The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Ever since I heard about The Gilded Wolves, I was so curious about it: Roshani Chokshi's writing and I hadn't gotten to a great start, but so many readers kept praising her works and I wanted to know what the hype was all about. Besides, this book is set in 19th century, which is right up my alley. Of course, when I saw the book up on Netgalley, I didn't hesitate and I'm so glad I got approved for it! I didn't love this book as much as everyone else, but I flew through it and it was really entertaining. So, without further ado, happy publication day to The Gilded Wolves and here's my review of it!

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi 

Published: January 15th 2019 by Wednesday Books

Genres: young adult, historical fiction, fantasy

Number of pages: 464

Goodreads summary: Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.

Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

MY THOUGHTS

Disclaimer : I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The quotes I used might have changed in the final copy.

My favourite element of The Gilded Wolves was its characters. This novel had such a diverse cast of six main characters, whom I adored. They were so complex and had rich backstories, which made me get to know them pretty well and I'm a bit sad to leave them behind now that I've finished the novel. I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't get every main character's point of view: I feel like I didn't care as much for one of them, I *almost even* forgot about them at times and so I didn't really care about this character's storyline or ending? That's too bad because I cared about everyone else; at this character, I am really sorry. Moreover, they all had amazing group dynamics and I loved every little interaction they had together. My favourite character was for sure Zofia, because I related to her in so many ways, but I also have a soft spot for Hypnos!

I had high expectations when it comes to the world-building of this novel, especially the parts about late 19th century Paris, as I'm French and a history major, but I can tell you that Roshani Chokshi did her job splendidly! You could tell how much research she put into her book and I loved that she didn't only show an idealistic Paris: she also showed France's ugly colonialist past, how unaccepting and racist society could be. As she said in her author's note:

"History is a myth shaped by the tongues of conquerors."

Shameful events can often be glossed over and this shouldn't be. This past needs to be acknowledged, discussed and I'm glad that voices that have been ignored for so long can finally be heard. So many important topics were talked about in this novel and Chokshi did a good job at that. The Gilded Wolves was also full of historical, philosophical and scientific references, which I adored!

While I was impressed by the way Chokshi portrayed Paris, I wasn't as convinced when she presented the novel's magic system. It was complex and a bit confusing at times, especially when paragraphs upon paragraphs were explaining the world: it felt a bit like info-dumping to me. Still, it was a bit more interesting once I understood everything.

To talk about the elephant in the room, that many reviewers have discussed: in many things, The Gilded Wolves is quite similar to Six of Crows for some aspects of it. I am not saying that this is a bad thing: The Gilded Wolves has amazing characters no matter what and a different world building, but because of those similarities, the plot didn't take me by surprise, because it wasn't anything I hadn't read before. It could be thrilling at times, but overall I was left being unimpressed by it. Besides, I wasn't too convinced by the villain: I would have liked to know their motivations more; it has to be more than "I want to take over the world" to me, I need more explanations and very morally gray characters. Despite that, I adored the fact that it was all about a secret society!

I had tried reading Chokshi's debut in the past without success, but I really liked her writing style in this one, it flowed nicely and I got through this book really quickly. While I don't really want to pick The Star-Touched Queen again at this point, I'd be interested in reading more of her works.

To conclude, I thought that while being a bit too similar to Six of Crows for my taste, The Gilded Wolves is a novel with amazing characters and a compelling setting that many readers will adore. Some aspects of the novel, such as a confusing magic system at first and a plot that didn't take me by surprise didn't convince me as much, but maybe that's just me? I'm always super picky, haha.

Have you read The Gilded Wolves or are you interested in it?

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco // Book review

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

Published: September 20th 2016 by Jimmy Patterson

Genres: YA, historical, mystery

Number of pages: 326

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

REVIEW

It's always complicated to read hyped books months after their release day. I've been excited for Stalking Jack the Ripper since it was announced, because I'm obsessed with Victorian era and I find the mystery behind Jack the Ripper completely fascinating. So, I tried not to listen to the hype – almost impossible – and to finally read it. 

From the beginning, we discover the world of forensics in Victorian era and I found it so interesting. Before I realized I wasn't really into science, that's what I actually wanted to do with my life, so of course I loved that part. The atmosphere Kerri Maniscalco created with her novel, which is definitely in the vein of gothic novels, was so fitting to the time period, I felt like I was actually there. She definitely captured the essence of the time period and while I wasn't scared, I felt the darkness and the tension involved while the characters were trying to find Jack the Ripper. 

However, I found that the pacing of the novel was a bit off. Indeed, while I was very excited in the beginning, I lost interest a few times, which is a bit sad, considering this book was only 326 pages long. I'd say that the first two thirds of the novel are good, but not mind-blowing, while the last hundred pages are truly stellar and makes the whole book worth it. Well, I had guessed the identity of Jack the Ripper because of one small detail the author probably didn't think of, haha. But despite guessing it, it was so well done! 

Now, I'll tell you about what actually bothered me in this book. Like most of us, I'm always happy to see a character that challenges social constructions of her time and that doesn't want to live according to them. Obviously, when I saw that Audrey Rose wanted to have her own career and to be an independent woman, I was there for it. Then, I realized something was bothering me and it took me awhile to discover what it was. In the whole novel, when Audrey Rose talks to other women, it's always about men or parties. There is one exception when she sees another woman because she's here to see her father, but that's about it. I'm sorry, but to me, it means it's failing the Bechdel Test. Not completely, but at 90%. 

Moreover, during the whole novel, Audrey Rose feels superior to the rest of women. I don't mean that she feels superior to prostitutes because of her social class, no, but to her peers. She's judging them and saying that they're shallow and uninteresting, because they accept what society want them to be. Every time she's with them, she's complaining. There is only one time a woman finds grace in her eyes and is deemed interesting, but it's at the end of the novel. I consider myself a feminist but I don't think that judging women – who have no choice and rebel in other ways – is the way to go when you're a feminist.

Audrey Rose does think society has it wrong, regarding women (and she's right), but she doesn't get to feel superior because of that, and to judge other women in the process. It feels like the author was trying to make Audrey Rose better than all these women to make me like her, but it only angered me. I know some people won't agree with me, but it's a trope we see a lot in young adult but almost never discuss, and it's making me sick. (I'm done with my rant part I guess.)

Despite being mad at the main character, I really enjoyed the whole cast of characters. Indeed, they were multidimensional and I liked to see how the author showed that you can never know someone completely, because we all have secrets. I also loved Thomas Creswell's sassiness when he was interacting with Audrey Rose, I laughed quite a few times. 

Overall, Stalking Jack the Ripper was a good enough book and I can see why people loved it so much, because of the atmosphere, the mystery and the sass. But, I thought the pacing was a little off, and there was this huge business with Audrey Rose that made me mad. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure I'll read the sequel, to see if Audrey Rose changes for the better, but also because it involves Dracula and discovering a country I've never been to.

That awkard moment when you don't care about the characters anymore... | Ghostly Echoes

Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3) by William Ritter

Published: August 30th 2016 by Algonquin Young Readers

Genres: young adult, fantasy, mystery, historical

Summary: Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

REVIEW

I remember really enjoying the first book in the series, last year, because it was original and I was digging the Sherlock and Doctor Who vibes. Nevertheless, when I picked up the sequel, I remember having a hard time getting through it and thought it was because I wasn’t the mood. But, it seems like it happened again with Ghostly Echoes, which makes me so sad.

I really liked the world Ritter created: it’s rich and has endless possibilities, which he showed at the end of this third book. However, I sometimes find it very confusing, because supernatural creatures are everywhere and they’re all so different. I can’t process all of the information most of the time, which leads me to forget some important parts of the stories.

Moreover – and I had this impression in the second book – I think that because of the endless possibilities, the resolution of the mystery comes out of nowhere, because you can’t really see it coming. What I want, with mystery novels, is to be kept guessing, not to be left in the dark 90% of the novel, which leads me to understand… Nothing.

I was very excited about the plot of this third novel, because we were about to resolve Jenny Cavanaugh’s murder, Jackaby’s local resident ghost and I wasn’t disappointed on that point, because it was part of a much bigger plot, which will be resolved in the fourth book. Thanks to this plot, we dived more into Jenny’s past and to get to know her. In this novel, because of the foes encountered, we also learnt more about Jackaby’s past, which helped me to understand him even more.

However, I’m sorry to say that I didn’t care much for the characters in general. I had the feeling that Abigail was slowly fading, because we had so much backstory about other characters, but not about her in this one. The mystery aspect was very important but because of that, she was lacking a little character development, even if she was essential to the story at some point. However, for a few chapters, I felt like she was only a spectator and telling other stories. When finally, she had way more action, I thought it didn’t last long enough.

I felt exactly the same towards the ending. The revelation didn’t come as a shock, because I had been bored and confused for some time. In fact, the action I was interested didn’t happen until the last few chapters, which left me with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, as I was disappointed.

Overall, I don’t know if, I, as a person that reads so many books, is the problem, or if the book is. It’s just that in the middle of all the books I read this year, I don’t think I’ll remember a lot from this book – which is already the case with Beastly Bones. I still think the concept of the series was original though, so I don’t regret reading three books about Jackaby and Abigail, but I’m not sure I’m attracted to this series anymore.

Other:

• My review of Jackaby
• My review of Beastly Bones

Have you read any books in this series? If so, what did you think? Do you have recommendations for fantasy novels set in a historical setting?

Welcome to the Wild West! | Revenge and the Wild

Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto

Published: February 2nd 2016 by Balzer + Bray

Genre: young adult, historical, western, fantasy, steampunk

Goodreads summary: The two-bit town of Rogue City is a lawless place, full of dark magic and saloon brawls, monsters and six-shooters. But it’s perfect for seventeen-year-old Westie, the notorious adopted daughter of local inventor Nigel Butler.

Westie was only a child when she lost her arm and her family to cannibals on the wagon trail. Nine years later, Westie may seem fearsome with her foul-mouthed tough exterior and the powerful mechanical arm built for her by Nigel, but the memory of her past still haunts her. She’s determined to make the killers pay for their crimes—and there’s nothing to stop her except her own reckless ways.

But Westie’s search ceases when a wealthy family comes to town looking to invest in Nigel’s latest invention, a machine that can harvest magic from gold—which Rogue City desperately needs as the magic wards that surround the city start to fail. There’s only one problem: the investors look exactly like the family who murdered Westie’s kin. With the help of Nigel’s handsome but scarred young assistant, Alistair, Westie sets out to prove their guilt. But if she’s not careful, her desire for revenge could cost her the family she has now.

This thrilling novel is a remarkable tale of danger and discovery, from debut author Michelle Modesto.

REVIEW

Western books seem to be a trend in YA fiction since last year, and I can’t say that it bothers me, as I’ve now read all of them (Walk on Earth a Stranger is still my favourite <3). Michelle Modesto crafted a unique western novel, though, because it included some aspects of the Wild West I hadn’t seen in the previous books published, but also because there were so many paranormal aspects.

The world was complex, because it was, of course, set in the Wild West and we could find all the tropes that go along with that, it even had cannibals, but also every paranormal creature you can think of (even leprechauns!). While this aspect intrigued me and made sense because of an aspect of the plot, it felt a bit too much at times, because there were too many plotlines for a standalone book, in my opinion. Nevertheless, Michelle Modesto built an interesting and unique world.

Moreover, it had steampunk elements, which intertwined with the fantasy aspects and I loved that! I was excited because of that, and it did not disappoint. Indeed, Westie had a mechanical arm, but there also was Alistair, who had a machine in front of his mouth to be able to speak, and a machine that could help magic.

Westie was a great heroine, she was very flawed and struggled with addiction. I could understand the choices she made, because of her past – well, cannibals ate her family and her arm, after all – even though it was quite questionable at times. She was a strong and badass character most of the time, but I was quite annoyed when she kept blushing whenever one of the love interests said something, it didn’t actually fit with her personality. The secondary characters were all very interesting and I liked that we actually had a cast of diverse characters. Of course, it would feel weird not to have that in a western setting, but I still appreciated it. It feels like YA western authors get this.

This book was entertaining and had many plot lines, like I mentioned earlier, so I didn’t have the time to get bored. However, I was disappointed in the fact that from the beginning, Westie knew who the antagonists were, but had to spend the whole novel assembling proofs against them in order to do something. There wasn’t any surprise in the identity of the antagonists because of that… Not even with the plot twist, as I had guessed it. Moreover, I would have liked the villains to be more fleshed out, because in the end, they felt a bit flat.

What really bothered me in Revenge and the Wild was the romance. It felt like Westie had three love interests, she was blushing way too much, and it was so obvious who she would end up with. At the same time, yes, it showed that despite her mechanical arm, men could still be interested in her – when so many were scared of her – but it felt a bit too much, as every “interesting” man liked her. Nope.

Overall, Revenge and the Wild was a promising debut with great characters and a unique setting. However, I wasn’t entirely convinced by the antagonists and felt like the romance was a bit too much. I will probably read Michelle Modesto’s next work, because she has so much potential.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Do you like YA western novels? What's your favourite?

The Brontë's worlds were MORE than fictional | Worlds of Ink and Shadow

Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley

Published: January 5th 2016 by Amulet Books

Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical

Goodreads summary: Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The Brontë siblings find escape from their constrained lives via their rich imaginations. The glittering world of Verdopolis and the romantic and melancholy world of Gondal literallycome to life under their pens, offering the sort of romance and intrigue missing from their isolated parsonage home. But at what price? As Branwell begins to slip into madness and the sisters feel their real lives slipping away, they must weigh the cost of their powerful imaginations, even as the characters they have created—the brooding Rogue and dashing Duke of Zamorna—refuse to let them go.

Gorgeously written and based on the Brontës’ juvenilia, Worlds of Ink and Shadow brings to life one of history’s most celebrated literary families in a thrilling, suspenseful fantasy.

REVIEW

If you didn't know, I'm a huge fan of the Brontë sisters, even though I haven't read that much by them. Nevertheless, I've always been compelled to learn about them and when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. This book made me want to read all of their works even more than before, so it totally worked in that sense. I'm left craving for more of their writing and I'll do something about it soon.

I felt like this book was quite unique, with its imaginary worlds created by writing about them, it was quite interesting. This concept of traveling to them was based off a folktale, which I could totally picture in the 19th century moor. It was so mysterious the whole time and I loved the explanation. The fact that it was about these imaginary worlds the characters could access reminded me of the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, in a way, because it was as eerie and a little scary. But I didn't read this book at night so this effect was a little lost on me.

However, while I was interested by this concept, I was totally underwhelmed during the whole book. I kept reading, but I never got the spark that pushed me to read until I was done. For me, it was quite a slow book, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because it got along with the atmosphere of this book, it's just that I was never hooked (which is a little sad). Moreover, I would have liked to see more of the madness mentioned in the synopsis. Yes, they were seeing things but it lasted for a couple of chapters and it didn't actually feel like madness.

My motivation to keep going lied in the Brontë siblings, because I love them so much and it felt close to their actual stories. Indeed, the author said she had based her novel upon their work, even though she had taken some liberties. I loved that it truly showed the power of words, but also how sometimes, the characters do whatever they want, even if you are the writer. However, I would have liked to know more about Anne. I know that she's the youngest of the four, but I couldn't quite picture her motivations, when I understood Branwell, Emily and Charlotte completely. Moreover, what happened in those fictional worlds felt like the beginning of something bigger, namely the novels of the Brontë sisters and I could see Heathcliff in Rogue or Mr. Dorchester in Zamora.

However, while I liked reading about the Brontë siblings, I think that they were unmemorable characters and that I will only remember them because they existed in real life. While the book was unique, I never felt like the characters truly shone and it was just the same for the fictional characters, that they had created to be huge clichés. I didn't came to care for any of them. For the romance, it felt just the same, I had definitely seen it coming and it was just okay for me.

Overall, this one had potential and I don't regret reading it, because I learnt a lot about the Brontë siblings, whom are my little babies. The concept was definitely interesting and the author did her research, but because I didn't actually love the characters and I wanted a more fast-paced plot, it didn't do it entirely for me. But now I want to read all the books by the sisters.

Have you read this book yet? Do you love the Brontë's sisters? Have you read any of their books?

A time travel book with a vivid setting but at times confusing | The Girl from Everywhere

The Girl from Everywhere (The Girl from Everywhere #1) by Heidi Heilig

Published: February 16th 2016 by Greenwillow Books

Genre: young adult, historical, time travel

Goodreads summary: Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father’s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination.

As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix.

But the end to it all looms closer every day.

Her father is obsessed with obtaining the one map, 1868 Honolulu, that could take him back to his lost love, Nix’s mother. Even though getting it—and going there—could erase Nix’s very existence.

For the first time, Nix is entering unknown waters.

She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love.

Or she could disappear.

REVIEW

I was anticipating so many debuts this year, and of course, The Girl from Everywhere was one of them, because it included so many elements I usually love in books, such as ships, maps and exotic places.

I think that in the time travel subgenre, this book was quite unique (at least compared to the others I read), because the characters were relying on maps to time travel, and not their unique abilities, which is the case most of the time. Also, they were time traveling on a ship, so it gets bonus points for that reason. However, I would have liked to see more of the time travel? In the beginning we saw it a little and then they stayed at the same place for a <b>looooong</b> time (like, the whole book). But, I liked how everything was intertwined, how everyone's actions had consequences on everyone else's lives. For example, Nix practically helped her mother to exist, like wuuuut?

The plot was interesting, but I think it dragged a little in the middle and that's why it took me three days to read it, when I'm on summer break. I don’t think I was completely immerged into it. I liked the story, but the pacing felt a bit off at times... And I would have liked more action scenes here and then. Furthermore, sometimes it got a little too confusing for my tastes, I had <b>no idea</b> what was going on. I still liked the plot though, because it was about a heist so it was quite fun, and there was a party at some point! The ending was totally open, I don't really know what will happen next, but I'll definitely be reading it.

I loved the setting of this book, I had never read a book set in Hawaii before and I was so excited about it. I feel like the author totally grasped the atmosphere of this place, the descriptions were pretty vivid and I could feel like I was there. Moreover, this book was full of myths, some of them being about Hawaii, some others about other places, and I really liked learning about them.

This book had a cast of diverse characters, Nix being half-Chinese and Kashmir being Persian. By the way, I'm just going to scream for one second: when Kashmir spoke French, it was accurate! I could have said these sentences myself! It's like... The third time it happened in a book written by an American author, so <b>I am pleased</b>. The author totally did her job when using foreign languages. While I liked the characters, especially the main ones, I found that some members of the crew were pretty unmemorable, as I wasn't able to distinguish them for one another for the whole book.

I wasn't entirely sold on the romance in this one, I didn't have <b>the feels</b> and there's a possible love triangle coming? Um, I don't want that... Nevertheless, this book explored relationships, which I really liked, especially Nix and her father's. In the beginning, I hadn't actually understood she was Slate's daughter, because she didn't call him her father, so I was a little confused, but it was because their relationship was so complicated. He basically kind of wanted to erase her entire life, just to be with her mother again. I could understand his motives, but it was still selfish and he took such a long time to understand it. Still, in the end, this book was more about their relationship, which I really liked.

Overall, it was a good debut, but I never completely emerged myself into the story, because I expected more from it. The setting and some elements of the plot definitely made up for it though. I liked the main characters, forgot about the secondary ones every two pages and wasn’t sold out on the romance, but I really enjoyed this book anyway. I’m excited for the next one, especially because we’ll have more time traveling, but I have no idea what will be the plot, this one could definitely be a standalone.

Have you read The Girl from Everywhere yet? What did you think of it? Do you love time travel books? 

I fell in love with historical fiction all over again | Walk on Earth a Stranger

Walk on Earth a Stranger (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1) by Rae Carson

Published: September 22nd 2015 by Greenwillow Books
Genre: young adult, historical, fantasy

Goodreads summary: Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift. 

REVIEW

I was hesitant to dive into this book, because I didn't finish Rae Carson's debut, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, even though I had heard great things about it. Nevertheless, since there was this western trend last year, I added it to my TBR. I had already read Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman and Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee, but Walk on Earth a Stranger is by far my favourite of the three. I also have to say that I couldn't resist the cover, and the cover of Like a River Glorious is even more gorgeous.

This book isn't for everybody, because the whole plot is just about getting to California, so it's just about the characters' journey. Of course it was slow-paced, but I was warned about it when I got into it, and I found it wasn't boring at all, since Carson introduced us to interesting characters and a realistic plot. Moreover, I really loved the writing style. Now that I think about it, it's logical that she chose to write a whole book about their journey, because it was so long to cross the country at that time, and since there will be two more books, I can accept it. I still found that despite the slow pace of this book, a lot of things happened, it was all about the caravan's journey and its accidents.  

It felt true to this time period and I was really invested into it. At some point it was really hard to read because there was a disgusting scene but it had to happen. I totally felt like the author did her research, because I could actually picture all the places she talked about. I couldn't help but think of Frontierland in Disneyland Paris, which always brings back happy memories.

I really enjoyed reading about these characters, they were so different from each other, basically a band of misfits, the ones left behind while the other caravans started their journey. Because of that, I found them to be realistic and easy to attach to. Lee was an enjoyable main character, not the typical 19th century girl, because she was an only child and had to do men's chores. Also, another character wanted to be like her, she wasn't the only one to have a different mentality about women's place.

Moreover, she wasn't the only character to be different from what to expect from this time period : Carson introduced us to a diverse cast of characters that actually represented - at least in my opinion - people going to California at that time. At the end of the novel, the people in the caravan actually had a family dynamic which I found so cute.

There wasn't really romance into this book and I didn't mind at all, because it was part of Lee's character. Of course, there was some hints here of what to expect for future books. I don't really know what to think about it yet, because I don't think it will be a big plot device... It should just be portrayed as a part of life, which I'm okay with. 

My only little regret with this book is that... I needed more of the fantasy aspect. I'm confident Lee will use her power more in the next book and I'm really excited about that. I loved the ending because it showed a lot of things were going to happen in the sequel, and now I'm a little too excited for it. I just loved this book so much, because I feel like it made me love historical fiction again, which used to be my favourite genre of them all.

If you're a history nerd like me, you should love this book! Yes, it was slow-paced, but the writing totally made up for it. I was really attached to the characters and can't wait to see what happens next, because they now are where things will get interesting.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Do you think I should try a second time to read the Girl of Fire and Thorns?