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A review by the_ya_assassin
The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green
2.0
*1.5 stars*
I really wanted to like this book. The majority of reviews on Goodreads are all positive. However, I'm not sure if I was reading the same book that others were.
First of all, I have to talk about the world-building. While I do believe it is needed to write a story, we do not, I repeat do not, need the first 100 pages to be a offload of EVERYTHING that had happened and why things were the way they were. Good authors know how to distribute it throughout the story and share the bare minimum at the beginning. The first 3/5 of the book was slow because of all the information. I had this same problem when I tried to read the read [b:The Smoke Thieves|34508382|The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves, #1)|Sally Green|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511915676l/34508382._SY75_.jpg|55634757] in 2019. At the time, I thought maybe it was just the timing (I bought this book on a whim and had no idea what it was about). Alas, it was the book. The writing was off and didn't pull me in. I wanted so badly to DNF this book, but at the same, I wanted to push through. It was my duty to finish it, and finish it, I did.
Next, the multiple POVs. Some authors, such as [a:Leigh Bardugo|4575289|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg], can accomplish them. Sally Green is not one of them. The story was spread too thin across the 5 POVs and they took away from the story. I think it would've served her better if she only stuck with 2 POVs, 3 tops.
Another thing - I don't believe there was really ANY action until towards the end of the book. And when it did happen, it was resolved quickly and wasn't believable.
I think the only good part of this book was Catherine. She was an enlightening character and I loved her POV. She was a strong female lead, hoping to make her forced life into something better. Even she had her failures though - her thinking of Ambrose everyday? Nah. More like every paragraph.
I will NOT be continuing this series. I could hardly get through the first one, and the ending was, dare I say it, dull to me. I know it's war, but the story just didn't get me. I didn't connect with it and feel there is no reason for me to continue this series.
I really wanted to like this book. The majority of reviews on Goodreads are all positive. However, I'm not sure if I was reading the same book that others were.
First of all, I have to talk about the world-building. While I do believe it is needed to write a story, we do not, I repeat do not, need the first 100 pages to be a offload of EVERYTHING that had happened and why things were the way they were. Good authors know how to distribute it throughout the story and share the bare minimum at the beginning. The first 3/5 of the book was slow because of all the information. I had this same problem when I tried to read the read [b:The Smoke Thieves|34508382|The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves, #1)|Sally Green|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511915676l/34508382._SY75_.jpg|55634757] in 2019. At the time, I thought maybe it was just the timing (I bought this book on a whim and had no idea what it was about). Alas, it was the book. The writing was off and didn't pull me in. I wanted so badly to DNF this book, but at the same, I wanted to push through. It was my duty to finish it, and finish it, I did.
Next, the multiple POVs. Some authors, such as [a:Leigh Bardugo|4575289|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg], can accomplish them. Sally Green is not one of them. The story was spread too thin across the 5 POVs and they took away from the story. I think it would've served her better if she only stuck with 2 POVs, 3 tops.
Another thing - I don't believe there was really ANY action until towards the end of the book. And when it did happen, it was resolved quickly and wasn't believable.
I think the only good part of this book was Catherine. She was an enlightening character and I loved her POV. She was a strong female lead, hoping to make her forced life into something better. Even she had her failures though - her thinking of Ambrose everyday? Nah. More like every paragraph.
I will NOT be continuing this series. I could hardly get through the first one, and the ending was, dare I say it, dull to me. I know it's war, but the story just didn't get me. I didn't connect with it and feel there is no reason for me to continue this series.