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Diamond City by Francesca Flores is a book I had been anticipating due to its supposed action and dark magic. The premise interested me, and I enjoyed the idea of an assassination gone wrong and some unlikely allies. Despite this, many elements of the story are quite flat, including the main character and the setting, and I was ultimately unimpressed.
Title: Diamond City (Diamond City #1)Series: Diamond City #1
Author: Francesca Flores
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Rating:
Series Rating:
Good things don't happen to girls who come from nothing...unless they risk everything.
Fierce and ambitious, Aina Solís as sharp as her blade and as mysterious as the blood magic she protects. After the murder of her parents, Aina takes a job as an assassin to survive and finds a new family in those like her: the unwanted and forgotten.
Her boss is brutal and cold, with a questionable sense of morality, but he provides a place for people with nowhere else to go. And makes sure they stay there.
DIAMOND CITY: built by magic, ruled by tyrants, and in desperate need of saving. It is a world full of dark forces and hidden agendas, old rivalries and lethal new enemies.
To claim a future for herself in a world that doesn't want her to survive, Aina will have to win a game of murder and conspiracy—and risk losing everything.
Full of action, romance and dark magic, book one of Francesca Flores' breathtaking fantasy duology will leave readers eager for more!
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
book Review: Diamond City by Francesca Flores
This book follows Aina, an assassin working for the man who took her in after the death of her parents. She is given one last job before she is granted her freedom: to kill a prominent, rich man. When the assassination goes awry, Aina is forced to team up with her target’s younger brother and fix things while her boss turns against her. The idea of assassins is interesting to me, and I felt some Throne of Glass/Six of Crows vibes from this book. For those looking for a darker fantasy read, I would recommend Diamond City.
❀ Flat Main Character
Aina is a satisfactory character–I didn’t love her, but I didn’t exactly hate her either. It is interesting how she is a morally grey character, being an assassin, and I liked how she has a dream of starting her own business. That being said, she didn’t feel original enough to me, and she is generally a pretty flat character. As well, I really didn’t care for the “romance” in the book. Aina spends the book lusting after her boss, Kohl, even though he continues to hurt her, and although I can understand why this might be the case, I was kind of unsettled. In addition to this toxic love, she also has feelings for a couple of other people in the book, and it didn’t really make sense to me.
❀ Not enough world-building
Another issue I had with the book is the world-building and writing style. I found it very difficult to picture the setting because there is a lack of description. We know the basics, including a civil war and an outlawed religion, but not much else. I felt as though nothing was was really explained enough to be convincing. For a book called Diamond City, I was expecting the setting to be a big part of the novel. The fight scenes as well are a little lacklustre. Seeing as Aina is an assassin, I was anticipating tense action scenes. However, we are given vague, unrealistic fight scenes that all feel the same, and their repetitive nature made me lose interest.
Diamond City by Francesca Flores is a book with a lot of potential. The assassin and dark magic elements intrigued me, but the main character and the vague writing disappointed me. Honestly, for a book whose synopsis promises action and romance, this one leaves something to be desired.
About Francesca Flores
Francesca Flores is a writer, traveler and linguist. Raised in Pittsburgh, she read every fantasy book she could get her hands on and started writing her own stories at a young age. She began writing Diamond City while working as a corporate travel manager. When she's not writing or reading, Francesca enjoys traveling, dancing ballet and jazz, practicing trapeze and contortion, and visiting parks and trails around San Francisco, where she currently resides.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.
I’m sorry this one wasn’t better for you. A flat main character combined with a romance you’re not rooting for does not sound fun. Great review, though!
Yeah, it has a lot of potential. Maybe the next book in the series will address some of the world-building issues.
That cover is stunning, I love the rainbow diamond. Sad to say that the book wasn’t all that, it looks really interesting. I hate books where the MC has multiple people they’re interested in, it just feels desperate at that point.
I feel like with a book like this you actually need a lot of world building and it sounds like it just fell flat.
JennReneeRead
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That cover drew me right in! I kept reading in the hopes that it would turn around a bit, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I know that there will be people that enjoy it, though. 🙂
I have been looking forward to this one, but with one of my blogging friends not being able to finish it and your review, I am less excited about it. Hopefully the series will get better as it goes.
I am relieved to hear that I am not alone in my thoughts. It does have some potential for more in the next book. I agree. 🙂
Bummer! How disappointing for an anticipated book to not live up to expectations.
Yup. It does happen! It wasn’t all bad, but I guess I had higher hopes. 😉
Too bad you didn’t enjoy this book a little more. To be honest, vague writing would disappoint me also.
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It really does disappoint when you are trying to understand a world. 🙂
That’s so sad as the cover really drew me in but now…
I know… But the cover!! 🙂
What a bummer about the world building, it did sound like it would have some great potential.
It does have some interesting concepts. It will be interesting to see where the next book goes. 🙂
Thanks for your review. Sorry it wasn’t better for you.
Thanks, Shannon! 🙂
What a bummer that you didn’t enjoy it.
I get a little frustrated when I waste time on a book I didn’t love.
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I love the cover on this one and appreciate your honest review. It is so disappointing when the main character does not meet expectations.
With better character development and world building it could’ve been a great book.
This sounds like a cool book.