kalventure
Written on Jan 8, 2018
The story is told from three distinct points of view - three characters at a crossroads to achieve their destiny - Brothers: one a man struggling in a world where work is replaced by machines and another a hopeful censor, and an orphan, ward of the Duchess (nobility in this world), girl wanting to shatter glass ceilings and be the first female master of cunning, the manipulation of magic.
The story beings with a mystery in the prologue which will be a driving force for change in Daniel, Jon, and Miranda's lives. Beautifully and eloquently written, Steiner weaves an intoxicating web that grabs the reader at the beginning. The book is a long one, but it keeps the interest well as Steiner layers the plot progression well alongside character development and the wider glimpses into the world he has created.
I lost a bit of interest in Jon's story in the last third of the book; however, it does come around in the end and I look forward to the future of his character arc. Miranda was my favorite character until the end of the book. I understand the reasoning for what happens but it does not feel in line with the way her character had been written up until then: an assured woman who wanted to become a m aster, that refused to listen to men tell her that she was doomed to fail because of her sensibilities as a woman. What transpired at the end of the blade feels disingenuous to her character.
All in all I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the second installment of the trilogy. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Ptolemy Publishing UK, for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.