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Please Note: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Fierce and ambitious, Aina Solís as sharp as her blade and as mysterious as the blood magic she protects. After the murder of her parents, Aina takes a job as an assassin to survive and finds a new family in those like her: the unwanted and forgotten.
Her boss is brutal and cold, with a questionable sense of morality, but he provides a place for people with nowhere else to go. And makes sure they stay there.
DIAMOND CITY: built by magic, ruled by tyrants, and in desperate need of saving. It is a world full of dark forces and hidden agendas, old rivalries and lethal new enemies.
To claim a future for herself in a world that doesn't want her to survive, Aina will have to win a game of murder and conspiracy—and risk losing everything.
Full of action, romance and dark magic, book one of Francesca Flores' breathtaking fantasy duology will leave readers eager for more!
Review:
I was really looking forward to reading this book. The description was so promising: Magic, murder, conspiracy... What I actually read was a frail attempt at a redo of Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass. With weak world-building, ridiculous backstories, and a highly unsympathetic main character, I really disliked this book.
What I Liked:
via GIPHY
What I Was Mixed About:
Abusive Relationships:
The main character is an orphan who is taken in by an older teen who promises to protect her if she becomes his assassin (remind you of another book?). He alternately praises her, and hits her. At the beginning of the book, she can't see that this is abusive, and is even attracted to him! I found this very disturbing.
I did like that this is eventually acknowledged as unhealthy. The book also shows how complex these situations can be. If one is in the middle of an abusive relationship, it can be hard to even recognize it. One might feel that they deserve to be treated badly. Ultimately, I couldn't judge her for getting sucked into a toxic situation.
Pacing:
While I thought there were some truly exciting action sequences, there were also times when the exposition got in the way of the story. There is one particular action scene at the end of the book that is full of tension and explosions. And then, in the middle of the scene, the action comes to a screeching halt in order to explain the big reveal.
There was should be no need to explain anything at that point. Clues should have been sprinkled throughout the book so that when we find out the big secret, the reader thinks, "Oh, I should have realized this!"
What I Didn't Like:
World-Building:One of the fun aspects of reading about a magical world is learning I how the magic works. Apparently, some people can use diamonds to use magic. But how they do it (or why they needed diamonds, in particular) was never fully revealed. There's not even much of an explanation of what the capabilities of the magic are. This was really frustrating as a reader.
Also, the magic doesn't really play an important role in the overall plot of the book. None of the main characters can use magic. And the plot is driven more from a massive conspiracy, rather than anything magical.
Cringe-worthy Backstories:
Aina meets Ryuu, a wealthy orphan who's brother is her target. Ryuu explains how their parents died and Ryuu's brother had to take over the family empire...at TEN YEARS OLD!
via GIPHY
No Moral high ground:
Of course, any book about assassins will be filled with murders. But usually, the main character has some sense of guilt about killing others. But Aina seems to accept her mentor Kohl's ridiculous reasoning about killing. Don't blame the assassin, they are just the weapon. Blame the person who ordered the assassination. Shouldn't we blame both? Saying that they are just doing their job is a moral cop out. It doesn't erase a person's culpability.
Eventually, Aina begins to understand that killing is wrong. She even says, that life is precious. But then, in the next chapter, she is back to killing random people without a second thought!!! What???
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When a character has a moral epiphany, they can't then backslide without consequences! In this case, the consequence was me losing any warmth for the main character.
Rating:
Release Date: January 28th, 2020
Author: Francesca Flores
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 400 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: I found the book to be inconsistent with some serious flaws. I cannot recommend this book.
