Unfortunately it probably will be one of my most disappointing reads of 2020. Because I was hoping for so much more.
Before I get to the real review I want to preface this with two thoughts that don't reflect my rating, but definitely skewed my review of it.
First is I dont know if I just didnt pay attention that well to the synopsis but the setting completely threw me for a loop. I guess when people say "Fantasy book," I dont think of something like this. I was excited to get into an actual fantasy world, but this is set in our modern time New York. Also I feel like just including some magical beasts doesnt quite make it feel fantasy either. This book reads more like a SuperHero novel or tale, and if that still qualifies as Fantasy, then I guess the mistake is on my terminology.
Second, I LOVE Phoenix's. I one day dream to write my own Phoenix inspired novel. So this kind kind of hurt and helped my view of. On the one hand I love that the main character loves Phoenixs and alot of what happens involves them, but on the other hand this book wasnt very good so its even more wasted potential.
Lets start this review off with the bad:
-World Building, its practically non existent. You'll read the whole book and it treats you like you just already know how everything works. By the end you can make accurate assumptions, but most of the time I kept thinking, Wtf is Gleamcraft? How are people using these wands? How is this Armor made? WTF is the Crowned Dreamer. (Seriously the wands are so unexplained I literally kept imaging those fake plastic ones with stars at the end.)
-Characters, some of the most frustrating Ive had the displeasure to read from. The villains are mostly not fleshed out in the slightest. But who cares about the villains when our heroes are terrible. The two that win the award for biggest douche and douchette is Maribelle and Brighton.
Maribelle is...reasonable, still annoying and has issues but you can see where shes coming from. But shes such a bitch if I was Iris I would have knocked her the fuck out. Plus all she can do is "levitate", I dont see how she was even that useful, but apparently she was.
Now lets get to Brighton...hot damn is he one of the worst fucking characters. Absolutely irredeemable. He doesnt deserve friends, and he sure as fuck didnt deserve Emil. He's such a pompous, clout-chasing, asshole. Almost every word or thought he had made my skin scrawl, he more than anything would make me not want to pick up the sequel.
(Spoilers: Seriously...like the whole ending where Ness got captured and Gravesend got captured ONLY because Emil refused to leave without searching the whole building for his fucking brother. Just because this idiot didnt have the balls to tell anyone hes leaving. Seriously fuck this guy, he did nothing, who gives a fuck if you gave them some good social media points, god I hate him.)
Emil doesnt make the good characters list, but he was ok. Just kind of a wet blanket to follow. Like he was just too vanilla and boring and sucked with his powers.
The Good is primarily just the other characters.
Iris and Eva were fine. Atlas doesnt make the list just because his relationship with Maribelle doesnt seem real with how stupid she is.
But Ness and Prudencia were probably the best. They were the most logical and competent people and I think I would read the sequel just to make sure my baby Ness is ok.
I think the twists werent too bad either, I think once you get about 70% of the way the book ends pretty smoothly. Most of the rest just isnt super interesting, and it doesnt feel like alot happens. So again, not a bad book, but not good. An unfortunate average book.
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