Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this amazing book. A Conventicle of Magpies follows Rook into the world of the Avanish and Saosuiasei where the Avanish believe they are better than the others. We follow Rook's adventures in the conventicle as she deals with a mass murderer on the loose named Billy drainer. I think this book created a whole new level into the world of fiction taking a look at blood skill, which helps trained individuals heighten their strength, hearing, seeing , etc. this book was amazing from start to finish although some of the language did confuse me from time to time. highly recommend

I was given a free eARC copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I found myself wanting to learn more about this world and how it operated as well as keep up with the mysteries behind some of the characters.

I think by far, my favorite part about this book was the world the author created. It is unique and well thought out. The author has a way with creating tension which instills curiosity in its reader. I found myself making assumptions about characters and surroundings, missing the little breadcrumbs the author placed until they were ready for the reader to discover the truth.

I also want to mention the way the author described a character who just happens to be in the LGBTQ+ community was phenomenal. I have read too many books where you find out in the first chapter in a very forced way. However, in this book, it is never even thought of or mentioned until an appropriate time. I was happy to see an author not create a character and have their whole identity be their identity or sexual orientation. It is the way I picture the future of books with LGBTQ+ characters in books. Where it is not a forced characteristic, but a part of who they are.

I think my only critique of this book was how easily the main character got in to trouble even though she was supposed to be the best. I also find myself thinking about how she would talk about things that were potentially sensitive to the story line or someone’s possible life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy with a little bit of victorian steampunk vibes. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Ready for book 2!

I wil begin by thanking NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity given to read "A Conventicle of Magpies".

This book is set in a fantasy world where people can use Skills based on their blood to enhance their physical strength. The Avanish people enslaved other nations for resources and manpower, and enforce a tyranical rule over them. Our main character, Rook, is Saosuiasei, the focal point of the Avanish hate and racism, and we follow her trying to provide to her numerous family as a Conventicle member, while also balancing a desire for revenge against the ruling power and her own set of morals.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot! In my opinion, the main downside, and the root of all my grapes with the story, is the short length of the novel. :(
The town of Samchester is very much devided bewteen rich and poor, but also based on races. In the beginning we get introduced with letters and newspapers to the main issue discussed in the story, and also to the secret societies most prevalent in the narrative: The Conventicle and the Shadows of Jaguar.

As I mentioned above, the small number of pages is very much the issue.
Rook is a stubborn, hot-headed and volatile character, with a talent for Bloodskill, but there were moments in which I got disconnected with her due to lack of showing why she felt so impacted by events and people. I'm happy to say that the main relationship she has, her sisterhood with Kestrel, was well-developed and compelling, but others, with Pit and Mama Magpie weren't so strong. Even with her mother I struggled to understand why Monnaud was so fragile and so loved by everybody. Sure we get an explanation, but I would have like to see that with my own eyes...maybe in a flashback or something.
To sum it up, Rook is partially known to us, and I believe some more page time with her would have played well in favor of the book.
Surprisingly I liked Kestrel more than Jaguar (who is the type I tend to gravitate towards), even though she isn't that edgy character that always stand out next to the main role or the moraly gray one. She is more of a strong fundation, a constant help and loyal companion who is extremely in sync with Rook's moods. I guess I relate! :))) ^^ I also woud like to read her story in the future!

Another thing not so great was the easy way in which Rook guessed some things, or has her suspicions confirmed, and the convenient heist-like action that took place. I'm not that fond of fast and clean action scenes, even if they only serve as a prop for another purpose, like revealing the true core of the conflict, or main thread. What I want to say, more struggle usually equals more investment from the reader's side. Last note on this topic...I REALLY WANT ROOK TO BE WRONG ON HER LAST ASSUMPTION!!!>...<

The black and whie portrayel of racism and hate wasn't that great either, but I will let it pass due to the conflict of the story.

On the positive note: I liked the writing style, the pace of the book was really good...had me reading most of this book in one day!...and the potential for a great sequel is here! The conflict, though a little by the book and predictable in it's outcome, doesn't lack the interesting factor! The cast of characters is also full of promise... the conflicting set of morals between the Conventicle and the Jaguars; the power play every side seems to adhere as the only solution can have serious consequences and unexpected outcomes! The mistery with Billy Drainer and if the Bloodskill can achieve the mythical level are as well a thing to look out for!

So yes, if you want a fast and enjoyable fantasy with a mistery at it's core and discussions about racism and feminism, I recommend picking this one up.

Enjoy!

I just couldn’t finish this book. It just bored me .

I am not going to recommend this one since I didn’t finish.

I found this book after hearing about some comparisons to Charlie N. Holmberg so I was hoping for a story just as good as those books. Unfortunately, I had a REALLY hard time liking this book. I hate writing negative review so I’ll just say that it ultimately came down to the actions of the characters not lining up with what were told about them leading to some pretty noticeable inconsistencies. Also, I thought Kestrel’s character was a complete disappointment who seems to be included so there was a LGBTQ character, but there was absolutely no depth to Kestrel’s character. This unfortunately probably would have been a DNF if I wasn’t writing a review on it.

I've read lots of thriller books as well as historical fiction, but this is the first young adult fantasy that I've read. I would consider this book in the 'gaslamp fantasy' subgenre, a genre I didn't even know existed but now I love it! It also has steampunk vibes from the use of Bloodskill. The story follows Rook as she navigates between her life as the eldest daughter taking care of her many younger siblings and ailing mother, while providing for them as a thief in the employ of the Conventicle. The work she does as a thief has Robin Hood vibes, but specifically to help women who have been wronged. But soon it becomes apparent that the ruling elite, the Avanish, don't just want to oppress her people, but want them wiped out. At the same time there is danger from within as a serial killer stalks the streets, picking off Saosuíasei and draining their blood for power.

Many of the topics in the book reflect unfortunate realities in our time, including racism and oppression. The book also explores the gray issues the oppressed face when taking on their oppressor. What is the morality of killing those that want you dead? Does it make you just as bad as them?

A blurb at the end of the book says that the author, LMR Clarke, writes 'with inclusion in mind, especially LGBT+' which is true. There is one character who is trans and the main character doesn't seem to be interested in men and may even be asexual (I can only hope!). This is presented as only minor facets of their character instead of encompassing their entire personality and is only referenced when necessary. It brings natural diversity instead of feeling like the author was trying to shoehorn it in for diversity points or shock value. Before this book, I've avoided the YA genre for the most part because of reviews of other well known YA fantasy novels (I'm looking at you A Court of Thorns and Roses) that honestly sound cringy with gratuitous sex scenes, crappy plots, and abusive relationships masquerading as the ideal. This book is blessedly free of any of that. It also easily passes the Bechdel Test.

The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger but it obviously is setting up for a continuation into a series which I'm excited to read when it comes out.

The conventicle of Magpies is a YA/NA fantasy story. The book does not seem very long, and it feels for me more a novella than a novel.
I like the concept, the characters, the writing style, and the world-building surrounding the cultures, but some plot points and explanations felt very flat.
One of the main characteristics of this book is the blood and the Skills, we have very little information about the Skills itself how it works, it has some perspectives for the future but in this book, we are just left that it consumes blood, not really know-how, and enhances certain abilities. I would like for information on that subject and explanations on the book, hope for the sequel.
The LGBTQ+ representation was very well done and very enjoyable the author did a great job on that.
When I say this book works as a novella instead of a novel is due to the fact that is more an introduction of everything than a story. The little action we had was not enough for me to see it has its own also because the conflict was to easily solve.
If this worked as a novella and the books were bigger expended, it would work very well.
Overall, I enjoy the book the concepts of race and superior classes are very well done and discuss but the magic system is lacking some information and the action itself is not the greatest. Hope for the sequel to expand much more on the action and the world.


I include the link for my video review on my channel live 11th march: https://youtu.be/MnwdhbbLUnE

Trigger warnings // transphobia, violence, murder, genocide, blood

I’d like to start off by saying i have mixed thoughts on the book. A Conventicle of Magpies is a dystopian novel about injustice and racism. We follow the main character Rook as she struggles through her inner conflicts while dealing with a race specific mass murderer and the police aren’t doing anything about it.

I loved the beginning, i was captivated by it. The letters were truly everything a great beginning could have. The themes explored especially of the racial injustice felt really strong and well established and handled well.

Unfortunately I didn’t love the plot as much as i’d hoped to. There was so much going on and it was just a mess in the sense it was not presented to us readers that well. At times it felt like meandering simply because I didn’t know which plot we were following, is it finding Rook’s sister? Is it the murderer? Or is it the militia? Obviously its all three but i feel that the author could have presented these plots in a more sensible manner that doesn’t throw us in a whirlwind that felt like it didn’t have a destination.

On top of this the side characters could have been fleshed out so so much more. KESTREL LIKE AAAAAH could’ve been done so well but no the only aspect was the transphobia Kes faced at the beginning and that entire plot seemed like it was ignored for the rest of the book giving it a sense of inclusion for the sake of it with no proper research. I actually did like Rook as a character which is why i followed through with the book, but i still feel like she could have been given more depth. From what it was i did not feel any emotional connection towards any character and so some events that took place around the end didn’t have the intended impact on me.

In terms of pacing, this is a really fast paced book and i did not love it simply because none of the plotlines felt coherent. In fact this book had the potential of being one of my favs, had it executed these plotlines well, but in the end nothing felt resolved and two of the plot lines were overshadowed by the third.

The magic system too was simply unexplained. (Okay this is an exaggeration but it might as well not be, seriously we got so little in terms of how the magic works) I guess i get the gist of it since its kind of like mistborn but instead of metals, we burn blood here, but without that prior knowledge i don’t think i’d have understood this magic system AT ALL. Hopefully it gets more details in book 2, because the concept itself is really cool and i did enjoy what was given !!!

All in all, this was an okay book, more leaning towards a 2 stars, but for now i’ll give it a 3 stars. Thank you to the publisher for granting me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

The Conventicle of Magpies is a good introduction to what could be a fascinating world. The magical realism the book introduces and explores is very unique and lends itself wonderfully to setting the book apart. I would be remiss to not give my one critic, which is that the book does feel unfinished. By unfinished I mean I completed the book with the feeling that the characters and world still had more to say and put out there. Something I pray the second book will remedy, a book I will definitely be picking up. Overall, The Conventicle of Magpies was a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. If you're interested in picking it up I definitely recommend.

There is so much to love about this book and the dark, twisted alternate Victorian/Edwardian gaslamp type of world it introduces us full danger and adventure. Two factions exist the Avanish and those they conquered and oppress the Saosuíasei; Our protagonist Rook is a Saosuíasei living in the slums as part of a female gang run by Mama Magpie, thieving and living off their wits to survive, There is a equivalent male gang who they later unite with in their fight with the Avanish. This book is part of a series and I think the start of novel struggled to know how to setup and start off what is an intriguing world and fantastic premise, as such the beginning starts with articles from a newspaper and letters to a viscount and the governor that attempt to set the political tension and stakes of the novel. I do understand that many Victorian novels make use of letter writing however I think the letters slowed down the narrative and were a distraction and even a little confusing, as we next enter the first chapter with a text from Saosuiasei folklore and an introduction to our protagonist Rook. The folklore is actually beautiful, its just that after the letters and article I felt the author could have provided a better context or introduction to some of those texts.
The start of the book is also a little slow to choose a clear direction for the narrative, as in the novel a lot happens, however it is beautifully written with rich atmospheric prose. There is no doubting the writing skill of the author and Rook's twisted and dark world comes alive in those passages, even small little touches like the Billy Drainer skipping rhyme, Mama Magpie and Rook are fantastic characters, there is an attempt at inclusion with a trans character Kestrel but I do feel that the ambitions of the author meant that certain elements were sacrificed or await further development in the sequel. So I'm hoping Kestrel has a bigger role there in which her character is more fully developed.
Overall I there is a huge amount of promise to be found in this novel and I look forward for the second installment especially to answer some of the questions this novel left me with.

Set in a late-Victorian era inspired world, the Conventicle of Magpies is the first book of the Bloodskill Duology by LRM Clarke. This is a world in which the Saosuísei people are considered vastly inferior to the Avanish and blood grants power...

Personally, I would have preferred there to have been far greater depth and complexity to the plot of the novel – conflict and peril are resolved remarkably quickly and easily throughout. I am conscious that in saying this, however, that I am very likely doing a disservice to the author. LRM Clarke has set out here to write a fast-paced YA fantasy novel and succeeds in this aim. The complex setting is established with remarkable efficiency within the first two chapters. The book also explores issues of gender and racial inequality that are rare to see in an YA novel. Some of the supporting characters feel a little thin and need fleshing out, but there is scope to do this in book two of the series. The novel ends in a satisfying place, with plenty of threads left open to bring the reader back to the final part of the duology.

ARC received from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial publishing in exchange for an honest revew.

A Conventicle of Magpies takes your classic heist plot and transposes it to a roughly Victorian-inspired world riven by class and race differences and marked by the struggle for survival against the odds.

We follow Rook, a member of the Magpies, an all-female gang sworn to protect Saosuíasei women, and if that involves thieving or other petty crime, so be it. But the Saosuíasei are suppressed by the Avanish, who are looking to eradicate their race from the map of the city and will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Rook and her friends become embroiled in this power-struggle as the situation in the slums where they lives tips into violence and all-out war.

I particularly enjoyed the way LGBTQ+ and asexuality were woven into the story without feeling heavy-handed at all. You can tell this is a topic of some importance to the author. Overall, the story is fast-moving and engaging with never a dull moment - at times, it almost felt too fast, possibly due to the constraints of the YA label onto accepted wordcounts.
There were enough tantalising hints strewn about the book about things to come that kept me guessing and that make want to pick up the second book to find out more about what happens (and to learn if my guesses were correct).

There were a few typos and continuity errors (for example, in one scene, Rook is drinking beer from a cup, but when she later shatters it, it spills tea), but not so frequent to really bother me.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes YA fantasy without the usual romance tropes and books that don't shy away from exposing young readers to difficult topics.
I can see this book being very popular with younger readers, but to me, the true test of children's or YA books is always if they will appeal to all audiences, and this does. There is enough action, friendship and intrigue to entertain on the surface, while beneath the excellent writing are layers of deeper issues such as race, segregation, loss, poverty and many more. I haven't been the target audience for this for at least 20 years, but I still enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to the second book.

I was kindly given this book for free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

“…and as death approached, Líbhas cast herself over the edge of the precipice rather than fall into the hands of the enemy. The Spirit of Tuachiad, who had loved Líbhas like his own daughter, would not let her die. Before her body hit the churning sea, he lent his Skill and transformed her into the most beautiful magpie the world had seen. The bird swooped upward in a blaze of light and blood, and beat the usurpers back with claw and wing. And evermore the magpie watched over the Saosuíasei, keeping them safe from all harm."

A tale of a people whose land was stolen to be exploited then they were snatched to another area with claims of opportunity only to end up in squalor to live & die miserably. Not fast enough though, as then the colonizers plotted to kill them outright. Great, gritty Victorian steampunk type setting. The worse atrocities can be committed in plots by the most banal looking people is something that has been proven time & again. By the smallest most mediocre men sitting around a table full laden plotting the demise of defenseless while cutting off the fat of the land for themselves. In this tale blood is used to enhance abilities so blood is precious. The main character is the best of her group in using her blood to keep her family alive with Skill: aptitudes you are born with amplified with a shot of more blood. Death by a thousand cuts until you forget what you are but the need to remember is what becomes paramount to fight another day for yourself & others. So, rise back up again & become the phoenix, you never know what you will find in the old stories that were more than just tales to while away the time in winter..

I stepped out of my comfort zone picking up this story and glad I did! I recommend starting with the prologue. You get a clear understanding of just how despicable the people in power AKA the rich are to people who are different from them. The prologue is written as letters between Governor Dredchain and Viscount Trass. They viewed these people as animals that needed to be dealt with swiftly. As you read on, you soon discover their plans are much more sinister and you become further absorbed in the story.

I really enjoyed getting to know a few of the characters and their quirky names. For example: Rook, Pit, Crake, Billy Drainer, Pigeon and so on…That said, there are too many characters introduced and not enough information about them to form any real sympathy, me thinks. Which is important, especially, in a story like this one. Though I felt like I got to know Rook pretty good seeing she is a protagonist.

There is also too many things going on in the story that I felt pushed and pulled -a bit- in different directions. Nonetheless, I kept ready on because the story itself was so fascinating! Like the Victorian setting, conflicts and the bloodskill.

Fans of Neil Gailman and Suzanne Collins will enjoy this story. Not only that, Clarke gives a bird’s eye view of discrimination and the people who stand up to adversity. I look forward to reading the next book in this series!

Stephanie Hopkins

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


The cover of this book drew me in and really set the vibe for the entire book. This book had a slow start and I was unsure if I was going to bet able to really get into the plot. Once the first few chapters are completed the book picks up drastically and you can't put it down.

Our main character, Rook, is a morally gray character who steals and fights to not only provide for her family but also protect them. Rooks best friend Kestrel was one of my favorite characters she was a complex side character or MC #2. Rook is trying to protect her family and everybody like her from the Avanish people, the cities elite. The elite do not find value in human lives that are not of their own race. A Conventicle of Magpies (ACoM) faced a lot of racial ideas head on and discussed the value in every life. It was a great way to pull in real life problems but it still let you escape from reality. The magic system, Bloodskill, was intriguing and played a big part in how the book progressed. The author thoroughly explained the skill and how it works as well as why it does not always work. I never felt confused how they were able to accomplish certain tasks in one chapter but in the next not able to. There are multiple side stories/quest that it was hard to anchor yourself to the true plot of the book. The plot itself seemed more like a concept versus a main goal which was sometimes confusing.

I plan on reading the second book.


<spoiler> The ending of this book kind of missed its mark. I sat there and was really unsure what I expected but I don't feel like anything was truly resolved. The team rescued Mama Magpie but that originally felt more like a side quest and not the arc of the ending. I was also disappointed by the synopsis making me think there will be more of Billy Drainer and instead we sometimes saw him in the Alley. I was intrigued by the possibility of his identity but it was not explored enough in the first book. I am assuming it will be in the second so I am excited to read more about that.

The Conventicle of magpies ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Conventicle of magpies takes place in a world where blood can be used to be faster, stronger,... Skilling. The main character, Rook, starts as a thief and ends up as a leader. The drainer gave me jack the ripper kinda vibes. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to a serie about Rook and the rest of the Conventicle of magpies.

This book brings images to my mind's eye that are similar to the characters of Carnival Row series on Amazon, except without wings. The themes in this book have the same rustic feel with a race of peoples that have been driven from their lands and supressed, slaves to a society that conquered them.

The characters in this book are a people rich in lore and have deep beliefs that has driven generations of them to be strong, but not strong enough. Now they are considered vermin and the are those trying to eradicate them. Their blood could save them or sink them because within their contains magic and whoever has the magic has the power.

Rook just wants to save her people from the Governor who is trying to get rid of her people. She has already lost her sister and father so she doesn't want to lose anyone else. When a serial killer starts killing people in her area, she knows she has to act but she soon learns that there is a great plot afoot, one that could mean the end of some and torturous beginning for those she loves. Forces must unite if they have any chance of survival because this is only the beginning.

Overall, I enjoyed the gritty, almost gaslamp feel of this book. It has a edge of steampunk and magic to it that I liked. There was a transgender character, which I didn't mind but did feel like the author was trying to hide it at first the because I had to reread parts to make sure I got the right point. It wasn't till the afterword that I read she includes characters in her writing. I also didn't know if the throw away comment about Rook saying she doesn't love was the author's way of indicating the character was asexual. It was so offhanded, I didn't understand why it was brought up. While the book can be slow at times, I found myself finishing it within a day so it wasn't too bad (I'm a fast reader). I look forward to the next book

** Thank you NetGalley and the publishers of this book for the opportunity. In exchange for my honest opinion, I received a copy of this book to review. **

A Conventicle of Magpies follows Rook, a girl talented in the art of Bloodskill, as she tries to defend her friends, family, and home from an army.
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This book was fine. There were parts of it that I loved, and parts that fell flat. The main thing I did notcare for was the fact that the author tried to tell us things, but then the actions did not line up with that. He most notable example would be with Rook, who we are told is this amazing thief and is the best in the conventicle, but she was just average. I also didn’t really love the writing style.
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However, many of the characters were very likable and I cannot wait to read more about them, specifically Magpie! The author did a great job with characterization.
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Overall, I didn’t love this book, but it was not the worst.
3.5 stars rounded down.
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TWs- blood, death, transphobia
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

At first, I found the story a little confusing. There's a lot going on, and so it can be hard to keep track of all of the characters and their stories. Having said that I was also really drawn in. Rook is Saosuíasei, and so she is persecuted for the crime of existing. She is a member of an all-female gang, the Magpies, who steal from those in power to give back to those who have nothing. I loved the idea of this group of women exacting their own form of justice. They have a vow not to kill, unlike another gang, the Jaguars.

To add to the chaos, a serial killer is terrorising the city, murdering Saosuíasei people and draining them of their blood. Blood is powerful in this world, as you can use it for blood magic, almost as a drug, to enhance your own skills and abilities. The threat of the killer, combined with increasing violence against the Saosuíasei, leads the Magpies to join up with the Jaguars and work together.

I loved that the book includes a really diverse cast of characters, and that they feel like real, complex people. It also handles colonialism, slavery and land thievery really, really well. You see how the Avanish society is both racist and sexist, and the horrific conditions that people are forced to live in. The Saosuíasei have their own history and folklore, which they tell through stories. Rook's mother used to be a storyteller before she became unwell. Their culture was really well-developed and I felt like it made everything feel so much more real.

I particularly love Kestrel. She is kind. She cares about Rook and looks out for her as much as she can, and she struggles with the decision to cut out their adopted brother after he joined the Avanish police. I felt like that conflict was really realistic. Sometimes, no matter what someone has done, you still love them and that makes choosing to shut them out very difficult.

I also adore Mama Magpie. She is a strong woman who cares for her people and treats them like family. She is feared by the Avanish and it's clear that she is extremely skilled, but she encourages the Conventicle to use other methods to get what they want, rather than violence. She really showed how you don't always have to kill in order to fight back.

On the other hand, there were many things that I did not love about this book.

Rook is supposed to be the best of the best. And yet she keeps getting snuck up on by other people. People who don't even have the same level of skill that she apparently does. I couldn't believe it. I felt like I was constantly being told how great she was without actually seeing any evidence of that. Getting caught once would be one thing, but when it happens multiple times it starts to get exhausting.

Also, there was a significant plot hole at one point in the book. Rook encounters Billy Drainer, but they don't speak to one another at all. She does notice that he has Saosuíasei eyes. But later on she overhears a conversation where it's mentioned that his accent is Saosuíasei, and she agrees with this. Now, she could just be agreeing because of his eyes, but it doesn't really make sense. How would she actually know what his accent was?

I had further frustrations with Rook's character beyond her supposedly being the best but not actually demonstrating this. She is furious with her brother for joining the Avanish police. She feels so much anger towards him, and this makes sense. She believes he's betrayed them all. She also feels hurt by his actions. But as soon as he says sorry and cries she forgives him. No questions asked. I couldn't believe it. Her anger and all that she'd said up to that point suddenly didn't feel real at all. I'm not saying that she shouldn't have forgiven him. But it should have at least felt like she had to think about it, given everything she'd been saying.

There was something that irritated me about the entire book. Maybe it was the feeling that it could have been so much more than it was. I've settled on three stars for now because I suppose overall I liked it, but it also frustrated me.

I enjoyed the writing and there were definitely aspects of the story that I really liked, but the plot holes and weak characters, particularly Rook, made this a difficult read. Having said that, I'd probably pick up the second book because I do think the story is interesting.

Unfortunately the ARC I received also had several typos, which was a little frustrating. But hopefully these are fixed in the final version.

I put this as DNF after finishing chapter 5. Beside the book revealing Kestrel as a trans character (which I adore the representation and Clarke actively trying to be inclusive), I think the writing style didn't really do much justice to Kestrel.

Speaking of stylistic choices, the writing is very reminiscent of the book I read before, The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell. There are some nuances such as the action scenes feel dynamic and quick-paced which is a perfect method to bring about this gaslight fantasy. I presume it's gaslight fantasy.

The names are unique, ranging from Rook (one of my favorite characters so far) to Sparrow and Pigeon, even Magpie. It's very fitting that these names resembles the title of the book, theme-wise. Though I don't know if it's intentional or not. I believe it's the former.

Overall, the cover and the description caught my attention though the writing style did not click with me. I'm glad I receive the arc for exchange for an honest review. Maybe in the future I will revisit this book if I change my mind about it.

I rate this book a 2 stars, I believe there's potential.