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purplehulk713's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.75
As lovely and twisted as it were inked with the blood of the fairies themselves. Zeba Shahnaz is a magician! Her prose was both tantalizing and uproarious, and her world-building and character development were exquisite. I mean, you got to hear things like
She curses under her breath at the break in her alliteration.
and
“I did not think I had to tell you to keep your whores out of my chambers. Perhaps I overestimated your ability to read between the lines.”
I did not see the villain coming, or the provenance of the curse, but they were both great! The two things that slightly disappointed me were that the magic systems were left somewhat ambiguous (or at least the earth magic practiced by the magicians of Ivarea) that I felt a little more clarity (especially during battle scenes) of the specifics of the theory would have been helpful (rather than simply the thought of directing intention—which is believable for a hearth magic, as Anaïs describes her blessing). The denouement just felt a little bit anticlimactic, but the more I consider it, it feels entirely on theme with the rest of the story. I just probably wouldn’t have worded the last few sentences the same way. But the characters were the best. I so grew to love Jacinthe Vieillard the more we get to know her over the course of this same night, and Leo as well. Shahnaz is so good at portraying the multi-faceted character of a personality as well as a set of issues, like a racial, gender, or socioeconomic hierarchy. Seeing Anaïs develop (and take on grayer tones), likewise, was captivating. She was the perfect driver of a story to discuss themes of taking chances, using your time wisely, wasting it, trying to undo it, running away from the inevitable (the chimes of midnight) and just trying to escape the fact that at this point in your life, you might not know what you want though you are expected to. All time is short, and Anaïs Aubanel has never before been one to seize the day (for herself, at least). But now she has too much time on her hands. At least until clock strikes twelve in a burst of blood and magic…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
vicwaltz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
A very unique way to go with a Cinderella story! I don't usually love time-loops (and this one definitely took a bit for me to get into) but Shahnaz has found a really cool approach to this one. It's hopeful and critical all at once and while the ending doesn't wrap everything up in the bow I would've liked (I love a happily ever after), it feels right for the story. As with any time-travel there are definitely holes if you look hard enough, but nothing glaring that throws you out of the story.
The pacing bounces a bit but the back half of the novel is super strong and the characters are delightful. One of the normal faults of time-loop stories is that side characters don't really have a chance to grow since they don't retain any memories of their experiences. This novel feels that a little but as Anais's perspective on her friends changes you feel like they're growing (when really it's just Anais growing, and that's nifty). The romance does feel a little weird because of the time-loop, but both characters are aware of that and that mitigates it.
Overall a very fun YA fantasy and so impressive for a debut!
The pacing bounces a bit but the back half of the novel is super strong and the characters are delightful. One of the normal faults of time-loop stories is that side characters don't really have a chance to grow since they don't retain any memories of their experiences. This novel feels that a little but as Anais's perspective on her friends changes you feel like they're growing (when really it's just Anais growing, and that's nifty). The romance does feel a little weird because of the time-loop, but both characters are aware of that and that mitigates it.
Overall a very fun YA fantasy and so impressive for a debut!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gun violence
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