Challenge #23 ~ “Pick a genre and read nominated books from three different years of the Goodreads Choice Awards – Book 2: YA Fantasy (2013).”
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
My opinion in three sentences:
The book grew on me as I read further, so much so that I hunted down copies of the rest of the series at my local library (online, obviously, given the current pandemic). The characters were a strong, eclectic bunch with a good amount of humour, which helped to hide the weaker state of the plot, and made for an overall enjoyable read. That being said, there was a good deal of floundering at the start for readers not familiar with Carriger’s other series set in the same universe, as the world-building was rather lacking, preferring the baptism by fire approach over much background on the supernatural or technological twists infused into Victorian England.
(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:
Do you remember a time when books were light-hearted, carefree and just quirky stories for the fun of it? That’s the essence Carriger embraces here, and whilst none of the literary elements are really perfect, the spirit of the novel carries the reader through. It’s fun, there are puns, there’s humour, and whilst (if you really sit down and think about it) small details of the world are questionable or convenient, none of that matters or really detracts from the story being told. I took a while to get to grips with what was going on, sure, but I never once considered abandoning it, and it still ended up with a four-star rating – need I say more?
A warning for the book:
This book, and indeed this series, is set in a fictional universe already established by another series. This wasn’t something I realised going in and, whilst in an ideal world the first of this series and the first of the other would both provide the required background, that sadly wasn’t the case. I stumbled around blindly for the first third or so trying to find my feet in a historical world with a paranormal and technological twist, which detracted from the real enjoyment. Even at the end, there are still some aspects to the universe I haven’t figured out, but from immersion alone, the book can still make for a fair read.
Recommended for fans of:
- I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
- Timekeeper by Tara Sim
- The Ring of Rocamadour by Michael D. Beil
Dreaming With Your Eyes Wide Open 