ghost flower

Almost a very good book. Interesting world and magic system, though we didn't get much detail on the former. It's well-written, and well-edited, too. But for 95% of the book I had no idea what was going on - and when answers show up, near the end, they don't really answer my questions. I do not know why Syl and Bianca were in the school - if she actually wanted to study, he thoroughly screwed that up. He was amazingly incompetent at undercover work - did an excellent job of drawing attention show more to himself and therefore to Bianca, including by demonstrating to his teachers and classmates that he was _not_ there to learn anything. So when some of their past gets revealed at the end, I said ah, that's why.... No, that doesn't actually explain anything, what was the reason to enter the Academy? Also, is Gluttony mechanically amplified the way he is, or is she free-casting (or something else)? Are there two tiers of Sinners? More questions than answers by the end of the book and no one I was interested in enough to keep reading in hopes of eventually getting the answers. Pretty gory - detailed descriptions of several deaths and maimings. The scene between Syl and Jennifer, where he totally misses what she's trying to push, is rather amusing. Almost very good, but I won't be reading any more. show less