enbyglitch's review against another edition
3.0
A solid gunmetal fantasy adventure, with a whip-fast pace I greatly appreciated.
I enjoyed the various magic systems at play, though none were especially unique imo - even the best one (powder magic, go figure) just felt like a simplified version of mistborn's allomancy.
I liked the 'french revolution' aspect of the setting, though I think it was more or less forgotten 2/3 of the way through and I doubt it will return.
Also enjoyed the Stormlight/Black Company vibes I'm getting from Kresimir and the other gods, though by the end of the book a lot of power differences between individuals seemed to lose a bit of meaning.
By the end I was ok with the gender dynamics in the world, but I think they could have been handled significantly better. Seems like the author's goal was that women *can* hold any position but very few do... And I'd like the reasoning for that! Also the first chapters of a book can't help but set expectations, so I was pretty bummed seeing the first mentions of women being: vulnerable wife, dead wife, harem, murderer hiding in the harem, cheating wife-to-be. Also Adamat's line about wanting a 'more obedient wife' was big yikes early on.
Would be so much higher on this book if either Tamas or Adamat had been a grizzled old woman, but in reality it really feels like this was written as a boys' novel that included some women in order to get by in the 2010's.
Otherwise just some awkward plot moments - one character who seems to be around the whole book yet only helpfully divulges every secret at the end, another who is introduced as a major character and basically background for the whole book. Alongside the dangers of taking too much powder, I assume she'll have more to do later but felt strange in the context of this novel.
I enjoyed the various magic systems at play, though none were especially unique imo - even the best one (powder magic, go figure) just felt like a simplified version of mistborn's allomancy.
I liked the 'french revolution' aspect of the setting, though I think it was more or less forgotten 2/3 of the way through and I doubt it will return.
Also enjoyed the Stormlight/Black Company vibes I'm getting from Kresimir and the other gods, though by the end of the book a lot of power differences between individuals seemed to lose a bit of meaning.
By the end I was ok with the gender dynamics in the world, but I think they could have been handled significantly better. Seems like the author's goal was that women *can* hold any position but very few do... And I'd like the reasoning for that! Also the first chapters of a book can't help but set expectations, so I was pretty bummed seeing the first mentions of women being: vulnerable wife, dead wife, harem, murderer hiding in the harem, cheating wife-to-be. Also Adamat's line about wanting a 'more obedient wife' was big yikes early on.
Would be so much higher on this book if either Tamas or Adamat had been a grizzled old woman, but in reality it really feels like this was written as a boys' novel that included some women in order to get by in the 2010's.
Otherwise just some awkward plot moments - one character who seems to be around the whole book yet only helpfully divulges every secret at the end, another who is introduced as a major character and basically background for the whole book. Alongside the dangers of taking too much powder, I assume she'll have more to do later but felt strange in the context of this novel.
pvbobrien's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
abdallahelfar's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 The book is great but it feels a little off. The whole book follows the formula, the stereotypes of fantasy fiction perfectly. Not poorly it's very well done, but it's so exact in its pattern that if feels false.
enchanteurlitteraire's review against another edition
4.0
Quelle jolie découverte! Je ne connaissais pas du tout ce sous-genre de la fantasy qui est le gunpowder et j’ai été agréablement surpris. L’histoire se situe à une époque qui rappelle un mélange entre l’ère médiévale et l’ère Napoléonienne. J’ai beaucoup aimé cette ambiance de révolution Française, de complots politiques et de magie à base de poudre.
triforcefusion's review against another edition
It felt felt too bro for me. I bet many bros love this book.
matias_sierralta's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
3.0
jamieb22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
green_with_3nvy's review against another edition
5.0
The concept was fascinating. I enjoyed the hierarchy of magic users as well as the coup storyline.
kodermike's review against another edition
4.0
My first reaction when I finished this book: Imagine Brent Weeks had channeled Brandon Sanderson and you're halfway to knowing what kind of book this is going to be. McClellan has developed a magic system that is very reminiscent of allomancy - powder mages snort or consume gunpowder much like a cocaine addict, endowing them with powers physical and metaphysical. We also see magic in the more traditional sense (hand waving wizardry so to speak), Knacks (people with one off powers, X-menish but without the flair), all resting in a world we can almost recognize as being modeled after late 18th/early 19th century Europe. And like so many books I've stumbled into recently, a B plot centered around religion and gods.
The initial hook for this book is the calling in of a retired investigator to solve a riddle left by a dead sorcerer at the end of the coup that brought down the King, spiraling out from there to include rogue magi, betrayal among the coup's conspirators, and a civil war. Good stuff, to say the least, and where McClellan might be faulted for a lack of depth, he more than makes up for by keeping the novel at a brisk and relentless pace that hurtles the reader to the conclusion of the first volume far too quickly. A little cliche, but a lot of fun to read, and yet another author/series to add to the queue.
The initial hook for this book is the calling in of a retired investigator to solve a riddle left by a dead sorcerer at the end of the coup that brought down the King, spiraling out from there to include rogue magi, betrayal among the coup's conspirators, and a civil war. Good stuff, to say the least, and where McClellan might be faulted for a lack of depth, he more than makes up for by keeping the novel at a brisk and relentless pace that hurtles the reader to the conclusion of the first volume far too quickly. A little cliche, but a lot of fun to read, and yet another author/series to add to the queue.
kumquat9's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5