jennijen's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
chwaters's review against another edition
3.0
Amelia Cole is one of the only people in the universe who can cross between the two known worlds. There's the world we're familiar, the one based in science and then there's the magical world where everyone has the ability to use magic. The portal between these worlds resides in her aunt's shop where Amelia and her aunt are able to protect the boundary between the two. One day, Amelia finds herself fighting a Persuasion demon in the scientific world, which raises all kinds of red flags for her and her aunt. As it turns out, there's a breach in the portal and magical beings are slipping through to our world. In an effort to seal off the breach, Amelia's aunt must close the portal for good, a process which kills the aunt and sends Amelia to a world previously unknown to her. This world is a hybrid version of the other two worlds. Magic exists, but only a fraction of the population is endowed with magic. Those that do have magic are severely restricted in its use. Not only is this new world confusing to Amelia, she's stuck there for good. Naturally, she creates a large metal golem to help her fight bad guys, which is sort of a compulsion for her, and replaces her broken wand with a wrench. The authorities in this new world aren't thrilled about this vigilante crime-fighter in their midst, but Amelia can't seem to let old habits die out, no matter where she currently calls home.
Amelia Cole and the Unknown World is a fun read with lots of action sequences and a charming metal golem sidekick, but it feels like there's a lot more to uncover in this new world that Amelia has found herself in. There's very little backstory for our protagonist in this volume, but there are hints that her origins will be played out in more detail in later volumes (I hope, anyway). Overall, a clever and colorful series that just needs a bit more substance to make it truly great. The potential is there; let's hope someone waves a magic wrench and fleshes out the intriguing world(s) presented here.
Amelia Cole and the Unknown World is a fun read with lots of action sequences and a charming metal golem sidekick, but it feels like there's a lot more to uncover in this new world that Amelia has found herself in. There's very little backstory for our protagonist in this volume, but there are hints that her origins will be played out in more detail in later volumes (I hope, anyway). Overall, a clever and colorful series that just needs a bit more substance to make it truly great. The potential is there; let's hope someone waves a magic wrench and fleshes out the intriguing world(s) presented here.
nikimarion's review against another edition
3.0
Super meh. Reminds me of premises from a lot of other fantasy/superhero narratives (Spider-Man, Daughter of Smoke & Bone for the portal crossings), and it doesn't really innovate them in new ways.
Cool lady lead who's not so bad with her wrench-wand, whether she's fixing pipes or fighting baddies, and she's always hungry so I identify.
Poor diverse representation, though. I'd recommend this as a step up for lovers of the AMULET series if it were able to invigorate its vague storyline, but I likely won't pick up the second volume.
Cool lady lead who's not so bad with her wrench-wand, whether she's fixing pipes or fighting baddies, and she's always hungry so I identify.
Poor diverse representation, though. I'd recommend this as a step up for lovers of the AMULET series if it were able to invigorate its vague storyline, but I likely won't pick up the second volume.
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