Leigh Bardugo

Splendid, I relished every page. This is certainly on the higher end of Young Adult fiction I've read. I like how Barudgo doesn't compromise on who her characters are, there aren't any unearned arcs or change of personality. While the scenarios are bombastic and thrilling, the quieter moments shine through as well. Mattias' (very) short chapter near the end was beautifully written. Loved this fantasy-novel meets Ocean's Eleven style story, the villains are easy to root against and the cons are inventive. Ketterdam was a great setting too. Definitely keen to read more of the Grishaverse.… (mer)

The beginning was pretty good, the end was... better than the middle, at least, and the middle was just boring. If you're like me and you spend too much time inside your own head, thinking over everything to do instead of actually doing it - this book is like that. Also, Alina seems to be convinced that Mal is the greatest thing since peanut butter, and I just don't see it. Plus, I'm sick to death of "plain" female characters who spend most of their time going around feeling unworthy because of their debilitating plainness.

All that said, I loved Bardugo's Six of Crows, and I liked the first book in this trilogy well enough that I'll probably go ahead and read the third one just to see how it all turns out.… (mer)