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tamarant4's review against another edition
challenging
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
3.25
Every child in the city knew what a conclave meant, and how the previous one had ended—too many people with magical powers, too much pent-up rage and too many grievances. The Houses hadn’t meant to start a war ... [p. 126]
In a Paris devastated by magical war, the great Houses -- many led by one of the Fallen, who were angels but recall nothing of the time before their fall except a lingering sense of loss -- are the only protection against rampaging gangs and general anarchy. Philippe, a former Immortal from Annam (Viet Nam), finds himself connected to Isabelle, one of the Fallen, and effectively imprisoned in House Silver spires, which is established in the ruins of Notre Dame. The head of Silver spires, Selene (who was mentored by Morningstar himself before his disappearance) quickly realises that Philippe is something of a wild card: but she does not expect the horror he unwittingly awakens, and mortal alchemist Madeleine (addicted to angel essence) is unable to counter the damage done by an ancient curse.
The worldbuilding is lushly detailed, melding mythologies from East and West in an almost science-fictional post-apocalyptic urban milieu: the characters are fascinating and their interactions highly charged. Friction between the Houses is exacerbated by rumour and deliberate sabotage. Tantalising hints at what's happening in the wider world kept me reading. There is a lot to like here, and doubtless in the subsequent volumes.
And yet I didn't really engage with this novel, which I suspect was a case of 'right book, wrong time': perhaps my experience was also coloured by the knowledge that the prime villain appears in a spin-off series of romances described by the author as 'fun and fluffy'. I wanted to see that side of him. But I will almost certainly read the other two novels in the main trilogy before branching out to those romances: otherwise, I suspect I'd miss a great deal of context.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
sabrinz's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I had this book on my to-read list for ages now and finally found my way to reading it.
While the book delivers on a Paris that has been ravaged by a magical war and the general atmosphere of the city with it's once beautiful buildings now reduced to rubble and ruins some of which still stand in some glory, I was disappointed by the book itself.
There were great plot points and I was interested in what was happening, but in general the book and the way the story was told did not really hook me. I finished the book more out of a desire for a conclusion.
Some people may find this book very fascinating and will love it, it was just not my cup of tea in the end.
While the book delivers on a Paris that has been ravaged by a magical war and the general atmosphere of the city with it's once beautiful buildings now reduced to rubble and ruins some of which still stand in some glory, I was disappointed by the book itself.
There were great plot points and I was interested in what was happening, but in general the book and the way the story was told did not really hook me. I finished the book more out of a desire for a conclusion.
Some people may find this book very fascinating and will love it, it was just not my cup of tea in the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Torture, and Classism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS is a slow burn murder mystery steeped in a slightly fantastical but still brutal vision of colonialist France, recasting human interests as Fallen ones with the specter of lost heaven at their backs. For a story so detailed and complex, there's actually a low number of major players carrying out the machinations. This allows for political maneuvering that's fairly easy to follow (for a multiple-POV multiple-murder mystery, at least). The end result is an absorbing world and a very satisfying resolution, setting the stage for greater things still to come in the rest of the series. It's full of legacy, caught between trying to forget painful histories and claiming present power on the basis of past struggles. I like the characters even when I hope they'll lose in the layers of deception, the weight of history, and the game of Houses.
The world-building is really good, it explicitly rejects assumptions that the colonizer's magic (to the extent that the Fallen are French if they're from any nation at all) is the only kind. Most of the characters disagree with each other about something, and the combination of those disagreements builds a fuller picture of the world even as it informs who they are as individuals. The perspective shifted between the MCs frequently enough to keep the story moving but not so often as to be confusing.
I loved reading this, it tied off this book's plot rather neatly while transforming the stage for further power struggles. It's definitely not a cliffhanger, and yet I need to know what everyone does next. I will definitely check out the sequels.
The world-building is really good, it explicitly rejects assumptions that the colonizer's magic (to the extent that the Fallen are French if they're from any nation at all) is the only kind. Most of the characters disagree with each other about something, and the combination of those disagreements builds a fuller picture of the world even as it informs who they are as individuals. The perspective shifted between the MCs frequently enough to keep the story moving but not so often as to be confusing.
I loved reading this, it tied off this book's plot rather neatly while transforming the stage for further power struggles. It's definitely not a cliffhanger, and yet I need to know what everyone does next. I will definitely check out the sequels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Blood
CW for colonialism, drug use, drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, blood, gore, mutilation, violence, torture, major character death, death.bookcaptivated's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Cannibalism
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