User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
i must have done something good in another life because i have no idea how else i lucked out to get an ARC of this. it wasnt even on my 2021 release radar, but i am absolutely blown away.
this gave me everything i have been craving recently - a band of rebels, a compelling enemy, a unique world, root-worthy characters, engaging writing, and a high-stakes plot. there was actually a scene where my jaw DROPPED. its one of the most shocking moments i have read in a book in a long time.
honestly, if you told me marie lu wrote this, i would have believed you. this story feels like it came from a seasoned writer of the genre, so i am very impressed. this is an absolute must read when it comes out in a few months!
such a massive thanks to simon & schuster publishing for the ARC! ↠ 4.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
*ARC sent by the publisher -Simon & Schuster- for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.* ATTENTION! if you're interested in some
afterlife, magical cyberpunk, Westworld meets Warcross goodness filled with rebel groups, high stakes plot, and captivating characters, that will leave you with something to think about-- I introduce this book to you :)
[5/13/21: Goodreads got glitchy again and deleted my review for this book so this is me reuploading it; would recommend you check out your review for this book to if you have left one]
my mind is completely REELING right now…
AHHHHH. I’m still trying to process what I just went through. There was really one page that I feel like I read 20 times and I-- the way this whole book ended had me questioning everything. It's not perfect but this was the good time I needed.
"Infinity was never built for you. It was built for dreamers."
It’s about being attached to what keeps you human and how different people see that; that in an era of technology filled with infinite possibilities… we need to remember that we are still imperfect… but that’s what makes us real.
I went from a 4.0 -> 4.25 for the sole reason that the ending just lives in my head rent-free
“I’m not sure destroying something we don’t understand is how we prove we deserve to survive.”
A lot of cultures believe that death is when you get to rest and live in peace, but what happens when you get to the afterlife and it isn't? It was cool to see that play out and I love the writing style in the sense that it really picks up the pacing and manages to build a world in a very short amount of time. It's really hard to do world-building, plot, and make people care for the characters all at once but boy WAS I
HOOKED. I do think there could have been better world-building and more time spent on character relationships but given the span of the pages, I'm far from saying I didn't enjoy it. I audibly gasped at multiple scenes despite everything.
This is the most surprising book I have read so far this year (in the best way possible) and the first book I binged through in a while... and it was FUN. After all the recent books I read, this felt like a breath of fresh air. I loved what Akemi Dawn Bowman chose to focus on in the story and it played out so well in my opinion. It was
wholesome but dreamy and we all need that kind of story sometimes.
“You don’t have to be special to be important.”
Nami struggles with complicated feelings about the new world that she is in.
She's relatable, makes mistakes, and feels entirely human. She isn't a pushover and constantly questions everything and you're just going to be trying to figure out what's going on the whole time that there's no time to build theories. And either way, you're probably going to be wrong xD
I really thought the plot was going to go one way and then it didn't and my brain is still in disbelief T_T
“So next time, don’t think about being anyone other than who you are. Because our ability to control our consciousness? That’s the most human thing in the world.”
At first, I thought that this had one of my least favorite magic systems, what I like to call: “just because” magic systems. This means when some people have powers “just because” they have them without any background or structure/origin but turns out that wasn't the case and I actually found the concept of their "powers" to be quite original. I do think there were some missed chances on creating more complexity but I really was just in it for the fun.
The writing style has its humor and is easy to get through while still possessing nuance. The way character relationships and dynamics were written was compelling enough that I couldn’t put this book down.
It explores different mentalities and reactions when it comes to war — which is always one of my favorite themes in fantasy because there are so many views and discussions that can be derived from it — mixing that with a science fiction story about the afterlife... *chefs kiss*There were nuanced discussions on human belief and having to question “good” and “evil”, and whether certain actions can be justified.
"Maybe the world could be like that too. A mixture of ideas. A placed where we could all coexist."
I’m trying to avoid spoilers but I like that we saw how
Nami's mindset gradually grew into what it was and it wasn’t something that was just dumped.
There were a few and very specific times when I thought that Nami’s beliefs didn’t match her actions, like when she’s willing to take down certain people when a few pages ago she was against the idea and so I just found that quite odd. Her mind just kept shifting but it was in very select circumstances and I do get why it was written like that. Again, it made her human and entirely relatable. I usually like more descriptive writing and there were times when it was cheesy... but there was a point where I stopped caring about the cheesy one liners.
may I also bring your attention to: a
SLOW BURN ROMANCE THAT DOESN’T FOCUS ON THE ROMANCE!! the “romance” wasn’t even necessarily a subplot or anything, it was literally just there but at the same time it wasn’t, if that makes sense... just how I like my fantasy
↣ If you’re someone who likes stories of science fictional rebel groups… honestly the whole atmosphere of this book reminds me of Star Wars if it was set in the afterlife rather than in space... you’re gonna enjoy this one. Especially if you’re looking for Sci-Fi that doesn’t have too many new terms to familiarize yourself with, I think this is a good place to start. ↢
just... OHMYGOD YOU GUYS.... THIS BOOK.
The fact that it's about dreamers longing for a place to belong... a theme I am so in love with, I was there for everything from beginning to end. My heart is literally broken right now and I am SHAKING to get the next book.
“I wonder if infinity is enough time to heal a broken heart.”
...I truly wonder. Sorry for the long review, hehe.
— 3.75 —⇢ content warnings// (Death, Gun Violence, References to Torture, Threat)
✧ you can find this review and more on my blog ✧
Rating: really liked it
I left an author note on this one pre-publication, but it looks like it somehow got deleted. So just a reminder that:
1. This book is the first in a trilogy.
2. It has enemies-to-lovers.
3. It's a mash-up of superpowers, robots, and Jane Austen (ie, all the things I love).
Thank you, readers. Infinitely grateful to all of you for being the reason I get to keep writing stories <3
Rating: really liked it
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you Simon & Schuster Canada). All thoughts and opinions are my own. ✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ World-building/original concept
✅ Rebel group/spying
✅ Action
✅ Engaging writing
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 Romance
🆗 Ending
I was really (pleasantly) surprised by this book. There is a feisty band of rebels, a compelling and complex enemy, a unique world-building, and a high-stakes plot. The writing is engaging, and I got hooked up from the very first chapter. The concept is so interesting! It’s like imagining that we die, only to realize that Siri has taken over the afterlife and is turning humans into mindless servants. It is a good blend of sci-fi and fantasy, and I definitely recommend reading it!
“Infinity was never built for you; it was built for dreamers.”
Infinity was created from human consciousness because it needed somewhere to go after the physical body died. When Nami is killed on her way to a party, she wakes up in Infinity, and gets involved, despite herself, with a group of human rebels fighting to destroy the evil AI queen Ophelia.
"Fundamentally, we want the same thing.
So why can't we be on the same side?"
Nami struggles a lot with her allegiance in the fight opposing rebel humans and Residents (dead humans who have accepted to give up their free will and obey AI queen Ophelia). She wants to help the humans to regain their freedom, but she is opposed to the idea of killing every single Resident to achieve it. She wants to believe and hope that some Residents can be redeemed and could learn to coexist with the humans if given the chance.
“I’m not sure destroying something we don’t understand is how we prove we deserve to survive.”
She also feels like an outsider because even among the humans, she stands out. She is the only one believing that peace might be possible, or that some Residents should be given a chance to redeem themselves or show that they are not all horrible. The Resistance wants her to just hate the Residents without any questions, but Nami clings to the hope that there might be a better solution than extermination.
"Does feeling bad for monsters make me a monster?"
I love how Nami continued to hope, even though everyone was telling her how wrong she was and how she appeared to be their enemy because of what she was saying. On the other hand, she was a little naïve at times, and she refused to listen to people who had had years and even centuries of experience in Infinity because she thought she knew how to peacefully solve the ongoing conflict, and she thought she was the only one who could see things clearly. I admit that I had trouble connecting with her because of that.
There is a touch of romance in The Infinity Courts, and it’s a hate-to-love kind so I was super excited when I saw where it was going, but at the same time, it felt as if we skipped the whole “developing feelings and changing my mind about you” part. The romance just suddenly was part of the story. So even though I adore the hate-to-love trope, the development of Nami and Gil’s relationship was not especially good and left me a little disappointed.
The beginning of the story is fast-paced, and it keeps moving. There is a good mix of action, politics, spying, and self-reflection. I couldn’t stop reading once I started, and it only got more addictive as the story went on. The last 50 pages had me at the edge of my seat. There is a huge plot twist near the end, and I love plot twists, especially since I did not see that one coming at all. I honestly am not sure how I feel about the ending though. It is not a bad ending, but it does not feel satisfying at all, especially after everything that happened in the book, it is one of the downsides of this book, but besides that, I really enjoyed it.
"Maybe the world could be like that too. A mixture of ideas. A placed where we could all coexist."
Fanarts by Cylène Corpier
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Rating: really liked it
I see Akemi's name on a book and I literally
do not even care what the book is about. It could be about basically ANYTHING and I would read it and love it because Akemi is brilliant and I adore her. ♥ That said... this sounds AWESOME.
Rating: really liked it
Ok, I’m sad.
This book was *not* what I expected.
I was so excited to read this. The premise is right up my alley: A SFF YA with a biracial AAPI protagonist that takes place in the afterlife which has been conquered by fictional-Siri?? Amazing. Stunning. Can’t wait.
And in the beginning, I had hope. But Nami died a few pages in and it was all downhill from there.
This book hit so many of my personal pet peeves that listing them all would be exhausting, but in the name of the common good I’ll do my darnedest.
1. There is little to no world-building. This book is nearing 500 pages and I could not tell you anything about the afterlife other than the fact that it's split into four "courts" and run by attractive AIs who are obsessed with being like humans while simultaneously wiping them out.
2. The writing style is drowning in metaphor and simile and the result is melodrama. A few examples (not hard to find, there are as many as 4 per paragraph):
"My heart crumbles to ash..."
"I feel the sting of her words like paper cuts all over my skin..."
"(discarding me) like I’m an empty bottle or a used up battery.”
I love a good metaphor or simile, seriously, sign me up, but when every other sentence opts for elementary flowery language over actually telling the damn story I'm gonna get annoyed.
3. This book contains all of your favourite YA tropes! The chosen one, the gruff tough love interest who is only soft for MC, insta-love, MC catches the eye of a prince, a whole war/rebellion sits upon the shoulders of a teenager... I could go on. But I'm tired. Is this what being old feels like?
4. Our protagonist feels several years younger than her age. Nami is apparently 18, but she acts like an immature 15-year-old throughout. This book seems better suited to a middle-grade audience than a young adult one.
5. I have never read a more repetitive book in my life. If I told you that LITERALLY EVERY CHAPTER the MC is musing over the exact same conundrums and asking herself the exact same questions, often worded in the exact same ways, would you believe me? Well you should, because it's true. I felt like I didn't even know our main character by the end of the book because she only ever had the same 4 thoughts in her internal monologue. Thinking about gruff boy, reminding herself that she's a big sister, wondering if AIs deserve to live, too, and wondering what to wear. For real, that's it. She's in an afterlife that's been taken over by AI after being murdered for god sake and this is the extent of what's in her head??
(If you haven't been deterred from reading this one, yet, I dare you to take a shot every time Nami thinks "Is this what's waiting for May? For my family??" and report back. Or maybe don't. You might die depending on your reading speed).
6. Nami is as sanctimonious and holier than thou as it gets. She's selfish, stuck in her perception of what's right and wrong, judgemental, and willing to endanger everyone around her on a whim. She's also constantly contradicting herself.
7. There are no stakes. We're supposed to worry about these characters dying... except... they're already dead. This is the afterlife. Maybe it's just the atheist in me, but do they really need to "live" forever? Seems like the afterlife is kind of a drag, tbh. I'll take oblivion for 500, Alex.
8. Nami doesn't understand the concept of developing new relationships and it's exhausting. She’s like, “they’re not my parents or siblings but maybe it’s ok to care about them?” Have you never heard of a fucking friend, Nami??? Good lord.
9. This book ends in the classic "gotta hook readers so they'll read the sequel" way that always pisses me off. In my humble opinion, even a book that is part of a series should have a satisfying end. This book's ending felt like someone ripped out the last few pages.
Ok.
I'm worked up now so I'll switch to the positives for a sec. I liked the concept and the twist was kind of interesting.
Ok, that's it.
So, yeah. I'm sad.
Actually, scratch that. I'm mad.
This book had SO MUCH potential and it squandered it in the most baffling way.
Would not recommend unless you feel like being irrationally angry for several days.
Trigger Warnings: death
VIDEO RANT REVIEW: (coming soon)
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Rating: really liked it
Dnf 26%
I am so sad this didn’t work for me. I’ve been waiting for this book for 2+ years so the disappointment is real. I’ve debated dnfing this book for literally 3 days before having the courage to actually do it, because I feel so bad about it it’s not even funny.
This is just such basic YA and I have no patience for these kinds of plot anymore. It’s not like I was hating it or something, there was simply nothing that kept my attention high enough to want to reach the end. I know myself well enough as a reader to predict I would give this one a 3/2.5 star rating and I don’t feel like it’s fair to keep going.
Rating: really liked it
I wanted to like this. I wanted to love it. And for the first few chapters, I completely did. I liked the character and the writing and the world of the afterlife seemed so cool and new. I was so excited to keep reading. So I did. And then I stopped liking it.
I struggled with the characters and the pacing and the repetitiveness of the story and its themes.First, the characters. All the side characters felt generic to me. All were very tropey, I knew how each of them would turn out from the moment they are introduced. Then there was Nami, the MC. I thought I was really going to like her, based on her introduction when she was still alive, and even a bit after she died and entered the afterlife. Then she became annoying to me. She constantly went on about how she's not a hero, yet has such a raging hero complex. I love that she's selfless at times and willing to sacrifice herself for others, but the fact that she's so focused on saving a single random individual that she's willing to endanger the entire community angered me.
The main issue I had with the MC is one that ties into the story's repetitiveness that I mentioned. Nami brought up a lot of moral questions throughout the novel on what it means to be human and who deserved a second chance. Nami also acknowledged that the bad guys also had some valid points and that perhaps they too deserved their freedom, maybe even at the cost of humans. All of this was great. I love when books like this bring up the morals of their actions and actually acknowledge the villain's side.
Except that
every other chapter there at least one paragraph of Nami going through this same moral crisis in her head and each time it was exactly the same. It was exhausting hearing her repeat the same inner monologue and same moral questions over and over. There was no subtlety. The author really beats you over the head with this and doesn't let the reader draw their own conclusion and morals.
Then there were the relationships between the characters. They somehow took forever and yet felt rushed. So much happened and yet nothing happened.
Their relationships developed over a long period of time, and yet very suddenly. I don't know how else to explain that.
The worldbuilding was cool in concept but I have so many questions. Too much was just vaguely explained.
Too many things weren't explained at all. And I usually don't care if a book had vague world-building, but when a story's plot is so heavily entwined with the world, I'm going to need more info.Throughout the book, I kept thinking I might give the book at least three stars but then I put it down one day because it was dragging and forgot about it for almost a week. I had no interest in going back to it. I had honestly forgotten I was reading it. And when a book means so little to you that you have no desire to even keep going, that's not a three-star book. Continuing to read it felt like a drag afterward, I just wanted it to end. The last few chapters did pick up a bit, but by then, I was just tired.
Overall, this was an ok book. The writing style was fine.
The concept was super interesting. But this just wasn't for me. I hope you all have better luck with it. I wasn't really feeling it with this one and won't be reading book two.
Rating: 2.5/5**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**Follow Me Here Too:
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Rating: really liked it
See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the lovely May @ Dreamer of Books and Coffee for buddy reading with me!4.5/5 starsThe Infinity Courts is an imaginative take on the afterlife with complicated characters and plot twists that will keep you guessing!At first, I presumed this book would be your run-of-the-mill evil AI story. But
The Infinity Courts is so much more than that! It brings up some deeper questions while still being a fun sci-fi novel. It's probably one of my favorite books of the month!
After Nami dies she wakes up in a strange place called the Infinity Courts, where an AI assistant from Earth, Ophelia, has taken over as that strange afterlife as its queen. Humans are offered a pill that is supposed to take their pain away, but little do they know that it's actually a ruse to steal their consciousnesses and turn them into servants, much like Ophelia was on Earth. When Nami refuses the pill, she is rescued by rebels who, with their intact consciousnesses, intend to take down the AIs and regain the afterlife for the humans.
The one element I wasn't 100% on was the worldbuilding. I love the idea of the worldbuilding and I love most of the execution, but I had a few questions. For example, if this is an afterlife why aren't there more old people? That is the most common age to die. If these are all the dead people ever, why aren't there people from different time periods? It requires a suspension of belief, which is something I'd rather not have to do.
I really enjoyed Nami as an MC. She brought up some important questions that are normally glossed over in this kind of story. Do a few bad people doom the whole group? Just because AI are artificial, does that mean they aren't people too? Though that might have even been overplayed, I like that those questions were brought to mind. I could have done without all the sacrifice-everyone-for-one-stranger shtick that she had going, but I did like her compassion.
This was a very thought-provoking read. But not annoyingly so; the sci-fi elements take care of that. But it was thought-provoking in the way that all books about death are. Life's greatest mystery, no? There were also some questions raised by our main character about the AI that I really enjoyed and believe can be applied to real life too.
I was enjoying the story, but the moment I knew that I was going to rate this book five stars instead of four-and-a-half was when all the plot twists started dropping like bombs in the last 10%. I mean...what? How on earth am I supposed to wait until 2022 for book two now?
All in all, I loved this book. I would highly recommend it, and you better believe I'm buying a physical copy ASAP!
Rating: really liked it
“Infinity was never built for you; it was built for dreamers.”4.5☆ — I'm in so much pain just sick to my stomach. akemi dawn bowman please pay for my therapy??!?!! no because like I knew I was bound to love this book so much as Bowman has become one of my favorite authors. Her way with writing, she always knows how to make words hit on such a deep personal level. Let me just get this out of the way because THE PLOT TWIST genuinely ruined my life, I'm utterly rendered speechless still reeling from it. But wow just wow, the world-building was so dazzling to read with this new take on consciousness in the afterlife. There's some particular lines on how humanity treats each other and it's powerful hitting especially in times of right now. I felt for Nami so much, at first I wish she could go back to life because she still had so much life to live, but I'm glad she found her footing in Infinity and found family. She was frustrating at times but I wasn't that frustrated because I understood her, why she always sees the good in people and always looks for alternative routes not wanting blood on her hands. This is only the second Bowman book I've read but I've noticed this with her mcs like they can be frustrating, but not because knowing what they've been through and putting yourself in their shoes you know where they're coming from with how they feel.
The romance in this book though definitely a big factor in getting me through it not gonna lie, Nami and Gil literally had me going insane at every turn with all of their moments. They served somewhat grumpy/sunshine trope with Gil kind of a pain at first as he was hesitant to trust her at all especially with Nami seeing the good in the Colony's enemies. Their slow burn and tension done so well, especially the angst seeing similar emotional scars in each others' souls, and once they started to soften up and feelings grown they served cute tropes that gave me that buzz. Ophelia is an interesting big bad, I'm interested in seeing more of her. It was Ophelia's dialogue on what she's concluded about humans, their emotions and treatments of each other that was an authentic truth to world events as of right now. Would rant more about all the characters especially Gil, Annika, Theo, Shura, and Ahmet making up Nami's found family in the Colony who mean the world to me and then the intriguing Resident princes like Caelan and Ettore. Infinity Courts just shocked me to the core I don't think I'll be recovering any time soon til the sequel next year. Pitched as Warcross meets Black Mirror fans of those and fans of Bowman's previous books will definitely find this a captivating, hitting in the heart and action-packed read!
“Maybe we'll always be like mismatched magnets pushing away from each other whenever we get too close.”
Rating: really liked it
This book is like a rollercoaster. You make the slow and steady ascendent, and then, all of a sudden, you come crashing downwards. It's thrilling, exciting, and utterly terrifying.
In this book, you meet Nami who has the perfect life planned out. She's got a supportive family, friends, and a date to go to. But that all is unended when she is murdered. She then wakes up and finds herself in Infinity, where the human consciousness goes after death. She is thrust into the middle of a rebellion and struggles to find her place.
The Infinity Courts does what other rebellion-driven story has done. It makes you question your reality and feelings, like "Is the "bad side" truly bad?" This book toys with the idea of morality, and what it means to be a good person, a theme highly relevant in the real world right now. It also deals with the ethics of wiping out an entire race. I bring that up because I tend to see the idea of genocide "glorified" in some fantasy books and I love how Bowman approached the topic.
This blends into my next point. Nami. I truly think Nami is the best main character I have ever read about. I love how human she is, her strong morals, and her empathy. It's been so long since I have deeply related to the main character like I did with Nami. She finds herself between two sides and never once villainizes them. Her strong morals make her an outcast in the rebellion but she never changes.
I loved all the relationships in this book. The found family within the rebellion was so refreshing to see and Nami and Gil's relationship- Ugh enemies to lovers perfection. Gil keeps Nami centered and I loved seeing their relationship progress.
NOW THE ENDING. PAIN. Okay so, I am not often surprised and ending because I can usually predict them. But this one hit me like a truck. I audibly gasped and it left me desperately wanting the next book.
This is honestly my favorite read of the year so far and I will never be the same after this...
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars.
Content + Trigger Warnings: death, murder, gun violence, references to torture, underage drinking (mention), gore, injuries/wounds, mind manipulation/control, nightmares (trauma related), forced servitude, threat
Growing up, I devoured just about any sci-fi/fantasy books I could get my hands on. However, being a multiracial person, it was difficult to find any books in the genre with characters who looked like me or that I felt represented by. Naturally, my interest was instantly piqued when I learned about the upcoming release of The Infinity Courts. While Akemi Dawn Bowman was a new-to-me author, I had heard high praise of her writing from friends and was eager to read a sci-fi starring a biracial protagonist who, like me, is of Japanese ancestry. I try not to have any expectations when going into a fresh reading experience, but The Infinity Courts delivered everything I’d been craving and more. Days after finishing the book, my mind is still racing from the thrill ride, and I’m already itching to reread it when I get the chance.
Read my full review here!
Rating: really liked it
buddy read with my girl Macy!
WHAT.
this book gets an extra star just for THAT ENDING! omg Akemi Dawn Bowman better pay for my hospital bills after the heart attack i received during those last 60 pages… i was no prepared, and i demand immediate answers in the form of book #2!!
The Infinity Courts was so much better than i expected, and i loved every minute of reading this book. i was obsessed and sucked in from the very first page, and bowman’s writing is absolutely brilliant! the concept is unique, the characters were lifelike - i have no complaints. the MC was beautifully written in the way that she wasn’t perfect and she sometimes made mistakes, and i really loved that.
overall, i’m just so glad i read this, and i can’t wait for the rest of the series!!
Rating: really liked it
First of all, you're going to want to scroll right by this review because it probably won't be the best one to read if you want an objective take on the story. Why? Because this book put me into a week long slump (which doesn't sound like a lot but it felt like three years). So this story is on my shitlist.
This was my first read by Bowman and despite my strugglebus experience with reading it, I
would try her again. I think this was definitely a story-specific problem, not necessarily a writing problem, which is a bummer as while the cover definitely hooked me (so pretty!) it was the plot that made me take a second look.
I will contradict myself here by saying that one of the main issues was writing-specific because this is.. lengthy and repetitive and basically takes two issues and not only beats you over the head with them but also to death. Which is hilarious as this story follows a bunch of dead people (not a spoiler). But basically we ruminate (ad nauseaum) over the concept of what it means to be human, what it means to award second chances, and living (being dead?) with hope. Lots of talk of war, too. But while all that might sound interesting, it grew stale really quick because it seemed to be literal copy paste arguments over and over again, with nothing new to be said.
Unfortunately what seemed like a cool concept just felt flimsy and also confusing and I quickly lost any sense of what, well.. made sense. And with that ending.. I mean, I know it isn't a standalone (kinda wish it was, though) but still. What.
Will I read on? Right now it's a no for me, dawg, but honestly by the time the sequel releases I'll probably be back on my completionist kick and want to just wrap it up. Particularly as, at least right now, it seems to only be a duology.
I can't recommend this, at all, but that doesn't mean you won't like it. Again, maybe the slump made this all worse than it could've been, or it was just the wrong time for me, so if it strikes your interest, give it a try! Sample it. Borrow it. I hope your experience is better than mine.
1.5 stars (rounded up for now but likely to drop after release)
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the author (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Rating: really liked it
"Does feeling bad for monsters make me a monster?"Dang.
Okay. Wow. Where do I start? This was one of those books where I didn't know what to expect from it. The premise makes you think of a story about grappling with our own morality, and it is that, yes, but it's also so much more.
This was a story about injustice and humanity and
hope, set against a backdrop that somehow manages to be both grim and enchanting at once. There were so many conversations had in this book that felt as if they were putting some of my internal conflicts on display. I believe there is good and there is evil, but I've never been the kind of person to see the world as... defined as some do, which is Nami's main conflict.
"Fundamentally, we want the same thing.
So why can't we be on the same side?"Overall, though I had my problems with it, this was a
good book that completely blew my expectations out of the water and managed to shock me lol. If you''ve been debating on picking this one up, I'd recommend it for the author's ability at describing things with such clarity and magic.
(view spoiler)
[ OKAY IM SORRY SOMEONE SCREAM ABOUT THAT PLOT-TWIST WITH ME???? I spent this whole darn book hating Gil and rolling my eyes like 'Oh yes, never seen this character before🙄" AND THEN SHE COMPLETELY FLIPPED IT ON ITS HEAD WHAT THE HECKKKK (hide spoiler)]
