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A review by cece_rants_raves_reviews
Radical by Colleen Cowley
4.0
**I was provided with an ARC for an honest review.**
Rally up bitches, the magic feminists are back !!
This was EXACTLY how a sequel should be *thank gawd* where events from the first book have consequences and everything is building up to the epic battle showdown
Women have no ability to cast spells. That's what wizards have said for generations. But it's a lie.
wOmEn ArE 2 wEaK fOr MaGiC
The sequel brilliantly reviews the actions of the first book thru some creative goddamn dialogue
Then immediately gets into the current actions -- with the Women's League working for equality, Beatrix learning her magic & wanting to spread the knowledge, and Peter's struggle with the death device
Heres our MCs: Beatrix Harper a sister, a magic user, a fighter, a manipulator and Peter Blackwell a wizard and a manipulator.
awww aren't they just precious together
Similar to the first book, Beatrix continues to be a strong-ass woman. But she also goes a little more on the rebel dark side compared to the first book... and i love IT!! muhaha
But I really appreciated the character arc of Peter, he really evolves from the original arrogant prick we met
I love Peter so much. His relationship with Beatrix is so well developed. He knows Beatrix as a victim, broken girl, self-sufficient woman, magic-user, and general badass. He's seen it alll and he keeps coming back for her.
My favorite FAVORITE thing about this book was how you totally saw how their dynamic obviously changed and developed. They go from indifferent strangers, to tentative friends, to best friends, to secret enemies, to friends, to lovers.
The character dynamics between them are not quite as fun & bantery as the first book because of all the danger and underlying threats ... but the writing was so well-done I accepted it
Ella the funny best friend has more of a presence than in the first book which I loved. I love dynamics between my characters, everyone needs friends dammit
And this book totally addressed that lacking in the first book by giving both more spotlight, showing how both sisters clearly love each other and hate their distance but aren't sure how to reunite
This is where true writing shows: the classic -show don't just tell- was so prominent and well done in this book I wanted to cry. The author DID NOT just simply tell us over and over again about the wisdom of Beatrix and Lydia as a good sister, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!! The author showed their love of family through actions and thoughts
Martinelli straight-up came into this book like
I lowkey forgot about him as a character in the first book but he made an awesome addition. After being assistant to Peter, I thought his character would fade away
Instead, he turns out to be Peter's homie .. and its ADORABLE
This was also a *hella* creative writing tool to have two wizards discuss more details about magic and understand some of the crazy Vow shit happening in the first book
Overall. Well-fucking done. Everything I loved in the first book -- the unique premise, the fun characters, and pacing --continued in the sequel. But more importantly, the author clearly worked on some of the failings of the first book. Where the sisterly dynamic of the first book felt like two strangers in the same house, the second book addressed and explained the distance. Where the first book had Beatrix as little bit of a pusher over, this book Beatrix purposefully goes against what everyone else is telling her to do what SHE thinks is right .... even if it totally wasn't. Even though it wasn't the usual action-packed fantasy novel I go for, I still was hooked and zoomed right through it because I kept wanting to see what happened next.
I wasn't reading this book just to finish it, I genuinely enjoyed being with the characters-- freaking out with them when things went wrong, laughing at the characters banter together, and celebrating successful plans. and I fucking love that feeling. its the whole reason I read.
For the third book I got some clear and definite expectations
● what the everloving FUCK happened to spoiler
● I need more Martinelli and Peter bromance
● Beatrix needs to admit her goddamn feelings to both her sister and Peter on how she feels about them
● I'm hoping we finally leave the tiny village to go into the city
which will open the environment for hella lot more danger violence and intrigue that this book touches upon but rally its the equivalent of a epic battle in the middle of fucknowhere Montana. there just ain't enough resources to really build it up ya know?
Rally up bitches, the magic feminists are back !!
This was EXACTLY how a sequel should be *thank gawd* where events from the first book have consequences and everything is building up to the epic battle showdown
Women have no ability to cast spells. That's what wizards have said for generations. But it's a lie.
wOmEn ArE 2 wEaK fOr MaGiC
The sequel brilliantly reviews the actions of the first book thru some creative goddamn dialogue
“You seriously asked the sister of the woman running the Women’s League for the Prohibition of Magic, the crucking Women’s League for the Prohibition of Magic, to assist your omnimancy operation?”Hell yahhh he did !!!
Then immediately gets into the current actions -- with the Women's League working for equality, Beatrix learning her magic & wanting to spread the knowledge, and Peter's struggle with the death device
Heres our MCs: Beatrix Harper a sister, a magic user, a fighter, a manipulator and Peter Blackwell a wizard and a manipulator.
awww aren't they just precious together
Similar to the first book, Beatrix continues to be a strong-ass woman. But she also goes a little more on the rebel dark side compared to the first book... and i love IT!! muhaha
But I really appreciated the character arc of Peter, he really evolves from the original arrogant prick we met
I love Peter so much. His relationship with Beatrix is so well developed. He knows Beatrix as a victim, broken girl, self-sufficient woman, magic-user, and general badass. He's seen it alll and he keeps coming back for her.
My favorite FAVORITE thing about this book was how you totally saw how their dynamic obviously changed and developed. They go from indifferent strangers, to tentative friends, to best friends, to secret enemies, to friends, to lovers.
The character dynamics between them are not quite as fun & bantery as the first book because of all the danger and underlying threats ... but the writing was so well-done I accepted it
“His anger had largely burned itself out—hers too, he thought. But the distance remained.”Secondary characters
Ella the funny best friend has more of a presence than in the first book which I loved. I love dynamics between my characters, everyone needs friends dammit
“Ella—friend, confidante, co-conspirator—shifted in the seat beside her.”Lydia... grrrr. I did not like her in the first book. I saw her as cold and distant to Beatrix, the sister who is sacrificing everything for her.
And this book totally addressed that lacking in the first book by giving both more spotlight, showing how both sisters clearly love each other and hate their distance but aren't sure how to reunite
This is where true writing shows: the classic -show don't just tell- was so prominent and well done in this book I wanted to cry. The author DID NOT just simply tell us over and over again about the wisdom of Beatrix and Lydia as a good sister, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!! The author showed their love of family through actions and thoughts
Martinelli straight-up came into this book like
I lowkey forgot about him as a character in the first book but he made an awesome addition. After being assistant to Peter, I thought his character would fade away
Instead, he turns out to be Peter's homie .. and its ADORABLE
“ Martinelli grinned. “It was especially entertaining to watch your face as it dawned on you why the Sedereys invited us to eat with them two weekends in a row.”
Peter sighed. “What am I to do? I can’t very well say, ‘So sorry, Miss Sederey, but I’m desperately in love with Miss Harper."
This was also a *hella* creative writing tool to have two wizards discuss more details about magic and understand some of the crazy Vow shit happening in the first book
"So did the other pair, but then they Vowed a second time—”While I did love the emphasis on character development, the actual actions were less than satisfactory. I wanted the adventure to be more incorporated throughout the book but it was pretty limited to the end fight scene
“—and their dreams became like an extension of real life, except it was just the two of them?”
“Yes.”
“Did they Vow a third time? One to the other, or each to each?”
“No! Holy shit—what the hell happens after a third time?”
“You can’t undo the Vows. They fuse. They’re permanent.”
For a second or two, Martinelli simply stared at him. “Oh, shit.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Peter muttered.”
“It looks like a birdbath,” Rosemarie said, shaking her head.And OFFFF COURSEEE the book ends on a fucking cliffhanger that leaves you screaming and wanting to know what the fuck happened to spoiler
It did, in fact. What it most certainly did not look like was a weapon of mass death.”
Overall. Well-fucking done. Everything I loved in the first book -- the unique premise, the fun characters, and pacing --continued in the sequel. But more importantly, the author clearly worked on some of the failings of the first book. Where the sisterly dynamic of the first book felt like two strangers in the same house, the second book addressed and explained the distance. Where the first book had Beatrix as little bit of a pusher over, this book Beatrix purposefully goes against what everyone else is telling her to do what SHE thinks is right .... even if it totally wasn't. Even though it wasn't the usual action-packed fantasy novel I go for, I still was hooked and zoomed right through it because I kept wanting to see what happened next.
I wasn't reading this book just to finish it, I genuinely enjoyed being with the characters-- freaking out with them when things went wrong, laughing at the characters banter together, and celebrating successful plans. and I fucking love that feeling. its the whole reason I read.
For the third book I got some clear and definite expectations
● what the everloving FUCK happened to spoiler
● I need more Martinelli and Peter bromance
● Beatrix needs to admit her goddamn feelings to both her sister and Peter on how she feels about them
● I'm hoping we finally leave the tiny village to go into the city
which will open the environment for hella lot more danger violence and intrigue that this book touches upon but rally its the equivalent of a epic battle in the middle of fucknowhere Montana. there just ain't enough resources to really build it up ya know?