Fantastic book, and incredibly compelling protagonist
351802
This book!  I can't get enough.  It's so awesome.  The protagonist, Jude, is just so bad#*&$.  I love how unapologetically ambitious she is as she develops throughout this book.  She officially has my favorite line ever:  "If you hurt me, I wouldn't cry.  I would hurt you back."  SHE IS THE BEST.  She's so authentic.  And the book is amazingly written and lovely in every way.  Highly, recommend, really cannot recommend enough.
4210176
Such an exciting book! Nile is a great protagonist--strong, confident, brave and a little reckless. The author's world building is fascinating. The descriptions of the ships and tasks on board were so realistic. The supporting characters were unique, interesting and were great allies and antagonists. Domenic is a character I would love to know more about--he's mysterious, honorable in a murky situation, proud yet fair. Catsper is an interesting mix of strength and loyalty. I really want to know more about these characters back stories. Good character chemistry. Liddell writes such strong and intriguing female leads. She did much the same in The Cadet of Tildor and this is book most worthy to follow that spectacular debut. Please tell me the sequel is coming soon!
2043924
I fell in love with this protagonist. Not because shes likeable, but because she is so deeply, vividly human. We know what she feels and why, even when her interior landscape is difficult to map. The grief in this book is a specific grief, one bound up in the very real, complicated love Olivia has for her mother, and for her family. As she navigates that experience, our intimacy with her grows. Olivia is mourning, yes, but she is also darkly funny, and hungry for everything  love, beauty, experience. Food (seriously: this book has some killer meal descriptions). A truly unforgettable character, and an unforgettable debut from a writer were sure to hear more from soon.
2693315
I am absolutely in love with this book.  This fast-paced adventure fantasy was extremely hard to put down because there were twists and turns up, down and sideways.  Some I did see coming, but others surprised me and hit me very hard.  This book is intense, inspiring, thrilling and funny.  It's not often I see so much humor in a fantasy novel that can get very grim.

I believe the biggest and best part of the appeal in this book for me is the sense of hope in humanity.  The very best and the very worst of humanity is shown, but the indomitable spirit of mankind in the face of oppression is so inspiring.  The worst needed to be shown, to understand how powerful it is when people fight for what's right.  Even when it might seem hopeless.  The world in this novel has a bleak outlook - especially since the narrative takes place some time after the kind and idealistic King Paelis has died for his attempts to reform the politics of the land, but it's wonderful to see Falcio, Kest and Brasti impart their strength to other people through their actions.

The Three Musketeers was briefly mentioned in the synopsis, and while I think it is a good comparison in terms of the action and Falcio, Kest and Brasti are all excellent fighters who work together fluidly as a team, there is much more to them individually than fighting companions - they are not perfect and interestingly they are not even perfect friends.  These characters are a perfect complement when it comes to fighting skills, but their beliefs can be somewhat at odds.  Fortunately, their banter makes for fun humorous moments despite the tension that can come up between them and then it's easy to see why they remain together.  I found these men and their friendship to be very believable and it made them fantastic characters to carry the story.

However, Falcio is the leader and the main character, and the depth to him because of his tragic past and his need to atone and live up to the principles he holds dear was very moving.  There are many satisfying moments in this book when the reader sees how capable Falcio is as a fighter and how accomplished in his understanding of people; he's also very intelligent and cunning and I think it would be easy to make a character like this too idealized, but Falcio is flawed and damaged which makes him fascinatingly multi-faceted.

Flashbacks are an important part of the narrative - through them we see what happened in Falcio's past and the origin of the Greatcoats.  I was very impressed with how the flashbacks were worked into the story.  The flashbacks supported the main story perfectly and just enough was given to keep creating all of these intensely, emotional moments - because the flashback would give some information that enhanced the present-day story.  While the reader is concerned with Falcio and his men's attempts to complete their mission, we come to gradually understand the tragedy that led up to the present and the revelations are deeply poignant.

This book is a wonderful and exciting journey.  The only hitch in the story for me was towards the end when a couple things seemed too easily resolved.  But it was a very minor issue because this story offers an intelligent examination on our humanity that I found very profound at times especially when it was juxtaposed against truly awful situations.  Don't worry though, there's lots of swashbuckling action, wit and dark humor to counter the bleakness and the possibility of excessive sentimentalism.  (I did find myself tearing up many times anyways.)  I loved most everything about this book, it was a practically perfect read for me.

(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review.  I was not compensated for this review.)
294629
I loved this book, and am already anxiously awaiting the sequel. The author writes with such confidence that you get a feel for her heroine in the first few pages. Caitlin might be the definition of a reluctant hero, but that makes her story even more compelling. Cat's story shows what happens when everything you thought you knew is completely turned upside down. She finds strength she didn't know she has, as well as a dark side of things she could never fathom. A great book, and an incredibly impressive debut.
3454633
I loved it. Compelling, fun and moving at times as well.
What I really liked about the book (beside the plot, which might not be overly original, but is well rendered) was the charactarization of the protagonists.
Maybe it's because I'm getting tired of beautiful, allmighty, perfect heroes and heroines...but I loved how Martise and Silhara aren't always noble and brave; they are powerful (at least Silhara surely is) but still can fail and indeed sometimes they do, and while not being physically perfect and beautiful still manage to be realistically attractive and magnetic to each other and to the reader as well.
The book also has a few secondary nice characters...but the focus is mainly on the two protagonists and the narration switches every chapter (from what I've noticed) from one to the other, keeping it well balanced.

(originally posted on GoodReads.com)
1952757
Exactly the kind of high-concept, unfamiliar-territory kind of book I love most. Its not for every reader, to be sure, but it is very definitely for this one.

(Do be warned, though, that this book is quite brutal at points. Trigger warnings galore. These are by no means the core of the book, but that makes them doubly jarring when you do reach them.)

Ive accumulated Many Thoughts about this book, but a few central notes:

---

 At the level of sheer storytelling craft, Palmer is astounding. She makes the story do mid-air acrobatics here, and pulls it off.

 This book is a masterpiece of worldbuilding, and of exposition for that worldbuilding. Palmer excels at creating intriguing questions and promises; questions that are just begging to be answered. And every question she answers raises a new question, one layer further. (I hope she can keep it up to the finish, but so far shes done admirably with the answers as well.)

 Fantastic, fantastic ideas and themes. I particularly love the idea of sensayers, which the book opens with  its a complete reworking of the ideas of religion and theology. In many senses, some of what this book does is create a functioning future culture which is founded on very modern values: individualism; equality; global community. In the real world, our values sometimes feel at odds with a culture founded around less-recent principles. A world trying to extrapolate the kind of culture we might bring about is strange, unique, and fascinating.

 The novel leans on heavily stylized voice, and constant conversation with the reader. I absolutely loved it. I do suspect, though, that some readers will find this less delightful than I did. Its one of those books where you should really read the first couple of chapters as a sample; itll be a love-it-or-hate-it situation. I loved it.

 This is Part 1 of a duology. It cuts off very abruptly  with a reasonable stopping point, but abruptly nonetheless. I was a little shocked to realize I was two chapters from the end of the book.

 The audiobook narrator, Jefferson Mays, is excellent. Best reader Ive had the fortune to encounter so far. Incredibly expressive, a huge range for representing an epic and diverse cast of characters, never over the top, and makes even the narrative (and typographical!) gymnastics flow naturally. (I understand the printed book has some typographical tricks I probably missed in the audio, but somebody else will have to weigh in on those :P )
2441231
I started this book a few weeks after my first child was born. I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to focus, but Jemc's compelling, conceptual work kept me hanging from chapter to chapter. With each vignette, the story and characters unfolded in ways that were often surprising and suspenseful. Jemc's narrator--the husband--seems to be turning over his understanding of his wife like an opaque crystal ball, trying and trying to somehow make sense of her. The reading experience is engaging in much the same way--one is constantly compelled to turned the page to gain a clearer picture of these fascinating characters. A really fantastic read, and a truly impressive first novel.
4972631
One of the best YA books I have ever read, and my 10 and 11-year-old boy and girl loved it, too.  KM Topping has created a page-turning story within fascinating historical and geographic settings.  Her characters are entertaining, heroic, and flawed, in a wholly realistic and well-rounded way.  The writing is much higher quality than many other YA books I've read, and I learned things about parts of our continent and the sport of lacrosse that I'd never even heard of.  A wonderfully imaginative escape from our digital and commercial urban life.

Kudos to Topping for writing such an engaging and fulfilling book.  We are all waiting for the sequel, and the school librarian promises there is a chance the author will write one!
3349329
I'll be honest, The Archived is a straight-up good book. Exciting, unpredictable, original. Sure its got its issues and I didn't fail to notice them, but , inevitably, I would find myself so engrossed 10 pages later that I'd completely forgotten what it was I had taken issue with. The story and characters are so wonderful that I really just can't be bothered to care about the small technical difficulties.

  The characters are a refreshing break from some of the current trends. Mackenzie is an empowered and important person from the moment we meet her. She's smart and kind of a badass, but she's a real teenager too. She'd rather  track down a History than read classic literature, and she's conflicted and sometimes immature. She is the kind of character that can be hard to relate to - emotionally reluctant, comfortably solitary - but her grief opens the door for you to care for her powerfully. Wesley, our leading boy, is swoon worthy but (despite his spiked hair and guyliner) really a good guy. I'm all for the dangerous, forbidden rebel, but Wes is warm and brave and sweet and okay so maybe I'm a little partial to him, shut up.

The concept of the book is, in itself, fascinating, and the mystery and action throughout are engrossing (I startled my cat several times from gasping/exclaiming out loud). Where Victoria Schwab really knocks it out of the park, though, is with the honest, down-to-earth, human-ness of it all.  Underneath the rogue dead people and magically empowered keys is a powerful, gut wrenching portrait of grief. Not only is Mackenzie's heartbreak over her brother's death breathtakingly real, but the entire premise lays out a question that most of us (thankfully) would never have to answer. How far would we go to get back someone we loved? How many rules would we break? How many people would we betray? Would it be right, and would we care if it wasn't?

Also, the Librarians are pretty badass.
4496404
Last Days is one hell of an absorbing and genuinely fantastic read.  I had been hearing a lot of Brian Evenson lately and wanted to give him a try, so I read through the synopsis of his books and this one seemed to be the most up my alley.  After reading it, I can guarantee you I will be picking up more by this author.  Evenson's voice is beautifully original and the only other author I can slightly compare him with is the late great Tom Piccirilli, which is the highest compliment I can give someone.

The story and descriptions are strikingly sparse, allowing the reader to fill in the blanks.  But the other advantage of this writing style is that it gives Evenson the ability to move things along a breakneck pace.  His brutally spontaneous violence is a joy to read and had me savoring each page with delight.  I never knew what was going to happen next and his dialogue is beyond perfect, very similar to the style of the brilliant David Mamet.  This incredibly original story is one I will not soon forget and gets my highest recommendation.
4293422
This book is absolutely fantastic. The time period has been clearly well researched and comes off as very genuine and fascinating, in both the descriptions of Paris, the life of the high society, and the voice/thoughts of the narrator.

There were some very lovely revelations throughout the book that moved me, and I came away from the book feeling very understood and validated as an artist and an individual.

The plot of the booked arced beautifully, the pressure building at just the right pace in between the luxurious descriptions of historical Paris and the social lives of both the upper and lower class. Maude is a loveable protagonist and her actions were always genuine and believable. The changes in her were delicate and subtle, and the ending was very satisfying.

A wonderful treat to read.
1608326
Arguably one of the best books I have read in the last two years. I read a lot of this genre and I can tell you that this book blew me away. The narrator was wonderfully unreliable. You know the kind. Drunk, a little bat shit crazy, and maybe lonely enough to do something nuts for attention.

Anna is a separated woman, living alone in her NYC apartment. We find out very early on that she was in an accident, and has PTSD which led to her severe agoraphobia. Her husband and daughter left her, but she talks to them everyday. Thats basically the extent of her socialization until new neighbors move in and 16 year old Ethan befriends her.

While we follow Anna through her story, the twists don't stop, yet they never feel contrived or forced. Shes a genuinely likeable character and  I spent the whole time rooting for her to figure it all out and get her life in order. Im also very glad I didn't figure out the ending. It genuinely was a shock, and thats the best part.

Im absolutely going to be watching A.J. Finn to see what he does next!
1435551
I really enjoyed this - the protagonist is charismatic, his colleagues are fun and it was exactly the piece of genre fiction I was looking for at the time. It's written in the first person (I mention this only because it's the "can you remap the controls?" of detective novels: if it's not, I want to know about it) and the characters are all well-crafted. I can still visualize all of them quite well, in fact.  It really left me genuinely interested in the lives of everyone in the book and I can't wait for the next one.
903910
Compelling, complex characters and a blazing plot. Erika is a tremendous protagonist, and the secondary characters ade equally well drawn. As soon as I catch my breath I am buying the second Erika novel.
4651854
I bought the ebook as soon as it was available, and I bought the print edition. I actually bought it in print twice, because I'm giving it to my niece for Christmas. Other reviewers have summarized the plot and noted the strong world-building and beautiful writing, and I agree. I love the story for it's very human, relatable characters, especially the women, who all have real, recognizable strengths and flaws. The "evil queen" is a horrible, scheming dictator, but her loneliness is real. Her spoiled son is every rich, drugged-up, dangerously wasted tabloid brat, but his fleeting moments of humanity reveal what he might have been, as someone else's son. And Deanna, the protagonist, overcomes her paralyzing fear of endangering her loved ones to grow into her young adulthood, finding her strength and her voice.

Why am I giving this book a five-star review? Because it now lives in my thoughts and has settled in. I find myself thinking about the characters, worrying about their fates, wishing the second volume were done and the third volume not far behind. On the other hand, there is the pleasure of knowing that the story isn't over yet, and that I will meet all these intriguing people again.
366290
I stumbled across this title at a book sale held at a public library.  The cover looked good, the plot sounded interesting enough, and so I added it to my humongous bag of books.  For whatever reason, I picked it out of the 30+ books I got that day, and decided to read it.
What a great choice.  This is a fantastic read, and as other reviewers have said, the characters are so real, their dialogue and interactions completely believable.  With all of the seemingly invincible heroes of crime literature and television dramas of today, this is a breath of fresh air.  Stachelmann is not some young FBI profiler who catches breaks at every turn; he is a man who doubts himself constantly, both in his personal and professional life.  Beyond the characterization, the ties to Germany's past and the effect they still have on present-day German society paint a fascinating picture that is, as another reviewer mentioned, often portrayed in a clich, overdone manner.  I highly recommend this book, and I thank whoever donated it to the book sale that I attended!