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queergoth_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cursed_bog_witch's review against another edition
3.0
An intriguing story about magic, race, and family in Elizabethan era London. Akala brings to life a world through the eyes of a poor black boy with exceptional gifts, gifts that would shape his future and mark his worth to London’s aristocracy, while also painting a target on his back.
I enjoyed reading this book, its well written and the mystery surrounding Henry’s gift and origins kept me engaged and eager to get to the end. I would have liked some of the side characters to be fleshed out a bit more to make them more dimensional, but for a debut novel Akala did a great job.
I enjoyed reading this book, its well written and the mystery surrounding Henry’s gift and origins kept me engaged and eager to get to the end. I would have liked some of the side characters to be fleshed out a bit more to make them more dimensional, but for a debut novel Akala did a great job.
lynnylooloo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
b00kh0arder's review
4.0
*Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Childrens for sending me a digital ARC for review*
What looks to be the start of an interesting historical series, encompassing magic, race, class and literature (I would dearly love Henry's ablility to translate anything), with language as rich as its themes, including not only poetry but Elizabethan street slang. There was a glossary for the slang but it was a little awkward to go back and forth to it in a digital format; shouldn't be a problem in the printed version.
All in all, definitely recommended.
What looks to be the start of an interesting historical series, encompassing magic, race, class and literature (I would dearly love Henry's ablility to translate anything), with language as rich as its themes, including not only poetry but Elizabethan street slang. There was a glossary for the slang but it was a little awkward to go back and forth to it in a digital format; shouldn't be a problem in the printed version.
All in all, definitely recommended.
madame_medusa's review against another edition
4.0
"Only one voice will find him" but the rest do guide him in this beautiful story of a boy with a gift, and his connection to Romesville! This book did leave me with some questions that maybe could be answered in the reread or perhaps that is the charm of the story, never fully knowing everyone's intentions for Henry.
It was a bittersweet ending to a bittersweet story! Left me wanting more!
It was a bittersweet ending to a bittersweet story! Left me wanting more!
animelanie's review against another edition
2.0
I felt this book was written simply & did not progress.
lesedi's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
bluestarfish's review against another edition
3.0
Reading is a magical power, and here even moreso. Henry is running around Elizabethan London picking pockets, getting into fights, and trying to exist in a world where places are nice if you're rich and really, really hard when you're poor. One inspiration for this work is Shakespeare's Dark Lady series of sonnets, which is such an interesting jumping off point for the novel.
patrickwreed's review against another edition
3.0
The rating might be a little unfair, as I admit I've never really got on with the YA genre - likely because I never really read any when I was the target audience or younger. As a result, there are elements of this book that I felt were a little heavy-handed, or too obvious, and perhaps wouldn't have seemed so to the intended reader.
It also suffers from being the first in a series, so much of it reads as if it's just getting started, and then ends quite abruptly having not particularly resolved any of the questions raised by the story. That sort of thing will likely come into focus in subsequent books, but it's hard to say at this point.
It was a quick, enjoyable read all the same, and the setting was well-researched and believable, even if some of the supporting characters felt a tad one note (which, again, may be more a hallmark of the YA genre than a criticism of this story in particular). I don't know if I'll necessarily read the rest of the series when it's released, but as a fan of Akala's work in other genres, I'd definitely be interested to see what else he comes up with in the realm of fiction, particularly if he decides to tackle more mature fare in the future.
It also suffers from being the first in a series, so much of it reads as if it's just getting started, and then ends quite abruptly having not particularly resolved any of the questions raised by the story. That sort of thing will likely come into focus in subsequent books, but it's hard to say at this point.
It was a quick, enjoyable read all the same, and the setting was well-researched and believable, even if some of the supporting characters felt a tad one note (which, again, may be more a hallmark of the YA genre than a criticism of this story in particular). I don't know if I'll necessarily read the rest of the series when it's released, but as a fan of Akala's work in other genres, I'd definitely be interested to see what else he comes up with in the realm of fiction, particularly if he decides to tackle more mature fare in the future.