I was really looking forward to reading this book when I first heard about it! I’ve discovered over the past year that epic fantasy isn’t my thing, but that a good urban fantasy does the trick. This also had some of my favorite tropes: a boarding school, magic, and a murder mystery. Despite the middling reviews, I decided to read it, and I really wish I hadn’t.
I just found myself not caring about anything, and I think that’s what a lot of the negative reviews got right. I read on because I wanted to know the answer to the mystery, not because I was invested in anything else, and by the end of it all, I just wanted it to be over.
This does get an extra star because of the great casual diversity and the fact that magic was discussed in theoretical terms instead of generic “magic exists and don’t question it.” Otherwise, meh.
I just found myself not caring about anything, and I think that’s what a lot of the negative reviews got right. I read on because I wanted to know the answer to the mystery, not because I was invested in anything else, and by the end of it all, I just wanted it to be over.
This does get an extra star because of the great casual diversity and the fact that magic was discussed in theoretical terms instead of generic “magic exists and don’t question it.” Otherwise, meh.