scrow1022's review against another edition
4.0
So enjoyable. So funny (lots of snorting coming from my corner, lots of raised eyebrows from my reading companions). Touching and interesting, loved the style. Looking forward to more in this world and from this author.
dejaghoul's review against another edition
3.0
So first off, it’s a very fun ride and I think worth reading. I love that the lead character is a woman, I love that she’s gay, I love that many of the characters are POC. And I really do enjoy the magic system and think the alternate history is really interesting.
But the resolution. The resolution. Man. Very rushed, very out left field. It’s difficult to get into it without spoiling things, but it’s a really interesting concept that doesn’t get the weight it deserves because you don’t find out about it until the last 30 pages. The explanation that we do get given is kind of confusing and, frankly, has a lot of holes and lingering unresolved issues.
That is actually an issue I had with the writing itself—it may have just been me, but I felt like there were a ton of moments that should have been really dramatic but weren’t given the gravitas they deserved. Like, you could tell it was dramatic because people were being ripped apart and magic spells were flying everywhere, but the writing doesn’t quite slow or linger enough or something and the net effect is just like the whole book is this sort of endless stream of chaos that is a bit hard to follow. Like I’d be reading a café date between Sully and Marie and then suddenly Sully would have a bullet through her and I’d be like, oh, okay, I guess that this is happening now.
I write this not to discourage anyone from picking it up—quite the opposite. You SHOULD check it out if you like urban fantasy, because you will have a fun time, but just know you may end up frustrated as well.
But the resolution. The resolution. Man. Very rushed, very out left field. It’s difficult to get into it without spoiling things, but it’s a really interesting concept that doesn’t get the weight it deserves because you don’t find out about it until the last 30 pages. The explanation that we do get given is kind of confusing and, frankly, has a lot of holes and lingering unresolved issues.
That is actually an issue I had with the writing itself—it may have just been me, but I felt like there were a ton of moments that should have been really dramatic but weren’t given the gravitas they deserved. Like, you could tell it was dramatic because people were being ripped apart and magic spells were flying everywhere, but the writing doesn’t quite slow or linger enough or something and the net effect is just like the whole book is this sort of endless stream of chaos that is a bit hard to follow. Like I’d be reading a café date between Sully and Marie and then suddenly Sully would have a bullet through her and I’d be like, oh, okay, I guess that this is happening now.
I write this not to discourage anyone from picking it up—quite the opposite. You SHOULD check it out if you like urban fantasy, because you will have a fun time, but just know you may end up frustrated as well.
paperpaladin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Read this book for my self published bingo hard mode. I struggled to find a book in this category that sounded interesting, so when I ran across this book that was urban noire fantasy I was excited. The book however as not so great. I think the plot was decently solid until the twist at the end
The magic was interesting though I felt a lot needed more explanation. Things moved fast and were often only touched upon. Certain things felt like they glanced through a history book.
On a more mechanical level, the sentences didn't flow well together and there were some spelling mistakes.
My rating system
1 - Did not enjoy
2 - Not irredeemable but has too many flaws to say I enjoyed
3 - Enjoyed it
4 - Great book but didn't love it
5 - Amazing book
Spoiler
where the author just wanted to make the revolutionary war happen.The magic was interesting though I felt a lot needed more explanation. Things moved fast and were often only touched upon. Certain things felt like they glanced through a history book.
On a more mechanical level, the sentences didn't flow well together and there were some spelling mistakes.
My rating system
1 - Did not enjoy
2 - Not irredeemable but has too many flaws to say I enjoyed
3 - Enjoyed it
4 - Great book but didn't love it
5 - Amazing book
see_sadie_read's review
4.0
Generally really enjoyable. There is some good humor and the writing is fun. I liked the cast of characters and the little bit of softness Sully shows when it comes to Marie. Which is especially notable because the book does suffer a bit from tough woman must be tough syndrome. By this I mean the common occurrence where authors want to make a woman seem strong and capable, so they make her overly violent and prickly. Gleeful violence is Sully's first response to everything and it leaves her a little hard to relate too.
Certain aspects of the book confused me. I never wholly got my head around the political and geographic landscape that the story occurs in, and the confines of the magic system are vague. So, I never understood the limitations of what is or isn't possible.
All in all, however I really liked The Year of the Knife and look forward to more.
Certain aspects of the book confused me. I never wholly got my head around the political and geographic landscape that the story occurs in, and the confines of the magic system are vague. So, I never understood the limitations of what is or isn't possible.
All in all, however I really liked The Year of the Knife and look forward to more.
ania_star's review against another edition
5.0
Received from Expresso Book Tour in exchange for honest review
I was hooked after first few paragraphs, this book is soo good. The story starts in the middle of the action. She is called in to investigate weird case - Agent Sully works for IBI, she is magic practitioner and uses her skills to catch bad people. When people all over all murdered in weird way, she will have to use all she got, to solve it.
She is one my favourite female characters in urban fantasy. Sully is the definition of kick-ass heroin. She is funny and powerful. [ I imagine her going about as female version of Blade or Neo (from Matrix). :) ]
Sully gave her a gentle kiss on the neck, just below her ear and then whispered one of the few words of Spanish that she knew, “No. Not police. Brujah. Witch.” Sully pulled back from the girl, who stood stock still, staring at her with big eyes, now clouded with doubt. With a tiny thunderclap, Sully vanished.
The book is set in kind of alternative world. She lives in New Amsterdam (New York) and the Americas are colonies of British Empire.
The story is fast paced, there is no dull moments, non stop action and writing is really good. Story grabs you from the first moment and you can't put the book down till the very last pages.
I was hooked after first few paragraphs, this book is soo good. The story starts in the middle of the action. She is called in to investigate weird case - Agent Sully works for IBI, she is magic practitioner and uses her skills to catch bad people. When people all over all murdered in weird way, she will have to use all she got, to solve it.
She is one my favourite female characters in urban fantasy. Sully is the definition of kick-ass heroin. She is funny and powerful. [ I imagine her going about as female version of Blade or Neo (from Matrix). :) ]
Sully gave her a gentle kiss on the neck, just below her ear and then whispered one of the few words of Spanish that she knew, “No. Not police. Brujah. Witch.” Sully pulled back from the girl, who stood stock still, staring at her with big eyes, now clouded with doubt. With a tiny thunderclap, Sully vanished.
The book is set in kind of alternative world. She lives in New Amsterdam (New York) and the Americas are colonies of British Empire.
The story is fast paced, there is no dull moments, non stop action and writing is really good. Story grabs you from the first moment and you can't put the book down till the very last pages.
novelbloglover's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Book Review
Title: The Year of the Knife (Witch of Empire Book 1) by G. D. Penman
Genre: Urban, Paranormal, Romance
Rating: 4.25 Stars
The opening to The Year of the Knife was interesting as it is set in New Amsterdam and we are following Agent “Sully” Sullivan who works for the Imperial Bureau of Investigation or IBI. Sully is a witch of the British Empire and is tracking a serial killer in the opening chapter before she gets called to another scene, one with a potential demonic summoning. Upon entering the house Sully doesn’t find a demon but it is clear that the husband has been possessed by something that claims they are returning whatever they are and that it is the year of the knife. I liked the introduction to the magic system which seems to be rooted in mathematics and equations which was interesting and I am excited to see where this story goes. Getting to know Agent Sullivan we can see she is the best in the business but has her own vices including booze and women. After the strange incident she is taken off the case and returns to normal duty which makes it seem like her boss is trying to cover this up.
However, this doesn’t last long as more and more murders like the one Sully intervened at are taking place and it suddenly seems like they have something much larger than they originally thought on their hands. The current murderer is a police officer in Carolina who has been killing several people and Sully is called in to capture him for interrogation. Sully and the coroner Raavi are convinced this is some form of demonic possession but that is a myth no one has been able to verify so no one would take them seriously if they voiced their opinions. Things get even stranger when Sully find the rogue officer and attempts to stop him using a freezing spell only for him to explode into a million pieces which shouldn’t happen and it seems like the mystery is getting deeper and Sully is drawn further into it. Sully begins digging deeper into who or what can be controlling all these people and in the end she turns to Eugene, a demon trap in a sailor doll that has been imprisoned for the protection of the people. By making a deal with Eugene, Sully learns that whoever is doing this is more powerful than a magus and has hidden themselves from even the enhanced sight of demons. The most notable thing about this encounter is that Eugene refers to this person(s) as an enemy which makes Sully believe that it might be political in nature which makes it even more difficult for her to solve and there will be interference from the Governor as well as her boss.
Sully encounters a new killer while having lunch with Marie and this one was excited. We learn that Marie and Sully were in a relationship until Marie ditched Sully at the alter for a man. Marie then was turned into a vampire who most people would kill on site and they come up with an arrangement where Sully provides Marie with blood in exchange for sexual favours and it works for them although Marie seems to want a relationship again but Sully isn’t prepared to forgive her yet. Sully manages to transport the new killer somewhere and it seems to know who she is but she is gravely injured in the process. A friend, Leonard Pratt, bring in a healer for her to deal with the worst of her injuries and after she tells him about the case and he agrees to work with her. Leonard explains that one of the phrases the possessed people used he has heard before and we jump from 2015 to 1998. Leonard explains he heard the phrase before when a dimensional rift was caused during one of his session but he doesn’t think a demon is responsible but something beyond their knowledge. Obviously, Sully isn’t happy with this answer and begins hunting down leads once more which lead her to four demons and one hell of a battle but she does get some more information but nothing that seems to be bringing her closer to the answers she wants until a woman wanders into the IBI offices claiming she is the one being possessed. She set off one of their devices and speaks about losing time quite a lot and this might be the break that Sully has been looking for.
Sully soon meets Aldophous DiNapoli who she believes is responsible for the murders but it turns out he is just another step up the ladder, he isn’t controlling the people but he seems to know who is. Sully learns through Bertie one of the people being controlled that whoever is controlling her wants to send a message but it is taboo meaning it can’t be remembered by another who reads it. Sully takes the information to the demon, Eugene to break the taboo as he won’t be affected by it and in exchange she agrees to set him free from his prison with a 24 hour head start before they start hunting him down again and he agrees. The message turns out to be a place, Manhattan but Sully doesn’t know what Manhattan is. Then some strange things begin to happen, even more strange than we have already seen. An island suddenly rises out of the Black Bay and here Sully meets Magus Ogden. Ogden explains that the island is called Manhattan and it was sealed away by another Magus resulting in the Black Bay but now she has broken the taboo it has reappeared. Ogden and the others want revenge for being hidden away for so long and they seem to convince Sully to help them and so a takeover begins. Towards the end a lot of political elements are introduced and Sully proposes the idea of bringing down the barrier between the demon world and theirs as Ogden has an alliance with the demons and they are friendly towards him. I am not sure where the sequel is going to go but I am excited to see.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I had a lot of fun in reading this urban fantasy book. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Meerkat Press, LLC
Many thanks to Netgalley and Meerkat Press, LLC
decafjess's review
3.0
It was an entertaining ride, but I was disappointed with the resolution.
The heroine was very likable and I would probably read another book with the main character. I enjoyed the mystery. However, it seems like there was no way to have predicted the solution -- key information is withheld from the reader until the end. Essentially, a new character just appears and explains everything. Even that explanation had holes in it; it's impossible to explain without spoiling the story.
There was also a clear shift in tone right about the 50% mark, and I much preferred the first half. The second half felt rather rushed and had several grammatical errors. I would have preferred a longer book (or even a part 2) to resolve this.
If it sounds like I'm being too harsh on this book, I probably am. Overall, it was a fun read.
ARC received via Netgalley
The heroine was very likable and I would probably read another book with the main character. I enjoyed the mystery. However, it seems like there was no way to have predicted the solution -- key information is withheld from the reader until the end. Essentially, a new character just appears and explains everything. Even that explanation had holes in it; it's impossible to explain without spoiling the story.
There was also a clear shift in tone right about the 50% mark, and I much preferred the first half. The second half felt rather rushed and had several grammatical errors. I would have preferred a longer book (or even a part 2) to resolve this.
If it sounds like I'm being too harsh on this book, I probably am. Overall, it was a fun read.
ARC received via Netgalley
annarella's review
5.0
I had a lot of fun in reading this urban fantasy book. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Meerkat Press, LLC
Many thanks to Netgalley and Meerkat Press, LLC
majesdane's review
3.0
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars.
This was a quick read, but I enjoyed it. The humor had some nice touches. The writing style was fun, and I'm always happy to see a story focus on a LGBTQ character where their sexuality/romance is more of character note than a major plot point.
3.5 stars.
This was a quick read, but I enjoyed it. The humor had some nice touches. The writing style was fun, and I'm always happy to see a story focus on a LGBTQ character where their sexuality/romance is more of character note than a major plot point.