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pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
This was such a great concept, there were a few things that fell a little flat for me.
The world building is so good, as others have said, it's reminiscent of Studio Ghibli but also it's very much it's own thing. Kurara growing in confidence and power The Shikigami are way cool, I can't wait to learn more about them in the next book(s). The magic was day-dream inducing. As a bookseller, I'm now imagining what a Crafter could do with all the paper in the shop. It could be a great way to get kids into origami. The action was fast and fun, the characters are entertaining (but I want to know them better), and LGBTQ support is always fantastic to see.
I love love love the formatting- the decorative border at chapter beginnings, the fonts, the maps and short appendices at the end. I would absolutely have picked this up as a kid and been drawn in by those details.
I'd say this is a solid middle-grade story, the content may be stressful for some kids, but the dialogue and internal monologue made this feel incredibly young. At it's core (pun) the story is about a girl coming into her power and confidence- how old the girl is seems to be left out? I kept feeling like she was 12, but Haru seems SO YOUNG despite being older, and then Kimura feels so much older (17?) and is supposed to only be a year or two older than Kurara? I've reread the first few chapters a couple times trying to figure it out, but seem to be stumped. I also want to know more about how the ships fly, how Sola-Il floats. There's one line that mentions levistone, but how's it all work? How can that be integrated naturally within the story instead of info dumping?
The repetition of a few phrases is tiresome, I can see some higher level readers getting annoyed with it. There is a moment when I thought foreshadowing was happening concerning the control/calming of the Shikigami, but it never happened- or it's being held until a later book. I think it was a massive missed opportunity, but fingers crossed for book 2!
This was such a great concept, there were a few things that fell a little flat for me.
The world building is so good, as others have said, it's reminiscent of Studio Ghibli but also it's very much it's own thing. Kurara growing in confidence and power The Shikigami are way cool, I can't wait to learn more about them in the next book(s). The magic was day-dream inducing. As a bookseller, I'm now imagining what a Crafter could do with all the paper in the shop. It could be a great way to get kids into origami. The action was fast and fun, the characters are entertaining (but I want to know them better), and LGBTQ support is always fantastic to see.
I love love love the formatting- the decorative border at chapter beginnings, the fonts, the maps and short appendices at the end. I would absolutely have picked this up as a kid and been drawn in by those details.
I'd say this is a solid middle-grade story, the content may be stressful for some kids, but the dialogue and internal monologue made this feel incredibly young. At it's core (pun) the story is about a girl coming into her power and confidence- how old the girl is seems to be left out? I kept feeling like she was 12, but Haru seems SO YOUNG despite being older, and then Kimura feels so much older (17?) and is supposed to only be a year or two older than Kurara? I've reread the first few chapters a couple times trying to figure it out, but seem to be stumped. I also want to know more about how the ships fly, how Sola-Il floats. There's one line that mentions levistone, but how's it all work? How can that be integrated naturally within the story instead of info dumping?
The repetition of a few phrases is tiresome, I can see some higher level readers getting annoyed with it. There is a moment when I thought foreshadowing was happening concerning the control/calming of the Shikigami, but it never happened- or it's being held until a later book. I think it was a massive missed opportunity, but fingers crossed for book 2!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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
4.0
This felt like YA ADSOM meets Pokemon ethics, which is a very specific niche, but it worked.
The real star of this book is the world building - the dynamics of the political system, the concept of paper magic and shikigami, the flying ships and pirate-esque vibes of the crew - it was all so well developed, I felt like I was in the world. This is definitely where the ADSOM comparison come in - the depth of the world-building and the unique magic system made me feel like I was a part of the action.
Pokemon ethics is very specific, but the concept of these magical paper creatures, shikigami, having a master versus having autonomous thoughts feelings and the ethics behind it was a huge part of the story. What gives people the right to have governance over something/someone else? Because they're magical creature, why aren't they allowed the right to live freely? It provides interesting insight into a similar kind of ethics system and was a huge part of Kurara's story line. Honestly, one of the aspects of the story I found most interesting as her own history and shikigami history and autonomy was explored more.
I also liked the three POVs and how they contrasted each other in thought and end-goals, and how they helped to build the world. It felt like we got more of the larger picture as a result of the three POVs as well as different perspectives regarding politics and magic. That being said, I feel like this gave less time for character and relationship building - Kurara's POV was mostly ethics and Haru focused; Himura's POV looked more at Kurara's training and Crafters' knowledge limitations, as much of their history was lost; and the Interlude POV that was focused on the Sorabito people and the Sohma rebellion. There wasn't much room for the secondary characters as a result, and it felt like we didn't really get to the hearts of our three leads either because there was a lot to juggle.
While there was an overarching plot to this book, the end felt abrupt. We were left with a lot of loose ends, and while I know this is a trilogy, I felt like there wasn't anything solidly settled by the end and it felt unfinished as a result. I definitely will pick up the second book, as I'm so curious about the shikigami and exploring more of that magic system, but I do hope future instalments delve deeper into the characters and their relationships to one another.
TW: fire/fire injury, death, murder, injury detail, animal death (paper animal death, not dog), kidnapping (of sorts), slavery (of magical creatures), militaristic abuse of power; mentions war
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
ARC gifted by Tundra Books via Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
The real star of this book is the world building - the dynamics of the political system, the concept of paper magic and shikigami, the flying ships and pirate-esque vibes of the crew - it was all so well developed, I felt like I was in the world. This is definitely where the ADSOM comparison come in - the depth of the world-building and the unique magic system made me feel like I was a part of the action.
Pokemon ethics is very specific, but the concept of these magical paper creatures, shikigami, having a master versus having autonomous thoughts feelings and the ethics behind it was a huge part of the story. What gives people the right to have governance over something/someone else? Because they're magical creature, why aren't they allowed the right to live freely? It provides interesting insight into a similar kind of ethics system and was a huge part of Kurara's story line. Honestly, one of the aspects of the story I found most interesting as her own history and shikigami history and autonomy was explored more.
I also liked the three POVs and how they contrasted each other in thought and end-goals, and how they helped to build the world. It felt like we got more of the larger picture as a result of the three POVs as well as different perspectives regarding politics and magic. That being said, I feel like this gave less time for character and relationship building - Kurara's POV was mostly ethics and Haru focused; Himura's POV looked more at Kurara's training and Crafters' knowledge limitations, as much of their history was lost; and the Interlude POV that was focused on the Sorabito people and the Sohma rebellion. There wasn't much room for the secondary characters as a result, and it felt like we didn't really get to the hearts of our three leads either because there was a lot to juggle.
While there was an overarching plot to this book, the end felt abrupt. We were left with a lot of loose ends, and while I know this is a trilogy, I felt like there wasn't anything solidly settled by the end and it felt unfinished as a result. I definitely will pick up the second book, as I'm so curious about the shikigami and exploring more of that magic system, but I do hope future instalments delve deeper into the characters and their relationships to one another.
TW: fire/fire injury, death, murder, injury detail, animal death (paper animal death, not dog), kidnapping (of sorts), slavery (of magical creatures), militaristic abuse of power; mentions war
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
ARC gifted by Tundra Books via Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: War