justasking27's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Like the Lies of Locke Lamora, yes, but only if Locke were also bad at his job. It got better at the end but "everything that can go wrong will go worse" is not my cup of tea.
shelvesofstarlight's review against another edition
5.0
The characters of this book were well written and developed and I loved reading about them so much. Nik as the protagonist was dynamic and all of his connections to the plot twists and political workings of the world, especially becasue it made the stakes even higher for the conflict that arises. Plus, his voice was funny and just made it all the more enjoyable to read. The other characters were also fun and I especially liked Ash Gaurd and the captain especially becasue I liked how they weren't black and white enforcers of the law and how she helped Nik along when he needed it. I hope that they all continue to develop in the next book of the series.
The plot was well written and I really liked how it all unfolded as it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. The fact there were so many subplots throughout the book that all managed to tie together nicely at the end while leaving enough to form conflict in the subsequent books. The magic system was very impressive and I could actually picture how it was working based on the descriptions in the book, in addition, I really liked the political landscape of Agastos and how it all fed into the plot too.
The writing was engaging and funny and I really enjoyed reading it! AS I have already said the book is well crafted and the magic was super cool. The magical beasts and the gods and how that all fed in was so much fun and I hope that we get to understand it all a bit more in the next book!
The plot was well written and I really liked how it all unfolded as it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. The fact there were so many subplots throughout the book that all managed to tie together nicely at the end while leaving enough to form conflict in the subsequent books. The magic system was very impressive and I could actually picture how it was working based on the descriptions in the book, in addition, I really liked the political landscape of Agastos and how it all fed into the plot too.
The writing was engaging and funny and I really enjoyed reading it! AS I have already said the book is well crafted and the magic was super cool. The magical beasts and the gods and how that all fed in was so much fun and I hope that we get to understand it all a bit more in the next book!
zgale98's review
adventurous
funny
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
5.0
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
5.0
This one has the tone and voice of an Urban Fantasy like Harry Dresden, but is set in a secondary world that is still in the swords and magic phase.
I was hooked right away and was enjoying the main characters narration, even though he is a bit of an idiot at times, who tries to go through proverbial walls head first. I liked his dry humour, and the way he just doesn't give up!
While I found some of the side characters not as fleshed out as I would have wished, Nick and the little murderball of 11 year old Sereh more than made up for that!
As with the characters, I felt a few times the plot grew a bit thin. Some times common sense goes out the window, because stupid decisions make for a way better story! So wheeee, here we go, confronting things and people way above our paygrade! But I didn’t mind that much, as it was fast paced and intriguing enough to keep me almost sprinting through the story! The murder mystery part also could have been a little bit smoother overall, but was still enjoyable.
This one is incredibly easy to follow, and really pulls you from your couch and throws you in a completely new city and adventure! At times little bits felt a bit repetitive, but also not nearly enough to really grate on me.
We might only get to explore Agatos, and not get to explore outside the city, but it was so well developed and real I had more than enough to discover! The world building is definitely another plus from me.
I loved this overall. It was a fun and very entertaining romp, and yet had enough depth to it to really stick with me.
A good mix of fantasy, mystery, banter, humour, sarcasm and plenty of “Fuck this, I’ve no idea what to do, so I’ll just go and make a mess, better than doing nothing!”
I was hooked right away and was enjoying the main characters narration, even though he is a bit of an idiot at times, who tries to go through proverbial walls head first. I liked his dry humour, and the way he just doesn't give up!
While I found some of the side characters not as fleshed out as I would have wished, Nick and the little murderball of 11 year old Sereh more than made up for that!
As with the characters, I felt a few times the plot grew a bit thin. Some times common sense goes out the window, because stupid decisions make for a way better story! So wheeee, here we go, confronting things and people way above our paygrade! But I didn’t mind that much, as it was fast paced and intriguing enough to keep me almost sprinting through the story! The murder mystery part also could have been a little bit smoother overall, but was still enjoyable.
This one is incredibly easy to follow, and really pulls you from your couch and throws you in a completely new city and adventure! At times little bits felt a bit repetitive, but also not nearly enough to really grate on me.
We might only get to explore Agatos, and not get to explore outside the city, but it was so well developed and real I had more than enough to discover! The world building is definitely another plus from me.
I loved this overall. It was a fun and very entertaining romp, and yet had enough depth to it to really stick with me.
A good mix of fantasy, mystery, banter, humour, sarcasm and plenty of “Fuck this, I’ve no idea what to do, so I’ll just go and make a mess, better than doing nothing!”
lordjim13's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
bookish_satty's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Great story with an intricate and suspenseful plot that kept me guessing. The characters are well fleshed out and had unique personalities. Nik is the best character I've read about in an urban fantasy story for quite some time. Sereh was weird but an eleven year old giving Nik nightmares was quite entertaining to read about. I loved the found family trope in it. This story contains an unique world filled to the brim with fascinating and original lore, lovable characters as well as intriguing mysteries to solve.
To be honest I was quite bored for the first like 40% of the book and had put it down for a long time especially because I wasn't in the mood for it but after reading rave reviews of it from trusted booktubers and bloggers I decided to give it another shot and I'm quite happy that I did because the last 40% of the book was quite a thrilling ride with nonstop action packed scenes which I loved.
Would definitely pick up the next installment.
Definitely recommend for fans of fantasy as well as thrillers.
To be honest I was quite bored for the first like 40% of the book and had put it down for a long time especially because I wasn't in the mood for it but after reading rave reviews of it from trusted booktubers and bloggers I decided to give it another shot and I'm quite happy that I did because the last 40% of the book was quite a thrilling ride with nonstop action packed scenes which I loved.
Would definitely pick up the next installment.
Definitely recommend for fans of fantasy as well as thrillers.
yathol's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
snazel's review
5.0
Just an excellent unfolding mystery where Mennik is framed for a murder he didn’t commit and must run all over town (on far too little sleep), make friends and influence people (I cannot overstate how mixed the results are here), fail to avoid flirting with the guard who arrests him (what, she’s terrifying), try to bail out friends (he is hapless but he also utterly ride or die), and frantically outrun (or out-fall) the growing list of people trying to kill him.
I really like the trope of the under-powered hero, which he totally is, and the slow unfurling of the world is a joy, and I loved the web of important relationships he moves through. Lots of fun, a little bit heartwarming, very much looking forward to book two.
I really like the trope of the under-powered hero, which he totally is, and the slow unfurling of the world is a joy, and I loved the web of important relationships he moves through. Lots of fun, a little bit heartwarming, very much looking forward to book two.
fbone's review
2.0
A similar theme to many other self-published books I've read recently. The main character was fairly well developed but the author spent many paragraphs/pages on introspection, conflict and self-doubt. The writing skill was passable but not anything special. It had that amateur feel to it. The story was entertaining ending on a cliffhanger.
jksteach's review
5.0
It took me awhile to get into this, but then I couldn’t put it down. Mennik Thorne -Nik- is a down on his luck mage living in Agatos. His best friend drags him into stealing something from a powerful mage and Nik ends up accused of murder. He has to free his friend and solve the mystery to get his life back and keep his friends safe.
Nik is a great character - funny, self-deprecating (too much sometimes) and loyal. He cares about his friends and has moral standards which keeps getting him in trouble. I also loved Serah, Nik's best friend's daughter. I hope she's in future books. The world building is fantastic! I could really visualize all the different parts of the city and there were fascinating additional hints about the gods, the university, commerce, and geography that really made the world feel completely three dimensional.
I usually read books with at least a little romance, but there wasn’t any in this book. I didn’t miss it, though. I liked the combination of fantasy, magic, ghosts, and a sort of hard boiled detective feel. Also, it’s a great cover.
Nik is a great character - funny, self-deprecating (too much sometimes) and loyal. He cares about his friends and has moral standards which keeps getting him in trouble. I also loved Serah, Nik's best friend's daughter. I hope she's in future books. The world building is fantastic! I could really visualize all the different parts of the city and there were fascinating additional hints about the gods, the university, commerce, and geography that really made the world feel completely three dimensional.
I usually read books with at least a little romance, but there wasn’t any in this book. I didn’t miss it, though. I liked the combination of fantasy, magic, ghosts, and a sort of hard boiled detective feel. Also, it’s a great cover.