laurelthebooks's Reviews (662)

I enjoyed the premise of this book, and I believe there is a fairly decent story. There were good parts and interesting secondary characters. The split in the world and the Forest of Laida (go soul trees!) were particular favorites of mine.

However, none of the characters appeared real to me, and I had difficulty believing some of their actions and the developments that happened throughout the story. Seycia, Haben, and Miko all made unexplained leaps or had out of character moments throughout the book. The secondary characters held promise though and provided some of my favorite moments of the books. General Simeon as the villain added to the story and gave a solid central figure for the protagonists to oppose (as did Dohv). The main romance did little to convince me that it was true feelings and not desperation or adrenaline.

There were odd jumps in the story-telling, and the pacing seemed all over the place. In some instances of information was repeated unnecessarily, and the principle of "show not tell" was completely ignored in terms of storytelling. My opinion of it improved over the last few chapters, but it was slow going for me for most of the beginning and a good chunk of the middle.

Overall, not a bad book, but I would be unlikely to suggest it to friends as it is now. I could see it as a possibility for older middle-school readers, but again - not quite something I would feel comfortable recommending as a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Peace pervades these poems for all that the author is dying as he writes them. I had favorites of course, but I did not dislike or skim any of them (impressive for a collection of poems).

James did not write these poems for us, he wrote them for himself and his life which makes them all the more poignant.

Don't read these too fast - you'll miss half the beauty from hurrying.

Despite the glamour, the heists, the intrigue, and the betrayals this book is at heart a story about desire. The main characters all intertwine themselves with each other while reaching in opposite directions for what they alone desire.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys heists in a magical Victorian-esque setting. The jaded edges each character possess are sharp but oh so worth it. I did have some trouble immersing myself in the story and characters at the start, but I once I was hooked I did not want to set the book down.

I was a little unsure after the first couple of chapters as it seemed oddly visceral. However, I am glad I stuck with it. The perspective seems oddly removed as the book progresses, but you don't lose sight of any of the characters.

Overall this hovers at about a 3.5 for me as I loved the writing and characters, but it is not something I am planning to re-read.

I did read an ARC provided by the publisher.