A Madness of Angels
Welcome back and long time no see! It has certainly been a while since I have written a review for a book, fiction, or nonfiction.
On today's list, we have the most recent book I have read, part of a tetralogy, the first volume of four.
My opinion (Spoiler-free): This book is beautiful, and the prose is astounding. Kate Griffin has done an amazing job, making me fall in love with not only the world but the characters as well. I recommend it with all my heart. So, without further ado, I will jump into a bit more detail, trying not to spoil the whole thing!
Title: "A Madness of Angels"
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Synopsis (taken from Amazon itself, so I will put it in quotes):
"Two years after his untimely death, Matthew Swift finds himself breathing once again, lying in bed in his London home.
Except that it's no longer his bed or his home. And the last time this sorcerer was seen alive, an unknown assailant had gouged a hole so deep in his chest that his death was irrefutable...despite his body never being found.
He doesn't have long to mull over his resurrection, though, or the changes that have been wrought upon him. His only concern now is vengeance. Vengeance upon his monstrous killer and vengeance upon the one who brought him back."
So, as you can see, the book follows a sorcerer who comes back to life in unusual circumstances, a dude-with-a-problem story, mixed with why-dun-it for extra mystery! In the spirit of full transparency, the first few pages were a bit hard for me – elaborate sentences, and a general sense of vagueness – but once you get through them it's a complete joy ride. I have read the whole series – that's how much I have fallen in love with Matthew and his personality.
The only annoying thing I found was that there are only four books! I really wished she continues the series, instead of jumping to a new one but I do understand why she wanted to start another project. As a fellow writer, I salute you Kate, and wish you all the best! I have read some reviews about it on Goodreads, stating that she spends too much time detailing unimportant things, but I loved all of them. It painted a complete picture not only of the outside world but also of the inner turmoil Matthew is experiencing, without spoiling the mystery at all.
After reading this series, I even have had a hard time finding something equally good, which is a great sign for her and a bad one for me; how can I ever survive without my books?!
So, let's rate it, shall we?
Plot: 10/10 (Astounding idea)
Characters (development, arc, and all that fun stuff): 10/10
Worldbuilding: 9/10. Still amazing but, after reading the whole series, I do feel like the first book could have portrayed it even better! I should probably take into consideration that she wasn't super into the world herself, being the first volume, so I guess that, as a newbie, it's only natural not to be perfect at everything from the get-go).
Title: 10/10. I loved the title; it builds the anticipation for the plot perfectly!
Pacing: 10/10, not too fast and not too slow.
Prose: 9/10. While at some moments her descriptions were a bit too elaborate, Kate has done an amazing job nonetheless.
I rarely get to gush about a book so much, but this one really gripped me and made me laugh. Matthew is so lovable and yet super relatable at times that it got me thinking about how this world of ours needs more magic! It's exactly what I love about fantasy and until this, I wasn't a big urban fantasy fan. My allegiance was with dark and high fantasy, but Kate proved me wrong so that is why I am fangirling over this so much!
Do keep in mind that this is my opinion and I am not a certified reviewer; I am just a bookworm sharing my thoughts on the books I have read so far! If you do decide to give this book a chance, I would be thrilled to hear your thoughts on it. Cheers and have a great reading session.
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