastating.
I can't find anywhere but Goodreads to post my review, so I am wondering just how this series is going to be sold to the general reading public. I normally post to Goodreads, Amazon, and, when appropriate, to BookBub.
THE FRACTURED EMPIRE is conceptually interesting and relies pretty heavily on the assumption that readers will have read the short story prequel "The Silent Explosion." The idea of soundless devastation is pretty mind boggling. No sound at all until the screaming starts. Along with the various sub-genres of science fiction and fantasy, I am a big fan of the horror novel. The thing about reading graphic depictions is that the horror is as bad as your own mind chooses to make it. Unlike movies, where the gore is in your face, books inform your imagination. This book, and the preceding story, are written to engage a younger audience whose sensibilities are still forming. I did find it quite well written and engaging. The only downside is that it ends on a cliffhanger. As such, the need to read the next book is definitely fostered. I like to read series as if they were one continuous novel. In that way, the cliffhanger is not so devastating.
I can't find anywhere but Goodreads to post my review, so I am wondering just how this series is going to be sold to the general reading public. I normally post to Goodreads, Amazon, and, when appropriate, to BookBub.
brooklyn_book_girl's review
4.0
This book was so good! As in stay up way too late reading it unable to put it down good. I love the mystery. I love a strong female lead. Robin D. Mahle did a great job of building this fantasy world and of developing her characters in a way that didn't give everything away. I enjoyed that the chapters alternated between Addie and Clark - it was easy to know whose point of view you were reading and it added to the dynamic between them!
I received this book from BookSiren in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from BookSiren in exchange for an honest review.