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In this world there are 3 types of magic:
• La magie ordinaire which transform objects into other objects
• La glamoire for changing one’s appearance
• La magie bibelot for imbuing an object with magic
And Camille uses all of them at one point or another. She starts with the simple things, la magie ordinaire, and when that’s not enough to provide for her family, she moves on to harder types of magic and attempts her luck at Versailles’ gambling tables. There is when her life really takes off as she meets an eccentric group of French aristocrats and the lure of French royalty becomes more and more alluring until she falls into a trap.
I loved Camille. She’s kind, fiercely protective and just a lovely character to experience the story with. Her various flaws don’t detract from her character, but rather add hidden layers. The draw to gamble, to enjoy her new life, to have fun with her new friends all make her more than a cardboard cutout of a character. This extends to the secondary characters as well. Her sister burn just as brightly as a character, while each of her friends has their own distinct personality (Chandon was my fave of the lot actually).
I didn’t like that this extended to the villain as well. All throughout the story he’s creepy, predatory, and all around unpleasant then he’s humanized at the very end. It comes out of nowhere and doesn’t really fit with his story thus far. I’d much have preferred if he were just after power.
However I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance. I liked Lazarre when he first showed up; he’s witty, his friends are fun (if a bit underdeveloped), his project is admirable but was insta love really necessary? It’s 2019, the YA genre needs to get away from this…
I was fascinated by the worldbuilding. The 3 types of magic are certainly unconventional, and connecting the opulence of it all to the French court was intriguing, especially since Trelease made a point to show that the deterioration of the palace, and by extension the court itself, was connected to the decline of magicians within the world. This also extends to the people. As the story takes place during the French revolution, tensions between the aristocracy and the people are very high, eventually reaching a breaking point. But the story does wrap up really well. I liked how Camille’s story ended, and I hope the next book will be focused on another character, as an anthology series would be more fitting in this case.
• La magie ordinaire which transform objects into other objects
• La glamoire for changing one’s appearance
• La magie bibelot for imbuing an object with magic
And Camille uses all of them at one point or another. She starts with the simple things, la magie ordinaire, and when that’s not enough to provide for her family, she moves on to harder types of magic and attempts her luck at Versailles’ gambling tables. There is when her life really takes off as she meets an eccentric group of French aristocrats and the lure of French royalty becomes more and more alluring until she falls into a trap.
I loved Camille. She’s kind, fiercely protective and just a lovely character to experience the story with. Her various flaws don’t detract from her character, but rather add hidden layers. The draw to gamble, to enjoy her new life, to have fun with her new friends all make her more than a cardboard cutout of a character. This extends to the secondary characters as well. Her sister burn just as brightly as a character, while each of her friends has their own distinct personality (Chandon was my fave of the lot actually).
However I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance. I liked Lazarre when he first showed up; he’s witty, his friends are fun (if a bit underdeveloped), his project is admirable but was insta love really necessary? It’s 2019, the YA genre needs to get away from this…
I was fascinated by the worldbuilding. The 3 types of magic are certainly unconventional, and connecting the opulence of it all to the French court was intriguing, especially since Trelease made a point to show that the deterioration of the palace, and by extension the court itself, was connected to the decline of magicians within the world. This also extends to the people. As the story takes place during the French revolution, tensions between the aristocracy and the people are very high, eventually reaching a breaking point. But the story does wrap up really well. I liked how Camille’s story ended, and I hope the next book will be focused on another character, as an anthology series would be more fitting in this case.