A review by leann_ange
Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I wanted to like this one. The premise of the worlds being described in books becoming real places you can visit (or receive visits from) is one that seems custom made to appeal to readers and writers. The overall plot as well, by and large, is fine. I had no major pacing issues, things were well teased and revealed at good intervals. The protagonist's archetype (the loner who has to learn to accept support form her friends) is one I prefer in a side character, but there's nothing wrong with the execution and the rest of the cast was entertaining. The overall steampunk aesthetic of the world was also fun.
What really ruined the book for me was the world building, which I feel is especially egregious in a book where world building is elevated to a science and the application of that science is a major component of the plot. More specifically, the elements of the story where the author sacrificed consistency in her magic system to cram in her opinion on a topical political issue with no relevance to the plot outside of the scene where it broke the magic. It was also a little interesting to watch her try to suggest 19th century Europe was racist exclusively by making the protagonist assume people would act racist towards her while forgetting to write literally anyone as acting racist, resulting in a weirdly color blind 19th century Europe and a protagonist with a chip on her shoulder. (I suppose you could count the author of Elsa's book looking down on the people of his book as inferior to Earthlings as racism that did exist, but she expects people to look down on her for her skin color and the author just forgets to demonstrate that this is a problem in the world she's created.)
What really ruined the book for me was the world building, which I feel is especially egregious in a book where world building is elevated to a science and the application of that science is a major component of the plot. More specifically, the elements of the story where the author sacrificed consistency in her magic system to cram in her opinion on a topical political issue with no relevance to the plot outside of the scene where it broke the magic. It was also a little interesting to watch her try to suggest 19th century Europe was racist exclusively by making the protagonist assume people would act racist towards her while forgetting to write literally anyone as acting racist, resulting in a weirdly color blind 19th century Europe and a protagonist with a chip on her shoulder. (I suppose you could count the author of Elsa's book looking down on the people of his book as inferior to Earthlings as racism that did exist, but she expects people to look down on her for her skin color and the author just forgets to demonstrate that this is a problem in the world she's created.)