WHAT I LIKE:
The unique magic system even if I don't think I understand any of it + the diversity.
1.) Séverin - I think he's kind of like the Kaz Brekker of the group but he's not afraid to show how vulnerable he is. Kind of less problematic unlike Kaz. I thought he was my ultimate fave until I got near the end of the book.
2.) Laila - Kinda like Nina Zenik. Cute and feisty. The chosen one/special one. We don't know much about her magic. RARE. MUST KNOW MORE. LOVE HER.
3.) Zofia - I think she's in the autism spectrum. I can't be certain because I'm not an expert in the topic. I'm just a psychology student with no masters degree so don't quote me on this. She's Indian, Jewish, and Polish (but living in France)? INTERESTING. I'm no history nerd but I think there is some anti-semitism going on during this era. I heard that George Sand (French author) made some anti-semitic statements in letters along with my fave romantic composer (her former partner), Chopin. In regards to Chopin, I'm not sure if he's really anti-semitic. Anti-semitism is unfortunately nothing new in this era. Anyway, I thought the author did well in writing about Zofia's experiences. Zofia's one of my fave characters even if I wished there was more to her character than just being a mathematician.
4.) Tristan - I'm not much of a fan of his character. I thought he was a pretty weak character. When I looked at other people's book reviews, they actually did not mention him. He's forgettable but he's one of the main characters, albeit he didn't get a pov. It will make sense (once you read the book) why he did not get a pov though.
5.) Hypnos - Queer and Black. One of my faves but he's honestly like a caricature. Here for the humor and check for diversity.
6.) Enrique - Probably the only caricature (sadly) I can somewhat relate to. He's Filipino (like me). Well, half Filipino and half Spanish (biracial). The stigma of not actually being "full" Filipino is still definitely going on today. It's the "elephant in the room" and I can't help but feel ashamed about it. In his pov's he can't help but feel excluded because he feels different or he doesn't feel like he fits in anywhere (probably except Severin's squad).
One of the reasons why I loved his character was mostly because of the integration of Filipino history to this book. I think it's weird when some people would just brush off Ilustrados, Dr Rizal, and La Solidaridad thinking these ideas are fiction. In reality, they're all real. This is part of Philippine history.
I also find it interesting how and why the author combined the names Marcelo and Ponce to make one character whom Enrique interacts with. It would be interesting to read more about some Philippine history in the author's future novels. It was also a nice surprise listening to the audiobook, then hearing words in my own language. I had to double check just to make sure I'm actually listening to this book.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Minus 1:
This one's a bit confusing in terms of what the characters are trying to achieve/find. I'm not sure what the influences are on here except the story about the tower of Babel. Besides that, I'm not really sure about the artifacts they're finding and what all of it means. I'm not sure if these people in the secret societies are magical beings (like Laila) or if their rings are magical. I really don't know how to describe the magic system in this book.
Minus 0.5:
I found it difficult to connect with the characters. I can't feel the chemistry with the supposed canon ships in this book either. I'm like a dumb robotic dummy.
Minus 0.5:
Lack of character development or there needs to be more details with these characters. Most of them are like caricatures. Kind of like the author coming up with a list of traits and checking them off. These characters were just... boring. I like them but I wished there had been more depth to their characters instead of cute quirks which made them likable.
CONCLUSION
I thought this was a solid read but I don't think I'd be demanding (in a good way) for a sequel. Like I can't say: "I can't wait for the next book!!!" I just thought it was okay. I thought this book would've been better if it had been character driven. I MIGHT read the next book but I'm not devoted enough as a fan to pre-order it. However, I might borrow the sequel from my library.
The unique magic system even if I don't think I understand any of it + the diversity.
1.) Séverin - I think he's kind of like the Kaz Brekker of the group but he's not afraid to show how vulnerable he is. Kind of less problematic unlike Kaz. I thought he was my ultimate fave until I got near the end of the book.
2.) Laila - Kinda like Nina Zenik. Cute and feisty. The chosen one/special one. We don't know much about her magic. RARE. MUST KNOW MORE. LOVE HER.
3.) Zofia - I think she's in the autism spectrum. I can't be certain because I'm not an expert in the topic. I'm just a psychology student with no masters degree so don't quote me on this. She's Indian, Jewish, and Polish (but living in France)? INTERESTING. I'm no history nerd but I think there is some anti-semitism going on during this era. I heard that George Sand (French author) made some anti-semitic statements in letters along with my fave romantic composer (her former partner), Chopin. In regards to Chopin, I'm not sure if he's really anti-semitic. Anti-semitism is unfortunately nothing new in this era. Anyway, I thought the author did well in writing about Zofia's experiences. Zofia's one of my fave characters even if I wished there was more to her character than just being a mathematician.
4.) Tristan - I'm not much of a fan of his character. I thought he was a pretty weak character. When I looked at other people's book reviews, they actually did not mention him. He's forgettable but he's one of the main characters, albeit he didn't get a pov. It will make sense (once you read the book) why he did not get a pov though.
5.) Hypnos - Queer and Black. One of my faves but he's honestly like a caricature. Here for the humor and check for diversity.
6.) Enrique - Probably the only caricature (sadly) I can somewhat relate to. He's Filipino (like me). Well, half Filipino and half Spanish (biracial). The stigma of not actually being "full" Filipino is still definitely going on today. It's the "elephant in the room" and I can't help but feel ashamed about it. In his pov's he can't help but feel excluded because he feels different or he doesn't feel like he fits in anywhere (probably except Severin's squad).
One of the reasons why I loved his character was mostly because of the integration of Filipino history to this book. I think it's weird when some people would just brush off Ilustrados, Dr Rizal, and La Solidaridad thinking these ideas are fiction. In reality, they're all real. This is part of Philippine history.
I also find it interesting how and why the author combined the names Marcelo and Ponce to make one character whom Enrique interacts with. It would be interesting to read more about some Philippine history in the author's future novels. It was also a nice surprise listening to the audiobook, then hearing words in my own language. I had to double check just to make sure I'm actually listening to this book.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Minus 1:
This one's a bit confusing in terms of what the characters are trying to achieve/find. I'm not sure what the influences are on here except the story about the tower of Babel. Besides that, I'm not really sure about the artifacts they're finding and what all of it means. I'm not sure if these people in the secret societies are magical beings (like Laila) or if their rings are magical. I really don't know how to describe the magic system in this book.
Minus 0.5:
I found it difficult to connect with the characters. I can't feel the chemistry with the supposed canon ships in this book either. I'm like a dumb robotic dummy.
Minus 0.5:
Lack of character development or there needs to be more details with these characters. Most of them are like caricatures. Kind of like the author coming up with a list of traits and checking them off. These characters were just... boring. I like them but I wished there had been more depth to their characters instead of cute quirks which made them likable.
CONCLUSION
I thought this was a solid read but I don't think I'd be demanding (in a good way) for a sequel. Like I can't say: "I can't wait for the next book!!!" I just thought it was okay. I thought this book would've been better if it had been character driven. I MIGHT read the next book but I'm not devoted enough as a fan to pre-order it. However, I might borrow the sequel from my library.