Daphne's Reviews > The Diamond Thief

DNF at 80%
If I hadn't been on a ski trip and had nothing else to read, I would have DNFed this long before 80%. I'm not sure if this is a debut novel, but it sure reads like one. The writing was awkward and stilted, the characters had confusing motivations, and there were some descriptions that took me out of the Victorian setting. Everything seemed so modern! I know that this is steampunk, so it's going to feel more modern than regular historical fiction, but this felt very contemporary.

While I didn't dislike the characters, I didn't like them either. They all seemed nice, but a bit one-dimensional and flat. Rémy was cool, but it seems like the author tried to make her not like "other girls". (In fact, Rémy literally says that she's "not like other girls".) Thaddeus was okay, but he flip-flopped on his opinion on Rémy so quick! He's know her for less than a day, and suddenly he thinks she's amazing, even though 3 hours before he thought she was nothing but a dirty thief. It's great that his character is growing, but it's a tad unbelievable that he changed so fast. (Also, Rémy and Thaddeus have known each other for less than a day and it already seems like they 'love' each other...)

The one good thing about this book was the pacing. There was never a dull moment. Well, actually, all the moments were dull because I hated the story, but if I had been invested in the story, it would have never been dull. There was always something going on, and there didn't seem to be any filler pages. Now, some people like filler pages, but I personally enjoy when a book is edited and edited and edited again. (Think The Great Gatsby and not Little Women) However, the pacing wasn't enough to save this book, and I would strongly advise you to skip this one.