I’m amazed how uninventive this fantasy book is. Guildstraat? Joost? Canals? What could “Ketterdam” stand for, out of all things, I wonder?
Also, it’s annoying that all POV characters are exactly 17 years old. What are the chances.
It’s an easy read overall. My two main gripes are with Kaz and Inej, as it’s not clear how one seventeen year old becomes a criminal mastermind and why an acrobat girl makes a good assassin.
Also, the entire backstory of Kaz is so overcomplicated. He comes to the Big City with money from selling his farm. Nobody is willing to employ him, but then a boy on the corner tells him about a broker that is looking for a messenger boy. And that broker becomes a fatherly figure for Kaz, and even invites him to his mansion and introduces Kaz to his family. And then the broker gives investment advice to Kaz (who’s a messenger boy, remember?), and this works out, so when he gives another advice, Kaz puts the money from selling his family’s farm into the enterprise. Only the broker disappears, and turns out the mansion was rented, and all the family was paid actors…
I mean, all that hard work for what, to steal money from selling a farm?!
Obviously the author tries to demonstrate how Ketterdam is the city of heist, but she tries a bit too hard.
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