delphinine's review against another edition
very confusing tbh- may be better not in audio format
hoosgracie's review against another edition
3.0
This was OK. I thought it was going to be something different than it was.
rouge_red's review
There's an art to a mystery, a balance between revealing too much and skirting around the issue that your reader feels like they're going around in circles. Unfortunately (and I know this is O'Donnell's debut novel), this book veers toward the latter end of the spectrum. Coupled with the very formal, affected speech, everything so far feels obscured by a layer of artifice. Yes, I'm still early on, but there is such obvious obfuscation that makes me wonder if it's a matter of cultural differences, that the American in me wants something to be plainly said. But I suppose I should have known from the beginning that the Scott Lynch level of theatrics would make this book and I a poor match.
magsimum_overdrive's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
mallen1114's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
nick_thebucket's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
He spends the VAST majority of the book hinting that these people have secret powers and are some magical species and that we will be given an explanation as to how their powers work. He does this for roughly 200+ pages. I wish I was exaggerating. Except we get to the end and NONE of it is explained. Literally none of it. The title is also mildly relevant at best, so feel free to ignore that once you read past the first of like 2 scenes involving swans.
You basically have to figure out the secret yourself. But not in a fun mystery novel way, more so a "I couldn't be bothered to do any world-building way." It was so bad I kept googling to make sure that I didn’t accidentally pick up a sequel. Honestly even a sequel would have more explanations than this did. Maybe the 7th in the series is more accurate.
Like I think Clara killed Nazaire with her under the bed carvings? But she also never finished them. She said she had to finish them AND give the spell time to grow. But she never mentions the spell, how she knew to do it, any of that. While it seems like writing is the mechanism to make the magic work, it's still confusing to me because they let us read her writing and it's nothing special. Is her writing supposed to be special or is it just a means to get the magic to work? Also why was Crowe singing? Does he need to do that and write to make his magic work? Just so many unanswered questions like what Chastern wanted from him. Just that entire plotline. Also everything about Crowe is a mystery. As are Clara's origins. Literally anything that's of interest in this book is left unanswered. I don't care about Eustcase's long walks by the vvh*rəhouse. Tell me about their magical world. Tell me about how their powers work and this magical group of people that Chastern supposedly represents.
Crowe had potential to be a fan favorite because people (myself included) always go for characters like him, who are talented and intelligent but arrogant and too lost in vice to be of any help whatsoever. But we didn't get to see really any talent or intellect. He also wasn't funny enough to be charming. So that was a letdown.
Clara is nice enough but somehow too plain. She's supposed to be so special that people fight over her, but is overall lacking in dimension and personality, like Kristen Stewart's Bella. I think the reason he never mentions her age is because he couldn't make up his mind. Sometimes she acts with the intelligence of a grown adult and other times it feels like he wants us to treat her like she's an innocent <8 years old.
This book made me realize that it takes more than just writing ability to merit being a published author, because he can write, it's just the pacing was ATROCIOUS, the characters managed to fail at being beloved tropes (Eustace was supposed to be the reliable but frustrated butler like Arthur? Batman's butler, except the 2nd half of the book kinda ruined that for me), the character's could have been developed better and been more original, I could go on but it's not even worth it anymore.
The character's could have been more charming if it had been a story about 2 friends? raising a child together in a castle. Crowe is the fun one, not very reliable and eccentric, who pays for everything with his job, despite the fact that we never see him working (could've been a running gag). While Eustace is the reliable one who picks up the mess, but ends up teaching Clara things that aren't especially useful, such as how to arrange silverware. They have to teach Clara how to use her powers, all while keeping her out of Chastern's clutches. It could've been a really promising and endearing premise (in my unqualified opinion), especially for a webcomic. But alas.
Basically, the cover art is the best thing about this book. I'd be open to reading this author's other book, especially because it was written after this one, so hopefully it's better. He truly can write, it's just the flaws in literally EVERY other category that prevented this book from actually being any decent.
And maybe the vagueness won't bother anyone else at all, but my school drilled in my head that unless you explicitly write something, you didn't really say it at all. So that's the perspective I'm coming from, but even when I try to account for that in my judgement, I still can't help but feel that the book was too incredibly vague and secretive.
You basically have to figure out the secret yourself. But not in a fun mystery novel way, more so a "I couldn't be bothered to do any world-building way." It was so bad I kept googling to make sure that I didn’t accidentally pick up a sequel. Honestly even a sequel would have more explanations than this did. Maybe the 7th in the series is more accurate.
Spoiler
As far as I can tell, their secret is that they write in this secret language? Except it's not really a language and is irrelevant to the plot since their magic works in English too? So the secret language isn't important at all, like most of what occurs in this book. And they can use their writing to make things happen. Magically. Woo. It really reads like writers (I say as an aspiring author) patting themselves on the back. Like aren't we great? We can create magic with our words.Like I think Clara killed Nazaire with her under the bed carvings? But she also never finished them. She said she had to finish them AND give the spell time to grow. But she never mentions the spell, how she knew to do it, any of that. While it seems like writing is the mechanism to make the magic work, it's still confusing to me because they let us read her writing and it's nothing special. Is her writing supposed to be special or is it just a means to get the magic to work? Also why was Crowe singing? Does he need to do that and write to make his magic work? Just so many unanswered questions like what Chastern wanted from him. Just that entire plotline. Also everything about Crowe is a mystery. As are Clara's origins. Literally anything that's of interest in this book is left unanswered. I don't care about Eustcase's long walks by the vvh*rəhouse. Tell me about their magical world. Tell me about how their powers work and this magical group of people that Chastern supposedly represents.
Crowe had potential to be a fan favorite because people (myself included) always go for characters like him, who are talented and intelligent but arrogant and too lost in vice to be of any help whatsoever. But we didn't get to see really any talent or intellect. He also wasn't funny enough to be charming. So that was a letdown.
Clara is nice enough but somehow too plain. She's supposed to be so special that people fight over her, but is overall lacking in dimension and personality, like Kristen Stewart's Bella. I think the reason he never mentions her age is because he couldn't make up his mind. Sometimes she acts with the intelligence of a grown adult and other times it feels like he wants us to treat her like she's an innocent <8 years old.
Spoiler
Whatever happened to her shadow mirror twin???This book made me realize that it takes more than just writing ability to merit being a published author, because he can write, it's just the pacing was ATROCIOUS, the characters managed to fail at being beloved tropes (Eustace was supposed to be the reliable but frustrated butler like Arthur? Batman's butler, except the 2nd half of the book kinda ruined that for me), the character's could have been developed better and been more original, I could go on but it's not even worth it anymore.
The character's could have been more charming if it had been a story about 2 friends? raising a child together in a castle. Crowe is the fun one, not very reliable and eccentric, who pays for everything with his job, despite the fact that we never see him working (could've been a running gag). While Eustace is the reliable one who picks up the mess, but ends up teaching Clara things that aren't especially useful, such as how to arrange silverware. They have to teach Clara how to use her powers, all while keeping her out of Chastern's clutches. It could've been a really promising and endearing premise (in my unqualified opinion), especially for a webcomic. But alas.
Basically, the cover art is the best thing about this book. I'd be open to reading this author's other book, especially because it was written after this one, so hopefully it's better. He truly can write, it's just the flaws in literally EVERY other category that prevented this book from actually being any decent.
And maybe the vagueness won't bother anyone else at all, but my school drilled in my head that unless you explicitly write something, you didn't really say it at all. So that's the perspective I'm coming from, but even when I try to account for that in my judgement, I still can't help but feel that the book was too incredibly vague and secretive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Addiction, Alcohol, and Violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Car accident, Trafficking, and Suicidal thoughts
mwmakar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Love the delivery, prose, characters vs audience figuring out information. With how mysterious and frenetically paced it was I honestly could have done with less of a ‘resolution’; it felt rushed. I found myself counting down with dread, wanting more than 24 chapters! Love the mystery (Clara’s stones etching, the scuffles at the mansion), interesting setup. I didn’t see much purpose to the backstories, it felt like a break in the wonderful mysterious pacing.
admacg's review against another edition
2.0
Could not get into this at all, never engaged me. The prose is so overdone at times - at one stage Eustace goes to get a bottle of wine from the cellar and it must take three pages of overblown prose and endless rumintations before he finds it. You just long for some of the characters to get to the point. I kept reading because I wanted to find out more about these mysterious gifts that some of the characters have but by the end I didn't really care.
ronanmcd's review against another edition
3.0
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell meet Charlie Mortdecai during a lecture on genesis of creativity. They get burned as heretics. Which is unfortunate and obviosuly not a description of what actually happens in the book.