Rating: 8/10
If you like YA, heists, angst, sad memories, diverse characters, and great character dynamics, then I'm sure that you will enjoy this book. Chokshi did a great job of not going to heavy on the YA tropes (although I do have to say, I knew exactly what was going to happen on the very last like two pages, pretty much as soon as I opened the book). YA protagonists really just be struggling you guys. Overall though, it was a very good start to the series (though I am over halfway through the sequel, and it is even better).
Summary:
"No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.
It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.
Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history--but only if they can stay alive."
I will say, this book was pretty dark for a YA book, of course I really don't care (I don't think it would've bothered me when I was 14 either), but it seems to be of note. The darkness really lies in the deaths in the book and the horrible way that Tristan and Séverin were treated when they were children. There is also a heavy theme of rejection from the in-crowd that is present throughout the book. This holds to Laila who is looked down upon because of the color of her skin and her culture (though there is some familial rejection as well). Séverin is cast aside by the Order after a bad inheritance test; though he is white passing, he never forgot the way his Algerian mother was treated in France. Enrique is shunned from the Illustrados for being different and young, they really don't respect his Filipino heritage. Zofia is overlooked for being Jewish and on the spectrum. They all have felt what it means to be on the outside looking in, but they were brought together by Séverin, because they were all extraordinary in their own ways. Quite frankly, the diversity in this book is phenomenal. The main characters are of different nationalities, ethnicities, religions, and sexualities. Seeing how Zofia thinks, as she is on the spectrum, felt like great representation. They are all useful because of their differences.
Chokshi has a great way of writing characters. They feel realistic, though they certainly have a touch of the extraordinary. The multiple POVs really allowed you to get into the mindset of the characters. It allowed you to understand their thoughts and motivations. The storytelling was well done, and beautifully descriptive. Chokshi is able to take you into the moment with her vivid descriptions of the scenes. It is really impressive how much you are able to feel on description alone! The way that she managed to weave actual history with this alternate, magical universe was very well done.
There was never much of a dull moment. If it was the downtime between heists, you would get a look into the character's motivations, perhaps some of their backstory. It allowed the story to move at a good pace, but it also let you get to know the characters better. Speaking of characters, let me talk about Laila. She is, by far, one of my favorite YA female protagonists. She is smart, she is talented, but most of all she is very kind. She knows and understands all of her friends because she has taken the time to do so. She's flawed, once you learn her backstory you know why, but she's not worse for it. Laila is really the kind of protagonist that would be a great role model for the teens reading this book.
My biggest problem with the book, was really with the magic system. It wasn't bad, but it was kind of confusing and sometimes it felt almost like a cop out? Like instead of basing the story in the 1800s, where they have to have special "forged" equipment to do things, just base it in the modern day. Like all the security systems and weapons and tools, were all forged; therefore, the magic didn't ever really feel like magic, it felt more like normal technology. If this had been based in the 21st century, there would have been no use for any of the magic, because modern technology does all of this stuff. Seemed like a way of writing around the use/maneuvering of unfamiliar technology by way of just making up new stuff. Of course, this does take a very creative person to do, but I guess what I'm saying is that the magic aspect felt forced in. Set this in a different time period and the magic would have been obsolete. Plus, they rely so heavily on it and it doesn't even work properly half the time. The other thing, is that while Chokshi didn't rely on too many tropes, the big twist was very obvious. I knew it the second I opened the book what the "twist" was going to be. (I'm talking about the house thing, not the full moon thing, the full moon thing did catch me off guard and it made me very sad). Also, the book was like 20 pages longer than it needed to be. After what happened at the full moon party, the book should have ended. The fact that it kept going for 20 pages was kind of off-putting and it felt like too much. It made the ending very boring. It should have ended with the party and then picked up with those last 20 pages in the sequel.
Anyway, some my problems are weird personal things. The fact is, it is based when it's based, so it doesn't really matter whether the use of magic in place of technology is valid or not. The book was great, it was engaging, it was full of characters that I really enjoyed. I genuinely cared about what was going to happen to the characters and their respective stories. Chokshi really has a way with words, her use of description is very vivid to the point of enchanting. The magic system was a tad confusing and convenient at times and the book was a bit longer than it should have been, but these are pretty minor. The forging doesn't really detract from the story (the ending being overlong kind of does a bit). It's worth the read though, I would greatly recommend this book if you like compelling characters/heist buddies. I'm already reading the sequel, and let me tell you, this book is at least worth it for how dynamic the sequel is (so far).
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