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A review by acoffeeandagoodbook
Smoke & Summons by Charlie N. Holmberg
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is a pretty solid YA fantasy and a little darker than Holmberg's usual style.
Smoke & Summons sets up the world for the rest of the Numina trilogy. The world-building is solid, and creates a fantasy world with rules and magic that I found engaging and interesting. Unfortunately, it also means that the plot is mostly taken up by chase sequences, and very little actually happens. Instead, the book ends on a big cliffhanger, clearly setting up for book two. Hopefully, there's more story in the next two books.
Our heroine, Sandis, fell a little flat for me too. She doesn't have much of her own agency, often relying on others to save her. Rone, the 'thief with a heart of gold' who helps her, was much better. I'd like to learn more about his backstory and motivations, as what there was interested me a lot.
An enjoyable, easy read for fans of YA fantasy, but it's not going to set the world on fire.
Smoke & Summons sets up the world for the rest of the Numina trilogy. The world-building is solid, and creates a fantasy world with rules and magic that I found engaging and interesting. Unfortunately, it also means that the plot is mostly taken up by chase sequences, and very little actually happens. Instead, the book ends on a big cliffhanger, clearly setting up for book two. Hopefully, there's more story in the next two books.
Our heroine, Sandis, fell a little flat for me too. She doesn't have much of her own agency, often relying on others to save her. Rone, the 'thief with a heart of gold' who helps her, was much better. I'd like to learn more about his backstory and motivations, as what there was interested me a lot.
An enjoyable, easy read for fans of YA fantasy, but it's not going to set the world on fire.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual assault