ronja_2002's review
Probably could have been an okay book, but nothing about the first 2 chapters caught my interest
hekate24's review against another edition
5.0
As I said about a year ago, this is a novel by a friend (a friend I've known roughly half my life to boot.) So I can't pretend to neutrality. I will say that as much as I've been tearing through books this year, I also have a ton more I have trouble focusing on at all.
From Unseen Fire did a great job at capturing my attention, however. The prologue pulls you in, lets you know the stakes, and then immediately upends things just a few pages later. This is one of those immersive fantasy series where the pacing is pretty relentless and exciting... and yet there's also a lot of time for dense, lush world-building. Either you like letting the latter wash over you, or you don't. I fall into the latter (at least when there's a sense of liveliness to it, which is present here), especially since I enjoy ancient Rome greatly, so I was very well content. Do take note: This is more of a Kushiel's Legacy style (or even Hakuouki style, to borrow from another medium) fantasy world rather than a Westeros or Tortall style fantasy world. i.e. a historical civilization from our world.... but with magic. I found this pretty interesting and refreshing. I also liked the portrayal of fantasy equivalent of Rome- and nearby environs- as the diverse place it actually was.
This is also one of those fantasy books with tons and tons of characters and plot threads. I always love this approach because even if I wasn't super invested in a character (Sempronius on his own), I knew we would be back soon with the characters and relationships I felt strongly about (Latona on her own, Latona and her sisters, Vitellius and the various places he travels to, etc.) And since all the plot lines verge in various ways, quite my favorites would show up in a plot thread I wasn't initially excited about. POV characters all have believable motivations for a society that's trying to decide what to be. I'm definitely curious and excited about the next book!
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Original "review:"
Aaaand we have a cover now!
(hahah i never leave to-read reviews like this but what else do you do when it's you friend's book?)
From Unseen Fire did a great job at capturing my attention, however. The prologue pulls you in, lets you know the stakes, and then immediately upends things just a few pages later. This is one of those immersive fantasy series where the pacing is pretty relentless and exciting... and yet there's also a lot of time for dense, lush world-building. Either you like letting the latter wash over you, or you don't. I fall into the latter (at least when there's a sense of liveliness to it, which is present here), especially since I enjoy ancient Rome greatly, so I was very well content. Do take note: This is more of a Kushiel's Legacy style (or even Hakuouki style, to borrow from another medium) fantasy world rather than a Westeros or Tortall style fantasy world. i.e. a historical civilization from our world.... but with magic. I found this pretty interesting and refreshing. I also liked the portrayal of fantasy equivalent of Rome- and nearby environs- as the diverse place it actually was.
This is also one of those fantasy books with tons and tons of characters and plot threads. I always love this approach because even if I wasn't super invested in a character (Sempronius on his own), I knew we would be back soon with the characters and relationships I felt strongly about (Latona on her own, Latona and her sisters, Vitellius and the various places he travels to, etc.) And since all the plot lines verge in various ways, quite my favorites would show up in a plot thread I wasn't initially excited about. POV characters all have believable motivations for a society that's trying to decide what to be. I'm definitely curious and excited about the next book!
---
Original "review:"
Aaaand we have a cover now!
(hahah i never leave to-read reviews like this but what else do you do when it's you friend's book?)
strangethedreamer's review against another edition
2.0
A long book with interesting world building where nothing much happens until the last 80 pages. Pacing was uneven and there were a ton of characters; sadly the focus was on the least interesting of them for most of the book.
I probably should have expected this, but the focus on the political nobility without interrogation of class structures rubbed me the wrong way. I have zero interest in reading about how characters are ~special~ simply as a matter of birth. This would have been more interesting if it came from the perspectives of the slaves/lower classes
I probably should have expected this, but the focus on the political nobility without interrogation of class structures rubbed me the wrong way. I have zero interest in reading about how characters are ~special~ simply as a matter of birth. This would have been more interesting if it came from the perspectives of the slaves/lower classes
the_storycorner's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
khardan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Colonisation, War, Blood, and Infidelity
hope_elizabeth_rose's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.0
3rats's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
Don't quite like the romance aspect of it. The devolpment of their relationship felt strange to me. Not a fan of sexual contet either lol (but hey when have I ever been lol).. However I do love the setting and want to see the how the cultural relationship to mages changes.
joelalan's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery and Sexual assault
nataliejcase's review against another edition
4.0
This is the debut book from a promising writer, and if you like well researched alternate history, this could be a good choice for you. I’ll admit that the frequently flipping points of view made it a little difficult for me to get into at first, but her writing draws you in and you can see the research she put in before writing. Beautifully drawn characters and a believable alternate Rome made this a solid four star read for me.