emiann2023's review against another edition
2.0
I was super excited to read this, but honestly the more I got into it the less I cared. And honestly, the fear that all of the characters show, the self-doubt and deprication is so pervasive it's oppressive. And honestly, the last couple of surprises did nothing to change that. I finished this book more depressed than I started it. And it wasn't because of the murders.
I stopped actually reading about halfway through, and skipped to the end. Honestly, I didn't care even then. The twists were odd, but not really in a good way.
I stopped actually reading about halfway through, and skipped to the end. Honestly, I didn't care even then. The twists were odd, but not really in a good way.
emsrose's review against another edition
5.0
This murder mystery was a thrilling read from start to finish. Amanda uses such descriptive and beautiful writing that really lets you imagine what things look like as they happen. To me, I felt that each character was really unique and someone who I don't think has really ever appeared in other similarly themed books which really made it unique.
Sorina is a young "freaky" character but was overall quite relatable as she questions both herself, her morals and also simply just gets to act like a teenager who doesn't want to be treated as her age when it came to danger. In other times, she is mature and acts a lot older but it generally makes sense with the story line and her past.
At first I wanted to be picky and give it a 4/5 mainly because you don't get to really get to understand the reality on how Sorina sees with no eyes and at first I thought it would have been better to have at least some kind of explanation. Although, by the final page that all left the window, it was just such a unique characteristic and reading it like that just truly adds to the story and makes you really think about Sorina and her powers.
Overall, this book was beautifully written and I really didnt find much that I disliked about it. Plus, it wasn't really a childish "magic book" and had quite some depth with a variety of themes which I really loved.
Sorina is a young "freaky" character but was overall quite relatable as she questions both herself, her morals and also simply just gets to act like a teenager who doesn't want to be treated as her age when it came to danger. In other times, she is mature and acts a lot older but it generally makes sense with the story line and her past.
At first I wanted to be picky and give it a 4/5 mainly because you don't get to really get to understand the reality on how Sorina sees with no eyes and at first I thought it would have been better to have at least some kind of explanation. Although, by the final page that all left the window, it was just such a unique characteristic and reading it like that just truly adds to the story and makes you really think about Sorina and her powers.
Overall, this book was beautifully written and I really didnt find much that I disliked about it. Plus, it wasn't really a childish "magic book" and had quite some depth with a variety of themes which I really loved.
carjohnsxn's review
mysterious
sad
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
3.5
marineb09's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't know what to expect by reading this book. I was afraid of something close to Caraval (which I wasn't a fan of).
But this story was really great, I was hooked from page one. The idea was great, the writing was entertaining, I enjoyed the thriller part of it and the gore.
The book kept me on my toe till the end.
I highly recommend it <3
But this story was really great, I was hooked from page one. The idea was great, the writing was entertaining, I enjoyed the thriller part of it and the gore.
The book kept me on my toe till the end.
I highly recommend it <3
gemma_fitchett's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
tallyvauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Did I like it: 5★
Does it fit the genre: 5★
Does it do what it's trying to do: 5★
Storyline: 5★
Writing style: 5★
Characters: 4★
Plot Twists: 5★
Pacing: 5★
Total: 4.8★
Breakdown:
Absolutely amazing. The Daughter of The Burning City is a character-centered which is amazing for a story about a wandering festival. I found the ideas of the marvels to be absolutely stunning when they aren't being shoved in my face like in ...some...circus books. It still had the amazing magic and the powers of Sorina were both tragic and out of this worldly amazing. I was disappointed to see that this was a stand alone considering how it ended, but I suppose it'll be good enough.
The only point off is for the amount of background characters who were loosely mentioned in their descriptions and then left alone for a while only to be grabbed again randomly and I keep forgetting who they are. ALSO. The plot twists were fantastic. Fantasy, a mystery, some great representation, and a little (albeit odd) romance sprinkled in. Gorey and beautiful.
Does it fit the genre: 5★
Does it do what it's trying to do: 5★
Storyline: 5★
Writing style: 5★
Characters: 4★
Plot Twists: 5★
Pacing: 5★
Total: 4.8★
Breakdown:
Absolutely amazing. The Daughter of The Burning City is a character-centered which is amazing for a story about a wandering festival. I found the ideas of the marvels to be absolutely stunning when they aren't being shoved in my face like in ...some...circus books. It still had the amazing magic and the powers of Sorina were both tragic and out of this worldly amazing. I was disappointed to see that this was a stand alone considering how it ended, but I suppose it'll be good enough.
The only point off is for the amount of background characters who were loosely mentioned in their descriptions and then left alone for a while only to be grabbed again randomly and I keep forgetting who they are. ALSO. The plot twists were fantastic. Fantasy, a mystery, some great representation, and a little (albeit odd) romance sprinkled in. Gorey and beautiful.
burstnwithbooks's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fine, but nothing special for me. The main character annoyed the heck out of me, and I just didn’t care about the plot. I really don’t seem to enjoy circus books... this might be a sign!
the_nook_of_tomes's review against another edition
3.0
4.5
3 star read for me! Loved this world and how well developed it became which is essential for a good stand alone. The characters were fascinating and had lots of representation. The plot was dark and kept me second guessing throughout! The magic in this book is everything I wanted in a carnival fantasy. However, for me, the romance was a little bit problematic and unnecessary, would have easily been a 5 star without the romance.
3 star read for me! Loved this world and how well developed it became which is essential for a good stand alone. The characters were fascinating and had lots of representation. The plot was dark and kept me second guessing throughout! The magic in this book is everything I wanted in a carnival fantasy. However, for me, the romance was a little bit problematic and unnecessary, would have easily been a 5 star without the romance.
sunflowerfoxglove's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
girlreading's review against another edition
3.0
I hear circuses and I instantly want to know more. Which is exactly why the moment I heard about Daughter of the Burning City, it shot to the top of my TBR but although I definitely enjoyed this, unfortunately I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped to.
For a large part of the book, I found the pacing pretty slow, which meant it felt a little tiresome to get through as times. Having said that, I loved the faster paced action scenes towards the end and would have loved to have had a bit more of that sprinkled throughout. Although I predicted the murderer pretty early on in the book, I was kept guessing and at times questioning myself. Which is always fun experience when reading a murder mystery.
I enjoyed the characters and their different abilities but although I found them intriguing, I didn’t feel too attached to them. I would have really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Sorina’s family of illusions better, as I thought they were all really interesting and had a lot more to give! I felt similarly towards the world Daughter of the Burning City was set in. It was incredibly intriguing and I loved the snippets we got into life in Gamorrah. With that being said I wasn’t the biggest fan of the world building as a whole, (and this was probably entirely my fault, reading whilst exhausted probably wasn’t my best idea…) but because I was continuously confused as to how the worlds clock worked and the difference between The Up-Mountain and The Down-Mountain and because of this, I didn’t feel I had a grasp on Gamorrah and the places travel to in this book.
As I mentioned before, I did enjoy this book and something I loved was the diversity, specifically the casual approach towards sexuality. Although labels weren’t used, it appeared as though our main character, Sorina, was bisexual, mentioning on a few occasions of how she was excited about her future with either a prince or princess. The love interest was somewhere on the ace spectrum (demi-sexual seems the best fit based on the text and from what I’ve read from other reviewers). Sorina’s sister was a lesbian and her father was also bisexual. Apart from one occasion of confusion, which lead to a brilliant discussion on consent from someone seemingly on the ace spectrum, no ones identity was ever questioned or confronted with prejudice or bigotry, which was absolutely fantastic to read. Sorina also came across as suffering with anxiety at times and mentioned having panic attacks on a few occasions, which was really refreshing to see portrayed in a fantasy!
The plot, setting and characters of Daughter of the Burning City were most definitely unique and although I didn’t absolutely love this book, it was still an intriguing and enjoyable read. I’m definitely excited to see what Amanda Foody has in store for us next and considering this was her debut and had so many great elements, I can only imagine her books will just get better and better!!
For a large part of the book, I found the pacing pretty slow, which meant it felt a little tiresome to get through as times. Having said that, I loved the faster paced action scenes towards the end and would have loved to have had a bit more of that sprinkled throughout. Although I predicted the murderer pretty early on in the book, I was kept guessing and at times questioning myself. Which is always fun experience when reading a murder mystery.
I enjoyed the characters and their different abilities but although I found them intriguing, I didn’t feel too attached to them. I would have really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Sorina’s family of illusions better, as I thought they were all really interesting and had a lot more to give! I felt similarly towards the world Daughter of the Burning City was set in. It was incredibly intriguing and I loved the snippets we got into life in Gamorrah. With that being said I wasn’t the biggest fan of the world building as a whole, (and this was probably entirely my fault, reading whilst exhausted probably wasn’t my best idea…) but because I was continuously confused as to how the worlds clock worked and the difference between The Up-Mountain and The Down-Mountain and because of this, I didn’t feel I had a grasp on Gamorrah and the places travel to in this book.
As I mentioned before, I did enjoy this book and something I loved was the diversity, specifically the casual approach towards sexuality. Although labels weren’t used, it appeared as though our main character, Sorina, was bisexual, mentioning on a few occasions of how she was excited about her future with either a prince or princess. The love interest was somewhere on the ace spectrum (demi-sexual seems the best fit based on the text and from what I’ve read from other reviewers). Sorina’s sister was a lesbian and her father was also bisexual. Apart from one occasion of confusion, which lead to a brilliant discussion on consent from someone seemingly on the ace spectrum, no ones identity was ever questioned or confronted with prejudice or bigotry, which was absolutely fantastic to read. Sorina also came across as suffering with anxiety at times and mentioned having panic attacks on a few occasions, which was really refreshing to see portrayed in a fantasy!
The plot, setting and characters of Daughter of the Burning City were most definitely unique and although I didn’t absolutely love this book, it was still an intriguing and enjoyable read. I’m definitely excited to see what Amanda Foody has in store for us next and considering this was her debut and had so many great elements, I can only imagine her books will just get better and better!!