Recommended: yes!
For magic! always for magic! And for characters who all have their complexities examined and everything is in shades of gray. For a story that matches the absolutely brilliant cover and title.
Thoughts:
What's most impressive is how much story was told in this one book, and how quickly I read it. Yes, I've been looking forward to this book for months at this point, but it read so easily and I just couldn't stop! In the rare moments where I did have to put it down, I found myself thinking about it and wondering what would happen next. Absolutely loved that!
Perhaps equally impressive is the balance of time given to examining each of the main characters, and even several of the side characters. They all had intricate backstories and motivations, hidden aspects of character that required insight to truly see. I honestly couldn't predict what they might do or why. Although the premise of the story might lend itself to some cliche good-versus-evil dichotomies, they never arose. This was entirely shades of gray, and that's exactly what I had hoped for.
On a personal level, this totally reconfirmed my belief that talking to animals is one of the coolest kinds of magic possible. Even if that's not a belief totally reinforced by the characters themselves, I adored seeing the way Zahru used her magic for the mundane and the ingenious. Her journey is one that I thoroughly supported and she's remarkably consistent in her core values, even as she grows. One prime example is that she does often think about her father with worry, despite the life-or-death-magic craziness she's thrown into. Elements like that were not forgotten about, nor the fact that all of this took place within the span of about a week.
Overall a really fun read that will hook you from the start and only gets better from there!
For magic! always for magic! And for characters who all have their complexities examined and everything is in shades of gray. For a story that matches the absolutely brilliant cover and title.
Thoughts:
What's most impressive is how much story was told in this one book, and how quickly I read it. Yes, I've been looking forward to this book for months at this point, but it read so easily and I just couldn't stop! In the rare moments where I did have to put it down, I found myself thinking about it and wondering what would happen next. Absolutely loved that!
Perhaps equally impressive is the balance of time given to examining each of the main characters, and even several of the side characters. They all had intricate backstories and motivations, hidden aspects of character that required insight to truly see. I honestly couldn't predict what they might do or why. Although the premise of the story might lend itself to some cliche good-versus-evil dichotomies, they never arose. This was entirely shades of gray, and that's exactly what I had hoped for.
On a personal level, this totally reconfirmed my belief that talking to animals is one of the coolest kinds of magic possible. Even if that's not a belief totally reinforced by the characters themselves, I adored seeing the way Zahru used her magic for the mundane and the ingenious. Her journey is one that I thoroughly supported and she's remarkably consistent in her core values, even as she grows. One prime example is that she does often think about her father with worry, despite the life-or-death-magic craziness she's thrown into. Elements like that were not forgotten about, nor the fact that all of this took place within the span of about a week.
Overall a really fun read that will hook you from the start and only gets better from there!