A review by xeni
Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault
4.0
This was a really sweet story, with enough tension scattered throughout to also keep me on the edge of my seat! Almost the perfect combo of (aromantic-)romance and action thriller.
The world is very French-inspired, and at first it made it quite difficult for me to read - so many names, words, strange foods I'd never heard of. On top of that the beginning of the story really has you exploring the city, with all it's quarters and unique areas.
Slowly, however, we move away from the day to day activities of our two heroes, and are instead thrust into a mystery plot. I felt the emphasis on this story was definitely on the relationship between Claude/Claire and Adele, and how they navigated their attraction to one another. The mystery plot tended to interject itself into their lives, and most of the time they were reacting to the events.
I like how the magic is portrayed as both witchcraft (magic users are referred to as witches) but also there is a superhero flair to how Claire jumps and runs through the city at night.
Overall, I felt the story was okay. I enjoyed the characters the most. The plot felt a bit predictable to me. The world was rich, and I'm glad we got to explore it, even if French-things aren't my favorite.
The world is very French-inspired, and at first it made it quite difficult for me to read - so many names, words, strange foods I'd never heard of. On top of that the beginning of the story really has you exploring the city, with all it's quarters and unique areas.
Slowly, however, we move away from the day to day activities of our two heroes, and are instead thrust into a mystery plot. I felt the emphasis on this story was definitely on the relationship between Claude/Claire and Adele, and how they navigated their attraction to one another. The mystery plot tended to interject itself into their lives, and most of the time they were reacting to the events.
I like how the magic is portrayed as both witchcraft (magic users are referred to as witches) but also there is a superhero flair to how Claire jumps and runs through the city at night.
Overall, I felt the story was okay. I enjoyed the characters the most. The plot felt a bit predictable to me. The world was rich, and I'm glad we got to explore it, even if French-things aren't my favorite.