The Bookwhisperer

I loved the cover of this book. You hardly ever see a black cover model. I really like the art deco feel to both the cover and the chapter headings. It's all so very pretty.

I also liked the world that Destiny Soria has built. The story takes place in an alternate Boston in 1919 where society has been divided into the normal folks (the regs) and the feared hemopaths, who can perform magic through art. Practicing hemopathy is strictly illegal. Active hemopaths are hunted and shipped off to Haversham Asylum for afflictions of the blood, where horrible experiments are rumored to take place.

I liked the character of Ada, whose art form is music. Her family background, her race and struggles with discrimination gave her nice depth. Her relationship with Charlie was also very sweet. I was less thrilled about Corinne. She came off as a bit brainless and hubristic, and her character seemed very static throughout the story.

At first, I appreciated the slow build-up, because it does a nice job of introducing you to the characters and the world. Then I got over halfway into the book, and still nothing much was happening. I started feeling like the interesting stuff had already happened before the book started and I was late for the show, basically just watching the aftermath of it all. Eventually, a mystery does develop but it's given less attention than, say, Corinne's family dinners and whether or not she should kiss the guy she may or may not be into. By the time things get going in the last 100 pages or so, I had pretty much lost interest.