Reviews

Savage City by L. Penelope

annieburton's review against another edition

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3.0

(I listened to the Audiobook)
Thanks to NetGalley and the editors for providing this early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Such an interesting and fantastical world, I just love dragons so I might be biased.
The narrators have a nice tone and speed, the story doesn't feel long nor rushed.
I give it 3 stars because there is something off, i cant quite put my finger on it, its a great story but its missing something, in some parts gets confusing and in others dull.

alatenightreader's review against another edition

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4.0

Such a cool premise that delivered. I enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to the next book.

violetfloof's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful tense 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? No

4.0

ketutar's review

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4.0

Interesting.
Some weaknesses, but all in all a good book. I'm looking forward to the continuation of the story.

lecronin16's review against another edition

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3.0

Thank you NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio for the audible version of this book!

I really enjoyed the premise and the set up for this story. I think it's such a unique idea and many of the different aspects of the world/magic system was interesting.

Unfortunately, our MC Talia felt a little flat and we didn't get a whole lot of character development throughout the story. Additionally, the final 20% of the book felt very rushed as both romantic and plot lines developed much faster than the beginning 80% was paced. Overall, I would have appreciated another 100 pages for the storyline to continue growing at the pace that was initially set.

danny_the_menace's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.25

thoughts_ofabookworm's review

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

beyondevak's review against another edition

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4.0

Quick Summary: What a crazy, fantastic ride!

My Review: Savage City by L. Penelope was unusually thrilling, fantastically bizarre, and totally what I needed. As I read this story, I couldn't help thinking about Dead Again, My Name is Memory and the Vega Jane series. Totally weird, right? I think it was largely because of the reincarnation - time travel - sci-fantasy angle mixed with the strange location tapestry. All I know is that this story started at a peculiar and totally unexpected place and came alive from there.

+++ (Positives):
- I loved the cover 100%. I was drawn to it for many reasons. The contrast between light and dark, the visual stance and appearance of the protagonist, and the title itself - they were all mesmerizing.
- The descriptions of the clothing were done so well. (Although some readers may find the subject of garments baffling, I find that it adds something to the characters. It gives me an idea of who they are and what their preferences may be. Also, it allows me to see how they might view other characters.)
- The past to present references allowed me to appreciate each character. I particularly liked how the author communicated differences with the father figure of the protagonist.
- I was clearly able to see the group dynamics at play. This was done well, in my opinion. I could easily see that a lack of morality existed. I also got to witness the prejudice that was very evident.
- I really liked the chemistry between the male and female leads. Even before anything was acted upon, I kept thinking of forbidden love. (Cheesy, right.)

My Final Say: I intentionally chose not to mention any negatives with this story; that's not always the case. In this instance, however, I felt that the author did a tremendous job with setting up her series. It was refreshingly different, but in a way, it was also incredibly familiar. It was haunting. The feeling that I got from listening to this book is the same feeling that I got after watching Dead Again and after I listened to My Name is Memory, as well as the Vega Jane books. (And they are some of my favorites!) I think this series may be heading in the direction of favorites. We shall see. Bring on book 2.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA/A

An audio copy of this title was made available via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The words I have expressed are my own. I was not influenced in any way by the author or publisher.

jesscoryn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really like the world that the author created. However, i think the romance shouldve been longer. Definitely wanted to see more interactions with Talia and Ryin.

thestaceyflowers's review against another edition

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tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0