raeanne's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book for free from Fantastic Flying Book Club in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Happy Friday ya'll! Today I'm ecstatic to bring you Spellhacker by M.K. England. It's a fantasy, but in a futuristic society where a ragtag group of teens steal from the monopoly company controlling the magic of the land, maz. It follows Diz, Supreme Overlord of Naming, as she crushes on her nonbinary friend in said gang who is spellsick and a prodigy spellweaver. Talk about action and ~drama~.
OH MY GOD YA'LL!! So much queer orphan found family adventure. There's hacking and stealing from a mega company that controls the world's supply of magic maz. There's betrayal, lust and love, clubbing, train rides and sewers. Okay, so it's not all glamourous. But when they find out they can save the world? THEY DO IT.
Diz is a techie genius with PTSD, and insomnia. The wit, the sarcasm that pushes everyone's buttons. Defensive mechanism much?
Remi, who uses they/them pronouns, living with spellsickness and a magical prodigy. Weaves magic into amazing spells like golden puppies to make a certain someone smile.
Ania, the rich girl who's a tech witch - someone who can only use maz through technology. The Mom Friend who will call you on your shit.
Jaesin, The Dad Friend. Experiments in the kitchen, does the heavy lifting and all the mundane things that keep this group running.
Also, Ania & Jaesin? Exes. Diz & Remin? Not so much.
I can see an argument that the ending is rushed since our MC was, uh, not there per se. But really? Don't care. I think it works and it leaves open a possibility of a sequel. Maybe. Just tossing that out there.
PRIZE: Win a signed hardcover of SPELLHACKER (US only), and one swag pack including a sticker, postcard, signed bookplate, and bookmark (INT)
STARTS: 15th January 2020
ENDS: 19th January 2020
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon
About Spellhacker:
IMHO: spellhacker
OH MY GOD YA'LL!! So much queer orphan found family adventure. There's hacking and stealing from a mega company that controls the world's supply of magic maz. There's betrayal, lust and love, clubbing, train rides and sewers. Okay, so it's not all glamourous. But when they find out they can save the world? THEY DO IT.
Diz is a techie genius with PTSD, and insomnia. The wit, the sarcasm that pushes everyone's buttons. Defensive mechanism much?
Remi, who uses they/them pronouns, living with spellsickness and a magical prodigy. Weaves magic into amazing spells like golden puppies to make a certain someone smile.
Ania, the rich girl who's a tech witch - someone who can only use maz through technology. The Mom Friend who will call you on your shit.
Jaesin, The Dad Friend. Experiments in the kitchen, does the heavy lifting and all the mundane things that keep this group running.
Also, Ania & Jaesin? Exes. Diz & Remin? Not so much.
- Friends to lovers romance.
- Enby character romance
- Other queer couples mentioned where it's totally normal & not a big deal - which is HUGE! <3
- Found family
- Clubbing
- Thrift Stores
- HeistS
- Earthquakes
- Explosions
- Train rides
- Hurricanes
- Blackmail
- Conspiracy
- Magical rapid rabbits and unicorns
- ...need I say more?
I can see an argument that the ending is rushed since our MC was, uh, not there per se. But really? Don't care. I think it works and it leaves open a possibility of a sequel. Maybe. Just tossing that out there.
It's quick, it's fun, it's queer, it's teens saving the world and each other. I fucking love it. I want more of it. NEED more of it. It's truth in fiction for those who need to feel it.
Favorite Quotes:
Ania: Yeah, but we don't inspire murdery feelings in everyone we meet.
"Whatever you say, Awesome Strongman McDad Friend," I say around his finger.
Much of it glows with neon, with maz, with money and desperate forward-looking optimism. The parts that don't aren't parts you want to visit anyway.
Sleep and I aren't on speaking terms.
I've always known, of course, but there's a difference between knowing and seeing.
Two swears from Ania in less than a week. This is a day just full of unicorns.
I've never been more aware of my feet in my life, and I jump off buildings on the regular.
Ania holds up her hands. "Hey, I know my limits. I'm the math, you're the poetry."
"As sure as I ever am about anything," I say. "Which is, you know. Moderately?"
Internally, this morning felt like cresting the peak of the mountain, and I can finally see the gorgeous terrain sweeping before me, glorious valleys of rich greens and blue sky and the infinite possibility of horizons.
When in doubt, make your own door.
About the Author:
Giveaway:
PRIZE: Win a signed hardcover of SPELLHACKER (US only), and one swag pack including a sticker, postcard, signed bookplate, and bookmark (INT)
STARTS: 15th January 2020
ENDS: 19th January 2020
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon
clairet386's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-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
3.5
callosaurus's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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
vsrkive's review against another edition
Thank you so much to HarperCollins for an advanced copy
lawbooks600's review
3.0
Trigger warnings: Explosions
6/10, I picked this up from one of the two libraries I go to and one of them didn't have it however the other one did and this was one of three new books that arrived at the time I read this and one of them so far underwhelmed me, another one didn't and this one did since I found so many issues with this; where do I even begin? It starts with the main character Diz and she lives in a world where magic or maz (I'm cringing at this) is limited and a corporation has tight control over it. There are 14 types of magic at least according to the book like fire and water but there's one more the characters will discover. The story was very predictable and much like Green Rising (the characters just save the world from climate change due tofossil fuels magic drilling operations.) Technically magic is a fossil fuel in this world since the book said that it's a limited resource, I don't understand why they couldn't have just used renewable energy or something like that. The main character was honestly very annoying because she acted aggressively towards her friends (like swearing at them and telling them to screw off), why can't they stop making friends with her if she treats them like that?
Go read Dune or the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, for a better YA sci-fi novel.
6/10, I picked this up from one of the two libraries I go to and one of them didn't have it however the other one did and this was one of three new books that arrived at the time I read this and one of them so far underwhelmed me, another one didn't and this one did since I found so many issues with this; where do I even begin? It starts with the main character Diz and she lives in a world where magic or maz (I'm cringing at this) is limited and a corporation has tight control over it. There are 14 types of magic at least according to the book like fire and water but there's one more the characters will discover. The story was very predictable and much like Green Rising (the characters just save the world from climate change due to
Go read Dune or the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, for a better YA sci-fi novel.
alicefromwonderland00's review against another edition
3.0
This review can also be found at my blog: Alice's Books from Wonderland
Given how much I love the Warcross duology and a good heist novel, I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, while it was certainly interesting enough to keep me reading, it was a bit of a letdown.
3.5/5 stars
This story follows a group of teenagers living in a city where magic, or maz, was once a plentiful resource accessible to everyone. However, after a major disaster, a corporation profits by charging exorbitant amounts for it. Making a living by smuggling the overpriced maz illegally, the leading cast of characters embark on what is supposed to be their last heist ever. Of course, everything goes wrong from there.
While the premise was very interesting to me, I think I ultimately got my hopes up too high. I had trouble connecting with the characters and found several of the plot twists predictable.
The Setting
The setting of this novel was nothing if not original, and I personally think it was the strongest aspect of the book. While strictly, this novel would be fantasy, M.K. England managed to give it the feel of a sci-fi, contemporary, and fantasy YA novel all wrapped up in one, which I found very interesting. Yes, the magic was strictly fantasy, but the world also includes the advanced technology used to harness it. Furthermore, you don't often see the struggles of kids coming out of the foster system and coping with the impending loss of lifelong friends in novels that are strictly fantasy or science fiction.
I think maybe the "big corporations are evil" message the underwrites the entire novel could have been a little more subtle, but that's a matter of personal opinion. It at least leaves the reader with something to think about.
The Plot
As I mentioned earlier, I love reading about heists. That's probably what kept me from putting the book down a hundred pages in. The plot was interesting, not exceptional, and while parts were predictable, there was nothing glaringly obvious enough to get on my nerves.
The Characters
Ah, the characters. The diversity was great. I don't think I've ever read a novel with a non-binary love interest before, and I liked the romance- England struck a good balance between it and the dangerous heist plot.
Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with several of the characters themselves. Diz, the main character, has had a very difficult life, and as much as I appreciate a realistic portrayal of a flawed character, she really got on my nerves. I'm not a huge fan of reading a book where I spend most of it being mad at the main character. It seemed kind of like England was making excuses for why she and Remi, the love interest, weren't already together.
I also don't think the other two main characters were as individually well-developed as they could have been, and I think that may have been why I had such a hard time caring about their fates.
One character I did care about was Remi. I loved their character development: chronically ill main characters are pretty rare in YA, and I think England did a good job portraying their struggle with it.
In conclusion...
Clearly, I had some mixed opinions about this book, but ultimately I do think it's interesting and original enough to be worth reading.
Recommendations:
Warcross by Marie Lu: I mentioned it earlier and I'll mention it again- this is a great book that has a very similar feel as Spellhacker, just heavier on the sci-fi.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: The perfect YA heist novel. Also urban fantasy. I think I've said enough.
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston: Fans of Spellhacker's characters and their criminal backgrounds will also love Heart of Iron's squad.
Given how much I love the Warcross duology and a good heist novel, I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, while it was certainly interesting enough to keep me reading, it was a bit of a letdown.
3.5/5 stars
This story follows a group of teenagers living in a city where magic, or maz, was once a plentiful resource accessible to everyone. However, after a major disaster, a corporation profits by charging exorbitant amounts for it. Making a living by smuggling the overpriced maz illegally, the leading cast of characters embark on what is supposed to be their last heist ever. Of course, everything goes wrong from there.
While the premise was very interesting to me, I think I ultimately got my hopes up too high. I had trouble connecting with the characters and found several of the plot twists predictable.
The Setting
The setting of this novel was nothing if not original, and I personally think it was the strongest aspect of the book. While strictly, this novel would be fantasy, M.K. England managed to give it the feel of a sci-fi, contemporary, and fantasy YA novel all wrapped up in one, which I found very interesting. Yes, the magic was strictly fantasy, but the world also includes the advanced technology used to harness it. Furthermore, you don't often see the struggles of kids coming out of the foster system and coping with the impending loss of lifelong friends in novels that are strictly fantasy or science fiction.
I think maybe the "big corporations are evil" message the underwrites the entire novel could have been a little more subtle, but that's a matter of personal opinion. It at least leaves the reader with something to think about.
The Plot
As I mentioned earlier, I love reading about heists. That's probably what kept me from putting the book down a hundred pages in. The plot was interesting, not exceptional, and while parts were predictable, there was nothing glaringly obvious enough to get on my nerves.
The Characters
Ah, the characters. The diversity was great. I don't think I've ever read a novel with a non-binary love interest before, and I liked the romance- England struck a good balance between it and the dangerous heist plot.
Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with several of the characters themselves. Diz, the main character, has had a very difficult life, and as much as I appreciate a realistic portrayal of a flawed character, she really got on my nerves. I'm not a huge fan of reading a book where I spend most of it being mad at the main character. It seemed kind of like England was making excuses for why she and Remi, the love interest, weren't already together.
I also don't think the other two main characters were as individually well-developed as they could have been, and I think that may have been why I had such a hard time caring about their fates.
One character I did care about was Remi. I loved their character development: chronically ill main characters are pretty rare in YA, and I think England did a good job portraying their struggle with it.
In conclusion...
Clearly, I had some mixed opinions about this book, but ultimately I do think it's interesting and original enough to be worth reading.
Recommendations:
Warcross by Marie Lu: I mentioned it earlier and I'll mention it again- this is a great book that has a very similar feel as Spellhacker, just heavier on the sci-fi.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: The perfect YA heist novel. Also urban fantasy. I think I've said enough.
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston: Fans of Spellhacker's characters and their criminal backgrounds will also love Heart of Iron's squad.
heretherebemonsters's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.25
bopip's review against another edition
4.0
This book is what a "found family" is for me. I loved all the characters -yes, all of them-, and the cause they were fighting for.
I wanted to scream at Diz all the time that she COMMUNICATES with the others. It was frustrating how easy would be to solve some problems but she didn't want to say what she thought out loud.
And about their cause, it's like a parallel to our own world, were big companies only want their benefit and doesn't really think about the community nor the planet.
And it has non-binary representation!!, and it's our main character love interest.
I wanted to scream at Diz all the time that she COMMUNICATES with the others. It was frustrating how easy would be to solve some problems but she didn't want to say what she thought out loud.
And about their cause, it's like a parallel to our own world, were big companies only want their benefit and doesn't really think about the community nor the planet.
And it has non-binary representation!!, and it's our main character love interest.
otakureads's review against another edition
4.0
THIS WAS SUCH A FUN BOOK. WHILE I DIDNT HAVE MUCH EXPECTATIONS FROM IT AS I HAD NOT BEEN ENJOYING MUCH YA FANTASY WHILE THIS ONE HAS THINGS LIKE ANGRY,INDECISIVE,HOT TEMPERED MC , COMMUNICATION ISSUES, PREDICTABLE PLOT THERE ARE STILL OTHER THINGS I QUITE LIKED THE WORLD BUILDING MIX BETWEEN MAZ AND DAILY LIFE. EVEN HOW IT PLAYED INTO PEOPLE’S LIFE AND CITIES CONCEPT WHICH I QUITE LIKED.I ALSO LIKED HOW MC HAD FACED CONSEQUENCES AND WAS NOT FORGIVEN EASILY. THE LAST ACTION SCENE WAS DONE SO WELL IT REMINDED OF MANY SCI-FI MOVIES I DO THINK THIS CAN BE A VERY GOOD SCI-FI MOVIE
misterintensity's review against another edition
3.0
During their last job, Diz and her friends accidently siphoned something they weren’t supposed to. Now MMC, the leading corporation, wants them dead. Now on the run, can they expose the role MMC played in creating the spell plague which took so many lives, including their parents’? The backstory of a spell plague taking the lives of a large portion of the adult population of Kyrkarta, leaving many orphans and decimating the economy, is intriguing. However, there’s a lot of setup before the group goes on the run. The story is from Diz’s point of view but while she isn’t an unreliable narrator, she is so in her own head that she often doesn’t notice how others react to her. She pines for Remi and it’s obvious to everyone but her that they reciprocate. Some readers may get frustrated with her angst. The story takes too long to get started, with no real sense of danger until the last third of the book. Getting to the action faster would have improved the book tremendously. Still with its appealing characters, intriguing premise, and lots of thrills once the story gets started, fans of thrilling LGBTQIA books like We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia, Not Your Sidekick by C. B. Lee, and of course The Disasters will like this book.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ for providing an ARC for this book.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ for providing an ARC for this book.