Let me get this out of the way first: for all intents and purposes, this book does what it sets out to do. The heist was fantastic, the vampire point tied in and most of the scenes don't feel unnecessary, and the writing was befitting of a YA fantasy. The plot was fun and this was a really quick read— I read it on a five-hour plane ride. The cast of characters was exceedingly diverse and I really appreciated that Arthie and Jin were undoubtly the closest characters, and a girl and guy, yet the platonic nature of their relationship was emphasized and never crossed. The use of foreshadowing in this book is well-done, and it brings up the question of whether identity is innate or forged, which I hope is explored more in the sequel.
However. This book was absolutely not to my taste, mainly because the references to colonialism were just so on the nose. There is no nuance nor subtilties in the references, no attempt at all to hide it. I understand that the (coerced) immigration and colonialization is a huge part of many characters' stories and of course the author is under no obligation to euphemize anything, but the way it was portrayed in this story just felt so crass. It felt like a revolving theme that went entirely unedited, while the rest of the book got polished, so it just sticks out like a sore thumb, and since it's so relevant to the story, it's an eyesore every chapter. Also, Arthie Casimir, the protagonist, is so unlikable. It's definitely a defense mechanism and I think that mask will fall away in later books, but in this one I cannot stand her character. She's all of Kaz Brekker's rage and calculatedness without any of his self-hate, which is the redeeming part of his character, and means she has very little likable qualities. I also hate every possible pairing she could end up with, because first of all, her character revolves around self-sufficiency so she needs an arc before a boyfriend, and second of all, Matteo is who knows how old, and Laith is.. yeah. There's Jin, but he's essentially her brother, which is so well established that if that ever happened it would be horribly uncouth. To be honest, the only character I liked was Jin, ever the tragic comic relief; I'm not sure if this makes me racist or misogynistic or if he's the only decent one— that is to say, the only one not creepy, unredeemable revenge-set, or hopelessly naive (some characters are all three).
This story, at it's surface, is good, but it's just not to my taste.
However. This book was absolutely not to my taste, mainly because the references to colonialism were just so on the nose. There is no nuance nor subtilties in the references, no attempt at all to hide it. I understand that the (coerced) immigration and colonialization is a huge part of many characters' stories and of course the author is under no obligation to euphemize anything, but the way it was portrayed in this story just felt so crass. It felt like a revolving theme that went entirely unedited, while the rest of the book got polished, so it just sticks out like a sore thumb, and since it's so relevant to the story, it's an eyesore every chapter. Also, Arthie Casimir, the protagonist, is so unlikable. It's definitely a defense mechanism and I think that mask will fall away in later books, but in this one I cannot stand her character. She's all of Kaz Brekker's rage and calculatedness without any of his self-hate, which is the redeeming part of his character, and means she has very little likable qualities. I also hate every possible pairing she could end up with, because first of all, her character revolves around self-sufficiency so she needs an arc before a boyfriend, and second of all, Matteo is who knows how old, and Laith is.. yeah. There's Jin, but he's essentially her brother, which is so well established that if that ever happened it would be horribly uncouth. To be honest, the only character I liked was Jin, ever the tragic comic relief; I'm not sure if this makes me racist or misogynistic or if he's the only decent one— that is to say, the only one not creepy, unredeemable revenge-set, or hopelessly naive (some characters are all three).
This story, at it's surface, is good, but it's just not to my taste.