My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars
4.25★
When I pick up a middle-grade novel, I'm aware that the pacing will be fast, the characters cartoony and lots of whimsy. Well, I was only right in the whimsy and joy, cause this was a pleasant surprise to me.
Faring very well, 550 pages didn't feel excessive or slow, rather a buildup for the explosive finale. It was so entertaining to see the entire cast make selfish decisions to resolve the conflict, only to collapse. From the cosy beginning to a descriptive rise and a classic fantasy ending. The vibes were immaculate.
I must admit, the cast of secondary characters was insanely appealing to me. Elinor was such a relatable character (from her love of books to her opinions on solitude), and I'm excited to see more of her. Dustfingers is for me the perfect example of a morally grey individual: he does what's best for him and him only, but beholds a kind nature willing to help others, and that's what makes him get into all these sorts of encounters. Especially when Farid is introduced, I became the biggest fan of their relationship (a speed-up adoption, as I like to call it). Farid is such an endearing character to read, how hard he tries nonchalantly.
Lastly, Basta, I have a lot of opinions about him, and none are negative. Maybe I looked too deeply into him, but he has a certain level of easy-to-feel relationship. In my head, he has OCD, haha. His superstitions make him feel more real and palpable; his backstory and his relationship to Capricorn made me feel even more sorry. Despite how kin I became of him, it is true he is supposed to be unlikeable, and makes up a great villain, and now in the second instalment I have high hopes for him. I'm also very interested in how Teresa's mutism is gonna be dealt with.
The concept was so comforting, the love for books impregnated each page and made me feel child-like joy catching references. So, so fun!
I'll soon get into the second one (the seller from the indie bookstore I picked up the first volume at was shocked when I came for the second one in less than a week lol)
Also, if you pick this up, make sure to listen to The Amazing Devil with it. Trust me.
No comments:
Post a Comment