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oliverreeds's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i liked it. i just felt like the book lacked that extra step of vibrancy that really brings books to life. i felt as if something important- some greater substance was necessary for me to truly love this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol
scarlettskyes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gaslighting
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.25
2023: 4.25. unfortunately bringing down the rating :( while I still love the premise of the world, having a rag tag team of characters perform a hiest, and it being a historical fantasy that talks about racism/colonisation, I felt that the book itself wasn't as tight in execution. The pacing was choppy, some of the action scenes were long and confusing to read + we would get random descriptive paragraphs that were a bit excessive, and the arc of some of the characters is a bit confusing at times, just to name a few things. The final chapter still is a great plot twist and I'm still keen for the next book, it's just that the last 100 pages weren't as gold as the first 200.
2021: 5 stars I was hooked by page 50, I am OBSESSED with this book, this world, these characters omg. this has everything: cool magic system, fantastic historical element, a heist, a group of cool characters, omg I'm in love.
2021: 5 stars I was hooked by page 50, I am OBSESSED with this book, this world, these characters omg. this has everything: cool magic system, fantastic historical element, a heist, a group of cool characters, omg I'm in love.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
pockymonster_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Antisemitism
izzie_chamomilletea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. I have to admit that I was a little confused at first when the story was being set up, and when each of the characters motives were being explained. But once I got into it I was HOOKED. I’ve grown to love the characters so much and rooted for their romances (it’s like do I ship Enrique and Hypnos or Enrique and Zofia??). The ending left me sooo upset (I don’t approve of Manjun’s self sabotage, and I miss Tristan sm. I feel like Zofia’s growth backtracked so much and Laila… I’m worried for her). But I can’t to get my hands on the second book. The character’s background, personality, and traumas are a big part of the book and the characters are diverse which I appreciate. DEFINITELY recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
phdpageturner's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
alouette's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
another complex book that it's hard to sort out my feelings for. time for a pros and cons list!
pros
pros
- the diversity!! most of the main cast was bipoc, some were also queer, and zofia (my beloved) was on the autism spectrum. that last one was really awesome to see because rarely have i come across books about characters with ASD in which their mental disability isn't the main focus but rather just a part of their character. loved it.
- banter and character dynamics! their interactions were fun with also plenty of complexities and depth, and i was rooting for them the whole way.
- the whimsy and the magic system! while it was confusing, it was also intriguing. the puzzles they solved + the magical inventions they used were fun to follow in each individual instance, and i liked the illustrations as they made new discoveries. it helped me visualize what was happening and get more immersed.
cons
- confusing worldbuilding. the intertwining of actual history with heavy fantasy elements was interesting, but we were thrown into it with little preamble and even the baseline of the main plot got hard to follow at times. the flowery writing was lovely for my imagination but did not help when trying to understand what was actually going on.
- a lack of character development. now, i don't mean that the characters weren't plenty rounded, just that they weren't dynamic. everything about them was pre-established (again, we're thrown right into this world abruptly) and they've all known each other for years. while this made for some fun dynamics, it meant that i sensed little change in any of them by the end.
- the villian...
he really came out of nowhere and i didn't even understand what the heck his magical blood powers were. when they talked about the stealing of House Kore's ring being an inside job i was expecting some betrayals, not this weirdo... - the ending... quite rushed and disappointing.
tristan deserved so much better in terms of character development and time devoted to him, and then it felt like what happened to him was absolutely brushed past, both the trauma he suffered and then his actual demise. still don't know what the heck was up with the birds, the reveal that he was killing them was super rushed and not explored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism and Sexual content
brookey8888's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
4.5 I am so happy I loved this. Those last 40 pages killed me.
Reread
The ending just hurts my feelings.
The representation in this is *chefs kiss*.
Do I understand the world and magic when I’m reading this? Yes. Can I explain any of it? nope.
I honestly just love this for the characters and the relationships. The world is interesting and I love how the author incorporated some lesser know historical events in this(Human zoos tf is that???).
Reread
The ending just hurts my feelings.
The representation in this is *chefs kiss*.
Do I understand the world and magic when I’m reading this? Yes. Can I explain any of it? nope.
I honestly just love this for the characters and the relationships. The world is interesting and I love how the author incorporated some lesser know historical events in this(Human zoos tf is that???).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
starshynebrite's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good heist, some magic, unique and diverse characters, some really hilarious banter and storytellings, secrets and inner turmoil mwahaha!
This is perfect for fans of flawed characters that somehow make a really great team, falling in love with every single character, CHARACTERS OKAY? I JUST LOVE THEM ALL!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
micheala's review against another edition
4.75
This is the type of heist novel that I really enjoy. I love when the team is already friends when it starts. We do also have the aspect of the outsider/new to the team with Hypnos, but the other five have already been working together for a while and have formed bonds.
I will say that out of the six main characters, I just didn't really like Enrique all that much. He did grow on me (again) in the last third of the book, however he just wasn't a character that I vibes with. On the other hand, Zofia was probably my favourite character. I loved seeing how she interacted with the different situations and I'm hoping to see more of her POVs in the second book.
Overall I still really enjoyed this book and I'm excited to continue with the trilogy.
I will say that out of the six main characters, I just didn't really like Enrique all that much. He did grow on me (again) in the last third of the book, however he just wasn't a character that I vibes with. On the other hand, Zofia was probably my favourite character. I loved seeing how she interacted with the different situations and I'm hoping to see more of her POVs in the second book.
Overall I still really enjoyed this book and I'm excited to continue with the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Slavery