Lately, I’ve been looking for a lot of standalone fantasy stories. I really like getting into a novel and know that this one book contains that satisfactory ending I so crave. Don’t get me wrong, I love series, too. But I hate waiting for the next book to come out and sometimes I don’t get the time to read them. As I was searching for my next read, I saw the cover and description for this novel and it just grabbed my attention right away. I read this book in audiobook format so I will be making some comments on my experience listening to it being narrated. Here is my review:
Summary (Goodreads): In New York City, magic controls everything. But the power of magic is fading. No one knows what is happening, except for Sydney—a new, rare magician with incredible power that has been unmatched in decades, and she may be the only person who is able to stop the darkness that is weakening the magic. But Sydney doesn’t want to help the system, she wants to destroy it.
Review:
This was everything I wanted and I am SO GLAD I decided to read it on a whim!
This was an urban fantasy, set in New York City. It reminded me a lot of Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz and Gossip Girl in the way that it described the various families that hold magic and the political maneuvering that was done in this society. I actually found all of that intrigue and drama to be just as exciting as the actual magical fighting. While this wasn’t a story that delved deep into how spells were cast, I found that those details were unnecessary; this wasn’t a story about someone discovering their powers, it was a story full of darkness, plotting, and revenge.
I thought the writing was fantastic and the characters were really well developed. I must admit, however, that there was an extensive cast and that made it hard to follow the story at times. This was made more difficult since I was listening to the story; even though the narrator changed her voice to suit the different characters, it was easy to get them confused in the beginning, especially with the more minor ones. However, once I got it sorted, I was able to fully enjoy the story.
I loved that this was all about the dark side of magic. There was a grittiness, an edge to the world portrayed in this story that gave it more depth. I loved the way the plot unfolded, with various twists and turns and revelations. I was also very pleased with the presence of strong female leads; the girls kicked ASS in this novel!
If you couldn’t already tell, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had grit, it had dark aspects to it, and featured distinct and strong female characters! I will definitely be reading more by this author. This book gets 4/5 stars from me!
Happy reading ~