nora4's review against another edition
5.0
Das Cover habe ich schon vor längerem entdeckt und schon damals hat es mich direkt angesprochen. Der Klappentext hat mich dann endgültig überzeugt und so habe ich schon seit einer Weile darauf gewartet, das Buch endlich zu lesen.
Trotz des vielversprechenden Klappentextes wurde ich aber noch überrascht, und zwar auf positive Weise durch das Setting, welches man vom Klappentext her nicht herauslesen konnte: Dänemark ist sowieso ein wunderschönes Land, und die gewählte Zeit kurz nach dem Deutsch-Dänischen Krieg hat, obwohl ich selten historische Romane lese (ausser eben mit Fantasy), ebenfalls sehr gut gepasst und zu der mystischen Atmosphäre beigetragen.
Auch die Figuren konnten strahlen. Marit und Eve waren mir direkt sympathisch und ich mochte ihre Verbindung sehr. Und auch Helene konnte durch ihre Rolle, als gefühlter Mittelpunkt eines Konstrukts aus Geheimnissen wirklich sehr viele Pluspunkte bei mir erzielen.
Auch der Aufbau mit der Magie in dieser Welt und deren Umgang wird gut beschrieben, ohne dass es jemals zu heftig oder schwerlastig wirkt. Auch sie trägt in diese leicht düstere, aber märchenhafte Atmosphäre des dänischen Winters bei. Die Autorin hat es irgendwie punktgenau geschafft, die Stimmung, die auch Hans Christian Andersen zu dieser Zeit wohl für Inspiration genutzt hat, auch hier zu fangen und einzufügen. Für mich war das wirklich klasse.
Das ich das Buch mögen würde, war mir vom Gefühl her von Anfang an klar, aber dass es sich aber gleich unter die Favoriten schleicht, hätte ich nicht direkt erwartet und dennoch ist es so. Ich bin jedenfalls begeistert und kann dem Buch auch wirklich nur fünf glänzende Edelsteine gewähren.
Trotz des vielversprechenden Klappentextes wurde ich aber noch überrascht, und zwar auf positive Weise durch das Setting, welches man vom Klappentext her nicht herauslesen konnte: Dänemark ist sowieso ein wunderschönes Land, und die gewählte Zeit kurz nach dem Deutsch-Dänischen Krieg hat, obwohl ich selten historische Romane lese (ausser eben mit Fantasy), ebenfalls sehr gut gepasst und zu der mystischen Atmosphäre beigetragen.
Auch die Figuren konnten strahlen. Marit und Eve waren mir direkt sympathisch und ich mochte ihre Verbindung sehr. Und auch Helene konnte durch ihre Rolle, als gefühlter Mittelpunkt eines Konstrukts aus Geheimnissen wirklich sehr viele Pluspunkte bei mir erzielen.
Auch der Aufbau mit der Magie in dieser Welt und deren Umgang wird gut beschrieben, ohne dass es jemals zu heftig oder schwerlastig wirkt. Auch sie trägt in diese leicht düstere, aber märchenhafte Atmosphäre des dänischen Winters bei. Die Autorin hat es irgendwie punktgenau geschafft, die Stimmung, die auch Hans Christian Andersen zu dieser Zeit wohl für Inspiration genutzt hat, auch hier zu fangen und einzufügen. Für mich war das wirklich klasse.
Das ich das Buch mögen würde, war mir vom Gefühl her von Anfang an klar, aber dass es sich aber gleich unter die Favoriten schleicht, hätte ich nicht direkt erwartet und dennoch ist es so. Ich bin jedenfalls begeistert und kann dem Buch auch wirklich nur fünf glänzende Edelsteine gewähren.
lotte28_1d's review against another edition
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sarag19's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 out of 5 stars
All magic comes with a cost and in this alternate version of Denmark filled with magic it can be deadly to the magic users. Its a shame that the book itself doesn’t really deliver on that level of danger to magic users.
The book is centered on Marit, an orphan that has aged out of the orphanage and works as a seamstress. We also have a few chapters with Phillip, the head of the Vestergaard family and owner of the mines. After the loss of her family she is dedicated to Eve, another orphan that she has taken on as her only family. Her gift at sewing, that was my take away that her gift is just sewing, allows her to follow Eve when she is adopted into a new family. Which conveniently happens to be the family that is responsible for mines that killed Marit’s father.
Thats really what this book boils down to, convenient coincidences that allows the plot to unfurl in a way that felt forced. Everyone that worked in the house had some use to the story and all had reasons to get on board with Marit’s quest long before they actually had a good reason. Most of the staff was one dimensional for a good part of the book and the romance felt forced. We just don’t spend enough time with the two characters developing their relationship outside of what was needed for the story.
We get a few chapters with Phillip that I wish we had more of, he has a more complex background and his views added to Marit’s side of the story and the final outcome. But they are written vaguely the first few chapters that almost come into conflict with his later chapters with magic.
The main antagonist is just kind of there. I never got the feeling from the book that Marit was ever in any real danger, even during the final confrontation. I wish that the build up and final confrontation had been more. There is a lead up right at the very end that indicated that these men are supposed to be dangerous, their magic unpredictable making for a possibly very tense scene which just never materialized.
Now, the biggest problem that I had was with the Firn. It felt inconsistent in whether it was something that was really dangerous meaning magic should be used sparingly or just something that might happen. The synopsis the more the magic is used the more it builds up but we see it used all the time by Marit and the rest of the household staff without any fear of the Firn. When it does actual show up its more when the magic is used outside of its natural boundaries and even they its inconsistent in how actually deadly it is to a person.
The writing is pretty descent even if it fell a little flat when it came to describing the beautiful outfits that Marit created. The way the construction was written I thought they would be whimsical but when described on the body of the wearer they sounded clunky and heavy. There is a lot of really interesting concepts going on, particularly with the use of the mine but they never get fully fleshed out or developed.
All magic comes with a cost and in this alternate version of Denmark filled with magic it can be deadly to the magic users. Its a shame that the book itself doesn’t really deliver on that level of danger to magic users.
The book is centered on Marit, an orphan that has aged out of the orphanage and works as a seamstress. We also have a few chapters with Phillip, the head of the Vestergaard family and owner of the mines. After the loss of her family she is dedicated to Eve, another orphan that she has taken on as her only family. Her gift at sewing, that was my take away that her gift is just sewing, allows her to follow Eve when she is adopted into a new family. Which conveniently happens to be the family that is responsible for mines that killed Marit’s father.
Thats really what this book boils down to, convenient coincidences that allows the plot to unfurl in a way that felt forced. Everyone that worked in the house had some use to the story and all had reasons to get on board with Marit’s quest long before they actually had a good reason. Most of the staff was one dimensional for a good part of the book and the romance felt forced. We just don’t spend enough time with the two characters developing their relationship outside of what was needed for the story.
We get a few chapters with Phillip that I wish we had more of, he has a more complex background and his views added to Marit’s side of the story and the final outcome. But they are written vaguely the first few chapters that almost come into conflict with his later chapters with magic.
The main antagonist is just kind of there. I never got the feeling from the book that Marit was ever in any real danger, even during the final confrontation. I wish that the build up and final confrontation had been more. There is a lead up right at the very end that indicated that these men are supposed to be dangerous, their magic unpredictable making for a possibly very tense scene which just never materialized.
Now, the biggest problem that I had was with the Firn. It felt inconsistent in whether it was something that was really dangerous meaning magic should be used sparingly or just something that might happen. The synopsis the more the magic is used the more it builds up but we see it used all the time by Marit and the rest of the household staff without any fear of the Firn. When it does actual show up its more when the magic is used outside of its natural boundaries and even they its inconsistent in how actually deadly it is to a person.
The writing is pretty descent even if it fell a little flat when it came to describing the beautiful outfits that Marit created. The way the construction was written I thought they would be whimsical but when described on the body of the wearer they sounded clunky and heavy. There is a lot of really interesting concepts going on, particularly with the use of the mine but they never get fully fleshed out or developed.
madeleine726's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from pdf access provided by the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Splinters of Scarlet
Author: Emily Bain Murphy
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: mystery, historical fiction, ya
Publication Date: July 21, 2020
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 15+ (death, violence, gore)
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: For Marit Olsen, magic is all about strategy: it flows freely through her blood, but every use leaves behind a deadly, ice-like build-up within her veins called the Firn. Marit knows how dangerous it is to let too much Firn build up—after all, it killed her sister—and she has vowed never to use her thread magic. But when Eve, a fellow orphan whom Marit views like a little sister, is adopted by the wealthy Helene Vestergaard, Marit will do anything to stay by Eve’s side. She decides to risk the Firn and uses magic to secure a job as a seamstress in the Vestergaard household.
But Marit has a second, hidden agenda: her father died while working in the Vestergaards’ jewel mines—and it might not have been an accident. The closer Marit gets to the truth about the Vestergaard family, the more she realizes she and everyone she’s come to love are in danger. When she finds herself in the middle of a treacherous deception that goes all the way up to the king of Denmark, magic may be the only thing that can save her—if it doesn’t kill her first.
Review: Overall, this was a good book! I loved the amazing detail that went into this book and its ability to not bog down the story. The book was also filled with a lot of dance terms. The book also had well developed characters and the magic system was well explained.
The only issue I had with the book is that the pacing was really slow for me. The mystery took a long time to unravel and I easily guessed the ending at 25% in.
Verdict: It was a well done book!
Book: Splinters of Scarlet
Author: Emily Bain Murphy
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: mystery, historical fiction, ya
Publication Date: July 21, 2020
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 15+ (death, violence, gore)
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: For Marit Olsen, magic is all about strategy: it flows freely through her blood, but every use leaves behind a deadly, ice-like build-up within her veins called the Firn. Marit knows how dangerous it is to let too much Firn build up—after all, it killed her sister—and she has vowed never to use her thread magic. But when Eve, a fellow orphan whom Marit views like a little sister, is adopted by the wealthy Helene Vestergaard, Marit will do anything to stay by Eve’s side. She decides to risk the Firn and uses magic to secure a job as a seamstress in the Vestergaard household.
But Marit has a second, hidden agenda: her father died while working in the Vestergaards’ jewel mines—and it might not have been an accident. The closer Marit gets to the truth about the Vestergaard family, the more she realizes she and everyone she’s come to love are in danger. When she finds herself in the middle of a treacherous deception that goes all the way up to the king of Denmark, magic may be the only thing that can save her—if it doesn’t kill her first.
Review: Overall, this was a good book! I loved the amazing detail that went into this book and its ability to not bog down the story. The book was also filled with a lot of dance terms. The book also had well developed characters and the magic system was well explained.
The only issue I had with the book is that the pacing was really slow for me. The mystery took a long time to unravel and I easily guessed the ending at 25% in.
Verdict: It was a well done book!
cindeereads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was really good there was many interesting bits to it like the mystery the draw backs to the magic in this story the romance and the sisterly relationship and the drive to find out the truth. I loved the characters so much especially Marit she is a strong character willing to do what it takes to protect those she cares about and to find out the real reason behind her Father's death. I really like the sisterly relationship between Marit and Eve and how Marit is willing to do what she has to so Eve achieves her dreams. I really enjoyed the plot it starts with Eve getting adopted and Marit becoming a seamstress so that she can be near her to move on into a mystery to find out the truth of her Father's death it had a really god ending will read other books by this author for sure.
shelvesofstarlight's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fast-paced and full of magic and wonder. I loved the magic and mystery aspect of this book, combined with the setting it really made this book very unique.
The characters were wonderful. The love that Marit and Eve had was so endearing and I love how it remained so strong throughout the book and it even made me tear up at one point. Marit was a wonderful main character, she was full of fire and magic and so brave and I think the way that she developed her relationships with the other members of the household was so sweet. Jakob and Marit were incredibly cute and I loved the friendship she made with Liljian. Everyone was just so great and I loved how they all banded together at the end of the book to deal with the big bad villain that was causing everything to go wrong.
The plot was very well written and, as I have already said, I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book and I found that it was incredibly exciting and it had me on edge as I wanted to find out what the crew Marit had formed was going to uncover next. That and the threat of magic freezing Marit from the inside out just made the atmosphere of the book quite tense at times. In addition, I found that the dual perspectives of this book are incredibly intriguing because it allowed the reader more of an insight into Phillip and I thought that it demonstrated the skill of Emily Blain Murphy that she was able to do that.
I loved the writing style of this book is wonderful and I had so much fun reading it. As I've said it kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat as I wanted to find out what happened. The writing was atmospheric and the descriptions were beautiful and I just got swept up in the magical Denmark that was presented to the reader in this lovely book.
The characters were wonderful. The love that Marit and Eve had was so endearing and I love how it remained so strong throughout the book and it even made me tear up at one point. Marit was a wonderful main character, she was full of fire and magic and so brave and I think the way that she developed her relationships with the other members of the household was so sweet. Jakob and Marit were incredibly cute and I loved the friendship she made with Liljian. Everyone was just so great and I loved how they all banded together at the end of the book to deal with the big bad villain that was causing everything to go wrong.
The plot was very well written and, as I have already said, I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book and I found that it was incredibly exciting and it had me on edge as I wanted to find out what the crew Marit had formed was going to uncover next. That and the threat of magic freezing Marit from the inside out just made the atmosphere of the book quite tense at times. In addition, I found that the dual perspectives of this book are incredibly intriguing because it allowed the reader more of an insight into Phillip and I thought that it demonstrated the skill of Emily Blain Murphy that she was able to do that.
I loved the writing style of this book is wonderful and I had so much fun reading it. As I've said it kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat as I wanted to find out what happened. The writing was atmospheric and the descriptions were beautiful and I just got swept up in the magical Denmark that was presented to the reader in this lovely book.
cindeereads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was really good there was many interesting bits to it like the mystery the draw backs to the magic in this story the romance and the sisterly relationship and the drive to find out the truth. I loved the characters so much especially Marit she is a strong character willing to do what it takes to protect those she cares about and to find out the real reason behind her Father's death. I really like the sisterly relationship between Marit and Eve and how Marit is willing to do what she has to so Eve achieves her dreams. I really enjoyed the plot it starts with Eve getting adopted and Marit becoming a seamstress so that she can be near her to move on into a mystery to find out the truth of her Father's death it had a really god ending will read other books by this author for sure.
womanon's review against another edition
3.0
This started off amazing, and I highly enjoyed the first half of this book! The second half, I sadly enjoyed a little less, and I couldn't help but find myself distracted while reading it. Still, I think it was an amazing read, one that I definitely would love to give a reread some day!