You had me at "National Treasure with better looking people." Truly. That's all you had to say to get me on board. But then you went and threw the words "Paris" and "magic" and "1889." And I knew I was doomed until I got my hands on this one.
Let's start with those "better looking people," shall we? First off, a five-minute standing ovation. The characters found at the heart of this novel are what I wish more had. As far as casts go, this is inclusive, feminist, diverse and queer in the best way possible. No one is bisexual or Indian or autistic as a token character or plot device, but simply as who they are. People who are no different in what they are capable of than you or I. The story doesn't revolve around them, but rather they are the story, if that makes sense. And better yet, they are given the respect and the complexity they deserved in Roshani Chokshi's hands.
Severin is a French-Algerian hotelier who was gypped out of the life he was born into and looks to restore his family name and house as the rightful patriarch of House Vanth. Surprisingly he was probably my least favourite character. Not by much, of course, but still. Quite shocking.
Enrique, a Spanish-Filipino, bisexual historian who can be witty and sarcastic af. Unlike Severin, he fast became a favourite for me with his attitude.
Zofia. Darling Zofia. A Jewish Polish mathematician with autism. It took some time for me to warm up to her, but I will now fight anyone who says a mean thing about her. In her character I thought Chokshi did the best job in representation.
Laila is an Indian dancer and baker with an incredible backstory I can't wait to learn more about. She is quite literally the mom of the group and I adored her for it.
Finally, Tristan. A plant extraordinaire with a quiet demeanor and a pet tarantula that deserves a star all on its own. Funny enough, I couldn't help but liken his story to Will from Stranger Things.
As always, Chokshi has delivered a story with such beautiful writing. I have read several of her books now and it never fails to amaze me how she can take a tired description and give it a fresh new life. Never does it come as across as flowery prose that tries too hard. Rather Chokshi's writing feels as though I am viewing the world with a different pair of eyes. I'd drink it for tea if I could.
The Paris between these pages was a fascinating one. The concept of Forging was a neat one and it brought believable technology ahead of its time to the story. At no point did I feel it made things too convenient, especially when the work that goes into it is considered. Likewise, I found the French houses in the Order of Babel interesting. Sadly, I don't think we got to see enough of it and what it could do. I would have liked a bit more, especially since it is such a core part of the story.
Where I found the story faltered was in the world-building. Wait, let me correct myself. It's not so much the building of the world but the explaining of it. There were a few details that were hard to wrap my head around, but I made myself read through several times because I knew it would be important. For instance, logarithmic spirals. AKA math. I feel as though quite a bit of the grand finale went over my head because I couldn't quite understand the concept. Indeed, I must have missed a detail somewhere along the way that cheapened the heist as a whole. Likewise, there were a few parts I ended up skimming because I couldn't follow the action. It's a little weird when you think you know what is going on and then suddenly the floor is broken and there's a giant ball of fire. Who knows, because I certainly didn't.
While this took me much longer than I had hoped, I enjoyed this immensely. The cast of characters alone is enough to suck anyone in, and the magic and treasure heists are just a bonus. I breathlessly await the sequel.
Let's start with those "better looking people," shall we? First off, a five-minute standing ovation. The characters found at the heart of this novel are what I wish more had. As far as casts go, this is inclusive, feminist, diverse and queer in the best way possible. No one is bisexual or Indian or autistic as a token character or plot device, but simply as who they are. People who are no different in what they are capable of than you or I. The story doesn't revolve around them, but rather they are the story, if that makes sense. And better yet, they are given the respect and the complexity they deserved in Roshani Chokshi's hands.
Severin is a French-Algerian hotelier who was gypped out of the life he was born into and looks to restore his family name and house as the rightful patriarch of House Vanth. Surprisingly he was probably my least favourite character. Not by much, of course, but still. Quite shocking.
Enrique, a Spanish-Filipino, bisexual historian who can be witty and sarcastic af. Unlike Severin, he fast became a favourite for me with his attitude.
Zofia. Darling Zofia. A Jewish Polish mathematician with autism. It took some time for me to warm up to her, but I will now fight anyone who says a mean thing about her. In her character I thought Chokshi did the best job in representation.
Laila is an Indian dancer and baker with an incredible backstory I can't wait to learn more about. She is quite literally the mom of the group and I adored her for it.
Finally, Tristan. A plant extraordinaire with a quiet demeanor and a pet tarantula that deserves a star all on its own. Funny enough, I couldn't help but liken his story to Will from Stranger Things.
As always, Chokshi has delivered a story with such beautiful writing. I have read several of her books now and it never fails to amaze me how she can take a tired description and give it a fresh new life. Never does it come as across as flowery prose that tries too hard. Rather Chokshi's writing feels as though I am viewing the world with a different pair of eyes. I'd drink it for tea if I could.
The Paris between these pages was a fascinating one. The concept of Forging was a neat one and it brought believable technology ahead of its time to the story. At no point did I feel it made things too convenient, especially when the work that goes into it is considered. Likewise, I found the French houses in the Order of Babel interesting. Sadly, I don't think we got to see enough of it and what it could do. I would have liked a bit more, especially since it is such a core part of the story.
Where I found the story faltered was in the world-building. Wait, let me correct myself. It's not so much the building of the world but the explaining of it. There were a few details that were hard to wrap my head around, but I made myself read through several times because I knew it would be important. For instance, logarithmic spirals. AKA math. I feel as though quite a bit of the grand finale went over my head because I couldn't quite understand the concept. Indeed, I must have missed a detail somewhere along the way that cheapened the heist as a whole. Likewise, there were a few parts I ended up skimming because I couldn't follow the action. It's a little weird when you think you know what is going on and then suddenly the floor is broken and there's a giant ball of fire. Who knows, because I certainly didn't.
While this took me much longer than I had hoped, I enjoyed this immensely. The cast of characters alone is enough to suck anyone in, and the magic and treasure heists are just a bonus. I breathlessly await the sequel.