e-Audio, 12:53:32
Narrated by: Jordan Cobb
Release Date: September 20, 2022
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Read from: September 16-19, 2022
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
TW: Racism, Microaggressions, Self Harm seen on page, Death, Violence, YA
For Readers Interested In: Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Fantasy, YAThe author of the visionary New York Times bestseller Dread Nation returns with another spellbinding historical fantasy set at the crossroads of race and power in America.
It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts.
Laura disagrees. A talented young mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license and becoming something more than a rootworker
But six months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice.
As they’re sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country’s oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America’s past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and everything they’ve worked for.
*MY THOUGHTS*
As y’all know I’m not a fan at all of historical fiction. There’s just usually too much Black Trauma in them. And depending on where it’s set, there might be other BIPOC pain also. And I just can’t be ok with that. But when the author is Justina Ireland, for the most part not only is the Black Pain depicted, but us getting revenge or us winning is shown also. And that ish is my jam.
The part that had me obsessively listening to this tho was most definitely the magic system. It just felt like it was left unfinished. We don’t know the origins, just that it’s been around and everyone knows about it. It’s also against the law to do magic if they’re not licensed. And even though that was a regular concern, they still found time to judge us and treat us less than.
Which brings me to why I was so shocked I actually liked this. I don’t really like historical fiction because it’s never just FUN. No matter what genre or who’s writing it, they always have to mention the terrible things we went through or the names they called us, etc. It’s very disheartening after awhile. But with Ireland, I’m ok with reading her books because not only is she going to show the bad things that happened to us, she’s also going to show the revenge that the main character got as well. In this one it wasn’t so much as revenge, but more like showing them that they weren’t anything to play with. Her writing style is also really good to me, so she’s also able to keep my attention. It’s just always surprising.
The plot in this one though was a little murky to me though. She went to this place to open a bakery, but couldn’t. So she went and had to get another job instead. But the things she uncovered while there were actually pretty big. But it didn’t seem to have a focus besides showing her sister that she could make it. But don’t let that deter you. If that’s all you know, I’m sure you’d turn away like I almost did. The part in history this was about was the The Great Depression and how they were given The New Deal to try and compensate. The way she was able to take that and add some magic to make this bomb ass story is so crazy.
The reason I didn’t give this 5 stars though was because I didn’t really like the main characters. I didn’t really feel like we really knew her. She talked a lot about her sister, but we never meet her. We also never get to see her bake anything. I was severely disappointed by that. She talked about baking all the time, but we never see her make anything besides using her magic. I just thought that was stupid lol I don’t know, I felt like we only met her on the surface level if that makes sense.
Justina Ireland always takes the things I don’t like, and gives it some fantasy elements and makes it into a whole different story. I love going through and picking out the things I remember from history and seeing the way she changes them. I just wish she had done a little something more with the characters. I hope this doesn’t deter you from picking this book up. If you’re reluctant to history, read this, it might help you read or learn something different from this!
Overall I give this
What about you? Do you read historical fiction? Do you like fantasy twists on your historical fiction? Let me know in the comments!