(last updated 09 May 2024)
author
Olivie Blake
genre
modern fantasy
my one sentence synop
a cerebral (i hestitate to say) thriller, that centers around six magic users looking to be initiated into a secret society with access to knowledge and wonders thought to be lost in history.
finished
05 May 2024
slap rating
a pat pat on my cheek
not-so-long review
i’m going to try and give spoiler free reviews and focus on what someone may enjoy, and the aspects that i found less intriguing. olivie blake is good at building characters. you can feel the characters jump from the page in their clarity. they are distinct and relatable despite their magical nature. there are some plot holes, but their extraordinary capabilities and intelligence serve as adequate (enough) plot armor. there’s also an soft magic system, in that, we aren’t clear what is, how is, or where magic is… she does an interesting thing by blending magic into our physical understanding of the world with one-off comments like, “we all know einstein was a magician.” or something like that. i think it’s a very interesting concept and world to explore. unfortunately, there isn’t much of a story that evolves over time. each chapter is in third person, but (the good) you can tell that the third person is somewhat still written with the highlighted character in mind. this helps you really lean into each character. what flopped was the amount of time spent in the thoughts of each character. not to mention, we got to know each character all to well. much like certain shows and other books, this book lacks likable characters. sure, we understand them. we can even understand why they make the choices they make, even if some of them feel a tad unearned, but frankly, i didn’t care. the way i descriped it to others is that, it felt like season 1 of a netflix show. there is a hook, but the hook weakens over time, and your left wondering what you’re reading and why. there is nothing wrong with a single, unwavering hook or mystery. there just needs to be action and a story that rises and falls, keeping us, the readers, somewhat abreast to overarching conflict. by the end, i wasn’t shocked, but more confused as to why we spent all this time to get her. and even then, there wasn’t a lot of action in that pivotal moment. in fact, we bypass a moment that could have been filled with it. and when i say action, i don’t mean fight scenes and epic obstacles now overcome, but just… simply moving the plot forward. all in all, this book almost got a 3 out of 5 for me but when i asked myself who my favorite character was, i didn’t really have one… which is sad when the strength of the book primarily lies in her character building ability. maybe the next book will be better but onto the next.