ashandherbooks's review against another edition
3.0
IG : Ash&herbooks
Summary : This book did not give what it was suppose to gave
Plot :
While I ended up enjoying the resolution of the mystery of the priest investigation, I thought the plot was meandering and took a while to get going. The heists themselves were overexplained and this sucked the joy out of them. By the time the heist actually took place your eyes were glazed over. Definitely a plot driven book but with some aspects more interesting than others. For a heist book, there wasnt really a crew to speak. Ard and Raek just contracted people out. For me there was no found family element which is my favourite part of heist books.
Magic system
Another sore point for me is what I consider a lazy magic system. Grit is burned to do everything from light to levitation. If i could get over the fact that grit was dragon dung, It was just too convenient for their to being grit for everything and then the physics of it I didnt care to read especially in the middle of the action.
Characters
Additionally the banter between Ardor and his Raek was downright childish and felt very derivative it did take me long to get into it. because the humor was meh. Ard and raek relationship was so similar to Locke and jean from Lies and Locke Lamora without my buy in. Their history just didnt tug at my hearstings. Quarrah was also a woman thief we've already seen before (Vin from mistborn, Sancia from foundrysude). Ard and Quarrahs "love: had no build up and I was not investment. Again it was a bit prepubescent and immature, with them blushing over the most childish things. Then we dont see them growing on each other we are just told. We had just one comment by raek to point out the obvious crush and then they're in love!
Summary : This book did not give what it was suppose to gave
Plot :
While I ended up enjoying the resolution of the mystery of the priest investigation, I thought the plot was meandering and took a while to get going. The heists themselves were overexplained and this sucked the joy out of them. By the time the heist actually took place your eyes were glazed over. Definitely a plot driven book but with some aspects more interesting than others. For a heist book, there wasnt really a crew to speak. Ard and Raek just contracted people out. For me there was no found family element which is my favourite part of heist books.
Magic system
Another sore point for me is what I consider a lazy magic system. Grit is burned to do everything from light to levitation. If i could get over the fact that grit was dragon dung, It was just too convenient for their to being grit for everything and then the physics of it I didnt care to read especially in the middle of the action.
Characters
Additionally the banter between Ardor and his Raek was downright childish and felt very derivative it did take me long to get into it. because the humor was meh. Ard and raek relationship was so similar to Locke and jean from Lies and Locke Lamora without my buy in. Their history just didnt tug at my hearstings. Quarrah was also a woman thief we've already seen before (Vin from mistborn, Sancia from foundrysude). Ard and Quarrahs "love: had no build up and I was not investment. Again it was a bit prepubescent and immature, with them blushing over the most childish things. Then we dont see them growing on each other we are just told. We had just one comment by raek to point out the obvious crush and then they're in love!
katbenimble's review against another edition
5.0
This book was incredible! So many twists and turns in the plot. Silly puns and jokes. Adventure galore. And the audiobook is seriously 10/10. Will definitely read the rest of this series!
georgina_ray's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
leftpower1's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wynwicket's review against another edition
2.0
Arrgh! This could have been so GOOD! It could have been a magical heist, an Ocean's 11 with dragons... But the quick wit and likeable characters got bogged down in a romance that came out of left field and Our Hero discovering religion and , which was a huge let-down.
This book makes me sad for what it could have been.
Spoiler
time travelThis book makes me sad for what it could have been.
let_the_wookie_read's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
leitnerkev's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I think this is a good book and I believe teenage me would've really enjoyed it. It's a well-written, entertaining romp that is just, unfortunately overstuffed. The premise of the novel, and it must be said the driving plot and heart of it, is a heist story that merges into an epic quest. All of which it does well but the author does get a bit ambitious and adds a religion angle, a race component, a scifi bit, a zombie encounter, and more. Honestly just the Heist/Quest throughline would have been enough, and the novel would have been better for it. Those components were largely well done but fundamentally, not essential to the story and thus a bit of a distraction or unnecessary expansion of the novel's purpose. But, if you like doorstoppers, then this won't bother you overmuch and I say have at it because the story is well done overall.
liesljrowe's review against another edition
4.0
This book has been near the top of my "must read" list for a while. Elaborate heist, where you are just as taken by surprise by Ard's conman skills as any of his marks? The easy banter between Ard and his best friend Raek? An awesome magic system that feels realistic and that is an amazing take on flintlock fantasy? I was sold. Add into that a promise by the publishers that this was perfect for fans of Locke Lamora, and this book was practically made for me.
I was soon sure that this was going to be one of these books I would end up recommending incessantly until my friends read it and were able to fangirl with me. That did change as the novel went on: I felt it dragged in places and was particularly unhappy about Raek's long absences, then undermining by the plot, which made certain moments have less emotional investment. But all the same, if you want a fun heist novel with an interesting crew of characters, this one is more than worth your while to check out. Funnily enough, despite being one of the things that sold me on the series in the first place, the Locke Lamora comparisons were what held me back: it was easy to unfavorably compare aspects of the different books, to Ardor Benn's disadvantage. I don't think I'd have been as distressed about how underused Raek was, if I hadn't kept being reminded of how Ardor and Raek could have been an amazing inseparable duo like Locke and Jean. Their easy banter is certainly as good (if not better in places). Don't come expecting a full-on heist novel either: I loved the sections with the gang running around a hillside after a dragon, waiting for it to finish digesting its food (it makes sense in-universe, I swear), but the book definitely felt like one of several parts, with the heist and cons only making up a part of the action.
The places where this book is best are when it feels wholly different from any other fantasy conman book I've read. The grit magic system is possibly one of my new favourite systems I've read in a book lately. Special shout-out to the disguise makers too: I'd happily read a whole book just about them and their craft, and I bet I'm not the only one. Best side-characters ever. Also some properly on-the-edge of your seat heist moments.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was soon sure that this was going to be one of these books I would end up recommending incessantly until my friends read it and were able to fangirl with me. That did change as the novel went on: I felt it dragged in places and was particularly unhappy about Raek's long absences, then undermining by the plot, which made certain moments have less emotional investment. But all the same, if you want a fun heist novel with an interesting crew of characters, this one is more than worth your while to check out. Funnily enough, despite being one of the things that sold me on the series in the first place, the Locke Lamora comparisons were what held me back: it was easy to unfavorably compare aspects of the different books, to Ardor Benn's disadvantage. I don't think I'd have been as distressed about how underused Raek was, if I hadn't kept being reminded of how Ardor and Raek could have been an amazing inseparable duo like Locke and Jean. Their easy banter is certainly as good (if not better in places). Don't come expecting a full-on heist novel either: I loved the sections with the gang running around a hillside after a dragon, waiting for it to finish digesting its food (it makes sense in-universe, I swear), but the book definitely felt like one of several parts, with the heist and cons only making up a part of the action.
The places where this book is best are when it feels wholly different from any other fantasy conman book I've read. The grit magic system is possibly one of my new favourite systems I've read in a book lately. Special shout-out to the disguise makers too: I'd happily read a whole book just about them and their craft, and I bet I'm not the only one. Best side-characters ever. Also some properly on-the-edge of your seat heist moments.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.