A review by barb4ry1
Daughter of Flood and Fury by Levi Jacobs
3.0
3.5/5
I had a blast reading this book. Jacobs drops the reader right into the middle of the action and rarely slows down.
Daughter of Flood & Fury follows Aletheia, a girl born with a man’s magic, considered a walking heresy. She survives in the temple because she’s the best at everything (except speaking to people; she prefers to act, often in anger). Early in the story, the killers of her father force her to flee the temple. But she, a chosen-one figure on her coming-of-age arc, won’t stop before she punishes bad guys.
It’s a YA book throughout. It contains loads and loads of angst, hidden vulnerability, characters discovering their identity (and sexuality). Bad guys lack nuance and depth. I found the romantic arc unconvincing (having the author repeating, again and again, that one character loves the other isn’t enough*). Happily, great pacing and intriguing magic make up for these shortcomings and make the book hard to put down. The time for reflection comes later :)
The magic system is gender-based. Monks (men) study and master watersight allowing them to read minds through any kind of water connection, and learn to control their emotions (“ice” them). Women who study bloodwork can gain control over bodies and minds. Both powers have darker sides and are based on limited definitions of gender. Aletheia’s powers pose a threat to the power structure in the temple.
I enjoyed the book and Aletheia’s voice. Despite some shortcomings, it’s fun, intense, and quick o read. I would highly recommend Jacobs’ oeuvre to Sanderson’s fans - they’ll find plenty of thrills here.
* I enjoy Jacobs's writing and find pleasure in his books. That said, his Beggar’s Rebellion series also suffered from unconvincing romance. Repeating that someone loves someone isn't enough to convince me.
I had a blast reading this book. Jacobs drops the reader right into the middle of the action and rarely slows down.
Daughter of Flood & Fury follows Aletheia, a girl born with a man’s magic, considered a walking heresy. She survives in the temple because she’s the best at everything (except speaking to people; she prefers to act, often in anger). Early in the story, the killers of her father force her to flee the temple. But she, a chosen-one figure on her coming-of-age arc, won’t stop before she punishes bad guys.
It’s a YA book throughout. It contains loads and loads of angst, hidden vulnerability, characters discovering their identity (and sexuality). Bad guys lack nuance and depth. I found the romantic arc unconvincing (having the author repeating, again and again, that one character loves the other isn’t enough*). Happily, great pacing and intriguing magic make up for these shortcomings and make the book hard to put down. The time for reflection comes later :)
The magic system is gender-based. Monks (men) study and master watersight allowing them to read minds through any kind of water connection, and learn to control their emotions (“ice” them). Women who study bloodwork can gain control over bodies and minds. Both powers have darker sides and are based on limited definitions of gender. Aletheia’s powers pose a threat to the power structure in the temple.
I enjoyed the book and Aletheia’s voice. Despite some shortcomings, it’s fun, intense, and quick o read. I would highly recommend Jacobs’ oeuvre to Sanderson’s fans - they’ll find plenty of thrills here.
* I enjoy Jacobs's writing and find pleasure in his books. That said, his Beggar’s Rebellion series also suffered from unconvincing romance. Repeating that someone loves someone isn't enough to convince me.