on
3.5/5
Non-Fiction
- Get link
- Other Apps
 |
Rating: 3/5
Started: 20 May 2022
Finished: 24 May 2022
Summary:
Charlie is determined not to get into any more trouble. She's going to stay with her normal boyfriend, keep a steady job, and put her sister through college. More than anything, she's going to stay far away from her previous life of crime, stealing books and dealing with magical gloamists, who can manipulate shadows. But when she discovers that her boyfriend is not who he claims to be, Charlie can't help but dig deeper, and she finds herself back in a life of heists, murder, and magic.
Thoughts:
This book wasn't as good as The Cruel Prince or Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House, which I was comparing it to, but I still enjoyed it. I really liked Charlie's skills, and all the twists and turns were interesting. The magic system was cool, if a little simple. But there were a handful of issues that were a bit odd. The writing confused me a bit. Sentences were pretty fractured. I'm sure it was on purpose, but it was distracting. The pacing was also odd. I suppose that it technically followed a normal story arc, but it felt scattered somehow. My biggest issue with the book, though, is that it didn't have much emotion. Maybe I've just been tired this week, but nothing made me super excited. I think that had something to do with the pacing, but it was sad, since the idea of the book was so cool--I mean, who doesn't love a good heist?
I need to mention the twists again, though, because they really were the redeeming quality of the book. When I saw her speak, Holly Black mentioned that originally, Vince was going to be her protagonist, and that definitely came through in the plot. Each one of his character reveals was a huge surprise, and the final twist in the last page or two was insane. Because of that, and because Holly Black has had a history of very strong sequels (The Wicked King is incredible) I very much hope this series continues. I have a feeling that more emotion, better pacing, and a few well-times heists could make the sequel impeccable.
Words
Ouroboros (n) an emblematic serpent of ancient Egypt and Greece represented with a tail in its mouth, continually devouring itself and being reborn from itself/
Fabulist (n) a person who composes or relates fables; a liar, especially a person who invents elaborate, dishonest stories
Oubliette (n) a secret dungeon with access only through a trapdoor in its ceiling
Caftan (n) a man's long belted tunic, worn in countries of the near east.
Pedantic (adj) of or like a pendant
Dob (n) a small amount of something, especially paste
Adjudication (n) a formal judgement on a disputed matter
Etheric (adj) of or relating to the chemical ether
Equanimity (n) mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation
Bilk (v) obtain or withhold money from (someone) by deceit or without justification; cheat or defraud
Finagled (v) obtain (something) by devious or dishonest means
Medici (n) an Italian family of bankers, merchants, and rules of Florence and Tuscany, prominent in Italian political and cultural history in the 15th - 17th centuries.
Kinegram (n) a moving picture you can make with paper and plastic
Ethnography (n) the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures
Aphotic (adj) being the deep zone of an ocean or lake receiving too little light to permit photosynthesis.
Box Exacta (n) a way to bet on two or more horses to finish in first and second place, respectively, in a race.
Succored (v) give assistance or aid to
Sacrament (n) a religious ceremony or ritual regarded as imparting divine grace.