The Best Book I've Read that I had Zero Clue what was happening
This book showcases the power of Roshani Chokshi's magical, charming, and enchanting writing - I had no clue what was going on most of the time, but I was still enthralled. She made a captivating cast of misfits that were endearing and oh so very charming, and when I was lost on what was going on in the world, I would just bask in their greatness.
Seriously, there is no doubt that Chokshi is a queen of YA. Her writing is always stunning. She has such a way with words, and it's always lush and captivating. It's like you're reading a gold bar or something. This book is no different. Her lyrical, beautiful prose shines through, and it never gets to be too much.
My biggest issue was the world building. I just didn't fully get it. I would think I got it, but then something would pop up and I'm like, no, nope, I don't got it. I am still confused on the whole idea of Forging - which is the basic magic system in the book. I was trying to talk about this with Sha, and I would just throw out words like Horus Eye and Babel Fragment and Sha was like, what are those, and I'm over here like...IDK IDK IDK. And I should have knownnnnnnnnnn. I'm not entirely sure if there was just not enough time dedicated to the world explanation in the beginning or it was just too confusing of a world for me, but I just felt things would pop up, have a moment explanation, and then gone again with the wind. And I was just stuck in a constant state of confusion.
However, the world building that I did understand was interesting and fascinating. I love the setting in France, and the historical fiction pieces infused with the mythology of the world was intriguing. Chokshi created such a cool world, and I did feel like I was immersed in a whole new world.
The characters were the shining stars for this book for me. The core characters Severin, Zofia, Enrique, Laia, and Hypnos were so intricate, dynamic, and amazing. They had so many facets to them, and I just wanted to stay with them for such a long time. They reminded me of the Six of Crows gang, and if you love them, you'll definitely see shades of them in these characters. I can't even quite pick a favorite character, because they were all so intriguing and complex. When they were apart or together, it didn't matter because they were going to be amazing either way.
The pacing was pretty good as well. For it being a pretty large book, it moved pretty decently. There were some parts that it went so high speed, and I loved that.
Also, I had some bigger issues with the ending. I felt like there was a random plot twist that seemed confusing? And happened with a character that I never fully understood? It just...I felt so weird. And then the other little things at the end felt the same to me, too.
3 crowns and a Belle rating! This would have been rated so much higher if I knew what was going on and had understood it a bit better - because trust me, I did love love love some moments.
Seriously, there is no doubt that Chokshi is a queen of YA. Her writing is always stunning. She has such a way with words, and it's always lush and captivating. It's like you're reading a gold bar or something. This book is no different. Her lyrical, beautiful prose shines through, and it never gets to be too much.
My biggest issue was the world building. I just didn't fully get it. I would think I got it, but then something would pop up and I'm like, no, nope, I don't got it. I am still confused on the whole idea of Forging - which is the basic magic system in the book. I was trying to talk about this with Sha, and I would just throw out words like Horus Eye and Babel Fragment and Sha was like, what are those, and I'm over here like...IDK IDK IDK. And I should have knownnnnnnnnnn. I'm not entirely sure if there was just not enough time dedicated to the world explanation in the beginning or it was just too confusing of a world for me, but I just felt things would pop up, have a moment explanation, and then gone again with the wind. And I was just stuck in a constant state of confusion.
However, the world building that I did understand was interesting and fascinating. I love the setting in France, and the historical fiction pieces infused with the mythology of the world was intriguing. Chokshi created such a cool world, and I did feel like I was immersed in a whole new world.
The characters were the shining stars for this book for me. The core characters Severin, Zofia, Enrique, Laia, and Hypnos were so intricate, dynamic, and amazing. They had so many facets to them, and I just wanted to stay with them for such a long time. They reminded me of the Six of Crows gang, and if you love them, you'll definitely see shades of them in these characters. I can't even quite pick a favorite character, because they were all so intriguing and complex. When they were apart or together, it didn't matter because they were going to be amazing either way.
The pacing was pretty good as well. For it being a pretty large book, it moved pretty decently. There were some parts that it went so high speed, and I loved that.
Also, I had some bigger issues with the ending. I felt like there was a random plot twist that seemed confusing? And happened with a character that I never fully understood? It just...I felt so weird. And then the other little things at the end felt the same to me, too.
3 crowns and a Belle rating! This would have been rated so much higher if I knew what was going on and had understood it a bit better - because trust me, I did love love love some moments.