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Crosspointe Chronicles #1
The Cipher
Distant member of the royal Rampling family, Lucy Trenton's ability to detect majick has embroiled her in a dangerous intrigue that threatens her very life. Her only hope lies in her most persistent suitor, ship captain Marten Thorpe, but Lucy isn't sure she can trust him...
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
35 people are currently reading
1050 people want to read
About the author
Diana Pharaoh Francis
44 books761 followersI was raised on a cattle ranch in Northern California (outside a town called Lincoln which is now part of an enormous sprawl). I taught myself to ride a horse at the age of six, as no one had the time to teach me—they were all busy learning how to irrigate, how to cajole an angry bull into another field, how to pull a calf… Afraid of heights, and absolutely sure I was going to die, I managed to scramble up on the back of a very patient and lazy strawberry roan destrier, and plod off into the sunset.
Thereafter, I spent much of my early life on horseback, or so far buried into a book that the rest of the world ceased to exist (much to the annoyance of my family—it took several attempts to get my attention). We all had very specific jobs on the ranch and mine was horses and cattle—out rounding up at dawn. And since I rode bareback, my standing request was to wake me up 5 minutes before everyone else headed for the barn—time enough to dress and eat my Wheaties, and no sleep time wasted on saddling.
After high school, I attended college after college, racking up a BA and MA in creative writing and a Ph.D. in literature and theory. My very patient and supportive husband traipsed across the Midwest and back to Montana for me (though my husband insists that he’s been running and hiding and I just keep finding him), where I now teach at the University of Montana-Western. We also a son Q-ball, who in our humbly unbiased opinions, is the most wonderful son ever produced, and a daughter, Princess Caesar, who is the most wonderful daughter ever produced.
I have a fascination for the Victorians, weather, geology, horses, plants and mythology, I like spicy food, chocolate and cheesecake, and I have an odd sense of humor. (Or so I’ve been told. Often.) Incidentally, the Pharaoh is in fact my real name, and oddly enough, is of British origin.
Some of my current favorite sf/f writers are Ilona Andrews, Carol Berg, C.E. Murphy, Patty Briggs, Lynn Flewelling, Rachel Caine, David Coe, and Anne Bishop.
Thereafter, I spent much of my early life on horseback, or so far buried into a book that the rest of the world ceased to exist (much to the annoyance of my family—it took several attempts to get my attention). We all had very specific jobs on the ranch and mine was horses and cattle—out rounding up at dawn. And since I rode bareback, my standing request was to wake me up 5 minutes before everyone else headed for the barn—time enough to dress and eat my Wheaties, and no sleep time wasted on saddling.
After high school, I attended college after college, racking up a BA and MA in creative writing and a Ph.D. in literature and theory. My very patient and supportive husband traipsed across the Midwest and back to Montana for me (though my husband insists that he’s been running and hiding and I just keep finding him), where I now teach at the University of Montana-Western. We also a son Q-ball, who in our humbly unbiased opinions, is the most wonderful son ever produced, and a daughter, Princess Caesar, who is the most wonderful daughter ever produced.
I have a fascination for the Victorians, weather, geology, horses, plants and mythology, I like spicy food, chocolate and cheesecake, and I have an odd sense of humor. (Or so I’ve been told. Often.) Incidentally, the Pharaoh is in fact my real name, and oddly enough, is of British origin.
Some of my current favorite sf/f writers are Ilona Andrews, Carol Berg, C.E. Murphy, Patty Briggs, Lynn Flewelling, Rachel Caine, David Coe, and Anne Bishop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
July 7, 2014
<4
A great beginning:
The Cipher is a fantasy book with a strong romance thread. It's set in a word of Georgian or Victorian resonance (before the Industrial Revolution).
It has an absolutely great world-building, and an unrelenting tension until the very end.
The world-building was well integrated in the story, and we learn about it watching the story unfold. (We are never showered with info dumps :D.)
I loved the way magic takes its toll on its users. The way we see ignorance shapes people (who fear what they don't know or understand). The utter normalcy of evil.
The plot deals with treason and betrayal and it's a never-relenting run against apparently unstoppable enemies. Personally I found this run was at time dragged by an over descriptive narrative, but it may be a purely personal peeve.
There were a multitude of "main" characters, but we get the Pov of two "heroes". The really great thing is that they are flawed, so human in their hypocrisy and fallacy. The very bad thing is that they are flawed... :)
I had quite a few difficult moments with the hero's pov. It's really unpleasant, as the life of people with addiction often is. They lie, they cheat, they deny their responsibility. And this is what he did to the very end. His final choice wasn't enough to save him in my eyes. On the other end, the heroine was competent and strong, and her mistakes only made her more relatable.
Things that did not resonate with me.
-Why create a society that recalls Georgian/Victorian times (with balls, "Ton"-like society, marriage market and corsets) and then make it "modern-like" in mores.
This is in no way the only books that chooses this path and it always confuses me a bit. A working society (male and female alike) can't mesh with a non working one easily. [If I'm a custom officer, I work for a living, I invest my money in a shop, why wouldn't I have other "freedoms"?]
-We are never really explained how the "bad" guy succeeded in his plot to ensnare her. And the two-pronged evil, while really good, was at times too shallow (not that well integrated maybe?)
DRC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
A great beginning:
There were some days that deserved to be be drowned at birth and everyone sent back to bed with a hot brandy, a box of chocolates and a warm, energetic companion. Today was without question one of those days.
The Cipher is a fantasy book with a strong romance thread. It's set in a word of Georgian or Victorian resonance (before the Industrial Revolution).
It has an absolutely great world-building, and an unrelenting tension until the very end.
The world-building was well integrated in the story, and we learn about it watching the story unfold. (We are never showered with info dumps :D.)
I loved the way magic takes its toll on its users. The way we see ignorance shapes people (who fear what they don't know or understand). The utter normalcy of evil.
The plot deals with treason and betrayal and it's a never-relenting run against apparently unstoppable enemies. Personally I found this run was at time dragged by an over descriptive narrative, but it may be a purely personal peeve.
There were a multitude of "main" characters, but we get the Pov of two "heroes". The really great thing is that they are flawed, so human in their hypocrisy and fallacy. The very bad thing is that they are flawed... :)
I had quite a few difficult moments with the hero's pov. It's really unpleasant, as the life of people with addiction often is. They lie, they cheat, they deny their responsibility. And this is what he did to the very end. His final choice wasn't enough to save him in my eyes. On the other end, the heroine was competent and strong, and her mistakes only made her more relatable.
Things that did not resonate with me.
-Why create a society that recalls Georgian/Victorian times (with balls, "Ton"-like society, marriage market and corsets) and then make it "modern-like" in mores.
This is in no way the only books that chooses this path and it always confuses me a bit. A working society (male and female alike) can't mesh with a non working one easily. [If I'm a custom officer, I work for a living, I invest my money in a shop, why wouldn't I have other "freedoms"?]
-We are never really explained how the "bad" guy succeeded in his plot to ensnare her. And the two-pronged evil, while really good, was at times too shallow (not that well integrated maybe?)
DRC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
January 16, 2008
Lucy Trenton's special gift is the ability to sense magick, a useful trick in the town of Crosspointe, where enchanted sylveth can surge in with the tides, transforming and destroying every creature it touches. Lucy is a good, law-abiding citizen with one flaw: she collects true ciphers, magically cursed objects created centuries ago by a magician named Errol Cipher. Lucy must fight a sylveth tide, fight a cipher which has bonded to her arm, and deal with a blackmailer who knows her secret. And then things start to get really dangerous.
Within the first few pages, you can tell Francis has serious worldbuilding skills. Crosspointe is a well-realized port city, full of the rich detail that most fantasies gloss over. And Lucy is a fun, stubbornly determined hero. It took a chapter or two to draw me in, but then I was hooked.
No book is perfect, of course. I was a bit uncomfortable with the description of the Jutras, the savage empire that threatens Crosspointe. Basically, they come across as pure, irredeemable evil. They're merciless, their magic is savage and bloody, and they're all-around bad guys, to the point of appearing inhuman. The way the inhabitants of Crosspointe talk about the Jutras evoked some racially-tinged discomfort as I was reading. But it sounds like we'll be learning more about the Jutras and their empire in book two.
The other thing that bugged me was the ending. Lucy is a strong, determined character. She spends most of the book fighting for what she believes and accepting the consequences. Those consequences catch up with her about 80% of the way through the book, but then she receives ... let's call it a gift. I don't want to spoil the ending, so I'm not going to say much more. It wasn't a deus ex machina, but that one part of the story felt too easy, especially compared with everything else she had fought for.
Francis writes very honestly. Characters and relationships are flawed. Victory comes with a cost. Magic is powerful, but it's a raw, poorly understood power, one that's difficult to control. Nor is Lucy invulnerable to her own magic. When she creates fire, she too is burned. It's a wonderful example of the price of magic, and I cheered the writer even as I gritted my teeth at Lucy's pain.
Overall, I'd strongly recommend the book, and I'm looking forward to The Black Ship.
Within the first few pages, you can tell Francis has serious worldbuilding skills. Crosspointe is a well-realized port city, full of the rich detail that most fantasies gloss over. And Lucy is a fun, stubbornly determined hero. It took a chapter or two to draw me in, but then I was hooked.
No book is perfect, of course. I was a bit uncomfortable with the description of the Jutras, the savage empire that threatens Crosspointe. Basically, they come across as pure, irredeemable evil. They're merciless, their magic is savage and bloody, and they're all-around bad guys, to the point of appearing inhuman. The way the inhabitants of Crosspointe talk about the Jutras evoked some racially-tinged discomfort as I was reading. But it sounds like we'll be learning more about the Jutras and their empire in book two.
The other thing that bugged me was the ending. Lucy is a strong, determined character. She spends most of the book fighting for what she believes and accepting the consequences. Those consequences catch up with her about 80% of the way through the book, but then she receives ... let's call it a gift. I don't want to spoil the ending, so I'm not going to say much more. It wasn't a deus ex machina, but that one part of the story felt too easy, especially compared with everything else she had fought for.
Francis writes very honestly. Characters and relationships are flawed. Victory comes with a cost. Magic is powerful, but it's a raw, poorly understood power, one that's difficult to control. Nor is Lucy invulnerable to her own magic. When she creates fire, she too is burned. It's a wonderful example of the price of magic, and I cheered the writer even as I gritted my teeth at Lucy's pain.
Overall, I'd strongly recommend the book, and I'm looking forward to The Black Ship.
April 16, 2009
This novel begins with the best opening lines I've read in a long while:
It's actually what made me pick up the book. Francis does a good job at keeping the tension high enough that you keep turning the pages. Lucy starts out having a bad day, and it just gets worse.
I do have to say... the cover states that Martin Thorpe is a "dashing and mysterious ship captain," but he's really not that mysterious. More of a rogue... Lucy knows of him and his reputation precedes him. He's a notorious gambler, addicted to chance, and that turns Lucy off right away. So there's much tension there.
Lucy is an interesting character, a member of the royal family, but because the royal family is in the middle of legal proceedings that have been going on for ages... she has no access to the wealth that comes from it. She has to work for a living. She's a customs inspector and takes her job very seriously. She's also a stickler for the rules, which is why Martin's gambling bothers her so much.
Except she also breaks the rules when it suits her, making her hypocritical. The good thing is that she realizes this. She is attracted to dangerous majical devices called ciphers, specifically true ciphers made by Errol Cipher. Quite often they are cursed object that attach to a victim and torment them until they die. Possessing them is illegal. Lucy has managed to collect several, and during a salvage operation when Crosspointe's port is blocked by knucklbones (a kind of moving reef, if a reef were made out of unbreakable material that rip ships apart), Lucy discovers another true cipher. It bursts out of its box and wraps itself around Lucy's arm.
Thus, Lucy's no good, very bad day goes even further downhill.
She also discovers that she's about to be blackmailed by someone who knows she collects true ciphers.
Much much worse.
I admired that about the book, that the tension kept notching up. Well, up until Lucy and Martin ended up with uber-powers. It dips a bit there.
But that happens near the end of the book, and even with that, Lucy has to face a band of all-powerful evil sorcerers that have put the King and the court in danger (as they're about to sacrifice them to their evil gods).
Yes, she saves the day and ends up becoming a very powerful majick user, but not everything in the story turns out fine in the end. Yes, she ends up with lots of power, but she also literally loses pretty much all her friends and family, as they have been shipped off to be slaves, in punishment for crimes for which she was accused. She is forbidden by the King to save them as he needs her in Crosspointe to help stabilize the political situation there.
It clipped her wings, but it didn't quite seem believable.
I enjoyed the magic system, even as I hated that it was spelled majick. Hated. It jumped off the page at me every time I read it. I don't understand why authors do that to perfectly good words... on purpose. (I butcher words, but that's because I can't spell.)
I also liked that Francis resisted the urge to explain her world completely. We learn about the different things in her world by watching Lucy live her life. We learn about how majick works, the odd phenomena in the sea, what sylveth does (though not really what it is, but I get the sense that they don't really know that either). Sylveth is a magical... well, kind of a magical gel that floats on the oceans. It changes anything it touches, living or not, into hideous versions of whatever it was. Hideous and dangerous creatures. However, the same stuff can be worked, to some extent, by majicars. These fantastic elements are accepted as normal... horrifying at times, dangerous always, but not as strange things. It's not a portal story, but one of immersion. We're not given a travel guide to see us through.
The story is told in third person from the POV of Lucy most of the time, and from Martin's POV for the rest. Francis achieves a fairly deep POV on occasion, crawling into both Lucy and Martin's minds well, which I think is necessary since these two characters are our only window into the world.
I did have a problem with how easy Lucy fell into her roll as uber-majicar (and every time I see that, I read it as maji-car, some kind of vehicle). Basically, boom. She's Errol Cipher's heir. The most powerful Majicar Evah! And she can use her powers flawlessly. For anything. Really? It doesn't even phase her.
The other thing that really bothered me is that the bad guys are dark-skinned and scarred, like tribal warriors. That really bothered me. Yes, their actions are very bad, but why couldn't they have been white people doing very bad things? If the people of Crosspointe had also been dark-skinned, yeah, maybe it would have flown. And perhaps later in the series we'll discover that they're not all bad, but the whole "dark person=bad people come to take over our lands" really doesn't sit well with me.
Three out of five stars for me. Good world-building. Great tension to a point, but the struggle to overcome was pretty much missing, which made the ending too easy to achieve. And while she's held back by the King and her loyalty, that's all that's holding her back. She could just as easily gone off and rescued her friends and family. And then there are the overtones of racism. I'm giving the author the benefit of the doubt on that one, but it does make me wary.
There were some days that deserved to be be drowned at birth and everyone sent back to bed with a hot brandy, a box of chocolates and a warm, energetic companion. Today was without question one of those days.
It's actually what made me pick up the book. Francis does a good job at keeping the tension high enough that you keep turning the pages. Lucy starts out having a bad day, and it just gets worse.
I do have to say... the cover states that Martin Thorpe is a "dashing and mysterious ship captain," but he's really not that mysterious. More of a rogue... Lucy knows of him and his reputation precedes him. He's a notorious gambler, addicted to chance, and that turns Lucy off right away. So there's much tension there.
Lucy is an interesting character, a member of the royal family, but because the royal family is in the middle of legal proceedings that have been going on for ages... she has no access to the wealth that comes from it. She has to work for a living. She's a customs inspector and takes her job very seriously. She's also a stickler for the rules, which is why Martin's gambling bothers her so much.
Except she also breaks the rules when it suits her, making her hypocritical. The good thing is that she realizes this. She is attracted to dangerous majical devices called ciphers, specifically true ciphers made by Errol Cipher. Quite often they are cursed object that attach to a victim and torment them until they die. Possessing them is illegal. Lucy has managed to collect several, and during a salvage operation when Crosspointe's port is blocked by knucklbones (a kind of moving reef, if a reef were made out of unbreakable material that rip ships apart), Lucy discovers another true cipher. It bursts out of its box and wraps itself around Lucy's arm.
Thus, Lucy's no good, very bad day goes even further downhill.
She also discovers that she's about to be blackmailed by someone who knows she collects true ciphers.
Much much worse.
I admired that about the book, that the tension kept notching up. Well, up until Lucy and Martin ended up with uber-powers. It dips a bit there.
But that happens near the end of the book, and even with that, Lucy has to face a band of all-powerful evil sorcerers that have put the King and the court in danger (as they're about to sacrifice them to their evil gods).
Yes, she saves the day and ends up becoming a very powerful majick user, but not everything in the story turns out fine in the end. Yes, she ends up with lots of power, but she also literally loses pretty much all her friends and family, as they have been shipped off to be slaves, in punishment for crimes for which she was accused. She is forbidden by the King to save them as he needs her in Crosspointe to help stabilize the political situation there.
It clipped her wings, but it didn't quite seem believable.
I enjoyed the magic system, even as I hated that it was spelled majick. Hated. It jumped off the page at me every time I read it. I don't understand why authors do that to perfectly good words... on purpose. (I butcher words, but that's because I can't spell.)
I also liked that Francis resisted the urge to explain her world completely. We learn about the different things in her world by watching Lucy live her life. We learn about how majick works, the odd phenomena in the sea, what sylveth does (though not really what it is, but I get the sense that they don't really know that either). Sylveth is a magical... well, kind of a magical gel that floats on the oceans. It changes anything it touches, living or not, into hideous versions of whatever it was. Hideous and dangerous creatures. However, the same stuff can be worked, to some extent, by majicars. These fantastic elements are accepted as normal... horrifying at times, dangerous always, but not as strange things. It's not a portal story, but one of immersion. We're not given a travel guide to see us through.
The story is told in third person from the POV of Lucy most of the time, and from Martin's POV for the rest. Francis achieves a fairly deep POV on occasion, crawling into both Lucy and Martin's minds well, which I think is necessary since these two characters are our only window into the world.
I did have a problem with how easy Lucy fell into her roll as uber-majicar (and every time I see that, I read it as maji-car, some kind of vehicle). Basically, boom. She's Errol Cipher's heir. The most powerful Majicar Evah! And she can use her powers flawlessly. For anything. Really? It doesn't even phase her.
The other thing that really bothered me is that the bad guys are dark-skinned and scarred, like tribal warriors. That really bothered me. Yes, their actions are very bad, but why couldn't they have been white people doing very bad things? If the people of Crosspointe had also been dark-skinned, yeah, maybe it would have flown. And perhaps later in the series we'll discover that they're not all bad, but the whole "dark person=bad people come to take over our lands" really doesn't sit well with me.
Three out of five stars for me. Good world-building. Great tension to a point, but the struggle to overcome was pretty much missing, which made the ending too easy to achieve. And while she's held back by the King and her loyalty, that's all that's holding her back. She could just as easily gone off and rescued her friends and family. And then there are the overtones of racism. I'm giving the author the benefit of the doubt on that one, but it does make me wary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2013
What I liked:
Story begins interestingly, custom inspection, strange magic creatures and blackmail plot especially
Premise of book has potential, world has good renascence wipe , there is interesting magic and magical artifacts.
what I didn't like:
main characters were too gullible, which was used as plot device to make story's villains plot work, but still writer insist that main character are clever, even best on their field of work, which both need people who aren't easily cheated or lied.
Crosspoint's justice system seems to be designed to be easily rounded and especially it feels like it support framing people on crimes what they haven't committed as even suspicion of committing crime gets you and all you friends and family to be sent on exile and as people is exiled such place where they can't survive it's same as death sentence. This would be ok except that system is descripted as just and even people screwed by it want some reason protect it and demand that others will follow it.
And in end both main characters get super powers which make it possible that they can save the day. And of course main character end in happy couple even that male lead has cheated and otherwise screwed female leads life even causing her best friend, father and two brothers to be sold in slavery, but of course such things don't matter as he is just so dashing and he apologized and tried to help, but in end gets one of their friends killed and ensure sentencing of the female lead and her family, so romance plot of this book was just idiotic in my eyes.
But book is readable and don't cause feeling that you need to throw it on the wall.
Story begins interestingly, custom inspection, strange magic creatures and blackmail plot especially
Premise of book has potential, world has good renascence wipe , there is interesting magic and magical artifacts.
what I didn't like:
main characters were too gullible, which was used as plot device to make story's villains plot work, but still writer insist that main character are clever, even best on their field of work, which both need people who aren't easily cheated or lied.
Crosspoint's justice system seems to be designed to be easily rounded and especially it feels like it support framing people on crimes what they haven't committed as even suspicion of committing crime gets you and all you friends and family to be sent on exile and as people is exiled such place where they can't survive it's same as death sentence. This would be ok except that system is descripted as just and even people screwed by it want some reason protect it and demand that others will follow it.
And in end both main characters get super powers which make it possible that they can save the day. And of course main character end in happy couple even that male lead has cheated and otherwise screwed female leads life even causing her best friend, father and two brothers to be sold in slavery, but of course such things don't matter as he is just so dashing and he apologized and tried to help, but in end gets one of their friends killed and ensure sentencing of the female lead and her family, so romance plot of this book was just idiotic in my eyes.
But book is readable and don't cause feeling that you need to throw it on the wall.
December 16, 2017
Customs inspector and member of the royal family Lucy Trenton has a dangerous secret hobby: She collects true ciphers, rare and powerful magickal artifacts that tend to have painful and mostly lethal effects on targets they attach to. Lucy has always been careful, but now her luck has run out. The newest true cipher she has found has attached itself to her, with unpredictable and increasingly dangerous consequences, and a blackmailer has found out about her forbidden collection and gets her embroiled in a web of intrigue threatening her family and friends and all of Crosspointe.
An intriguing fantasy world and a plot filled with mystery and conspiracy are generally ingredients that guarantee I'll enjoy a book. This one took me some time to get into (I wasn't overly fond of the romance subplot), but by the last quarter, I was very thoroughly hooked. Looking forward to returning to this world.
An intriguing fantasy world and a plot filled with mystery and conspiracy are generally ingredients that guarantee I'll enjoy a book. This one took me some time to get into (I wasn't overly fond of the romance subplot), but by the last quarter, I was very thoroughly hooked. Looking forward to returning to this world.
dnf
July 11, 2015I am a cruel cruel mistress. My poor books. This one, sure it was good I guess (not for me though.) I was bored, I could not get into it, and I could not care less
January 9, 2023
This book started out great - well-written prose, intriguing story, and compelling characters. As the narrative evolved there was increasingly creepy and gratuitous violence and nastiness described in loving yet disturbing detail even though it doesn't really rise to the level I'd expect of a horror/suspense novel. Further into the story, the main characters increasingly chose to take paths leading to repugnant and reprehensible behaviors. I found it very hard to care what happened to them let alone like them and want them to succeed in their endeavors. About a third of the way into the book, I started skimming to see if it would eventually fulfill its promising beginning. Alas, due to the combination of my not wanting to pick it up along with arriving at the library's return date, I didn't finish it. I won't be checking it back out either. If you are a fan of torture, underhandedness, dystopian societies, and mean people, you may enjoy this book. I did not.
Read
March 3, 2017I feel like I should really like this book, but I just can't get into it. I don't know if it's because the characters are flat or the world isn't explained well enough. I just find it very dull. Maybe I'll come back to it another time and I'll like it better.
March 11, 2012
Lucy Trenton is a member of Crosspointe's Royal Family, but that doesn't mean she gets a free ride. They all have to work for a living. Lucy is a customs officer and a damn good one, but she has a secret; she can feel the presence of magic. Which is a bit unfortunate because Crosspointe runs on small magics made from the raw magic of the dangerous sylveth which infests the sea, contaminating and changing anything it touches into living monsters, infectious and dangerous. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Lucy is the officer on watch when a magical knucklebone reef rises, wrecking ships outside the magic-protected harbour bar. At great psychological cost Lucy heads the crew responsible for dragging the salvage on shore, making it safe and dutifully killing the human horrors changed by the sylveth. In this she's helped by two captains, her childhood friend, Jordan, and the rakish Marten Thorpe, a good captain, but a notorious gambler when not at sea, whom she doesn't trust but is attracted to. Amongst the salvage is a true cypher – an illegal magical artifact – which fastens on to Lucy. Convinced that it will kill her very soon she allows herself some comfort in Marten, and from then on her troubles multiply.
This is nicely written, fast-paced and the characters are well-rounded. There's a satisfying ending while leaving some loose ends for future books. Recommended.
This is nicely written, fast-paced and the characters are well-rounded. There's a satisfying ending while leaving some loose ends for future books. Recommended.
January 29, 2016
I have tried to read this 5 times since downloading it as a free book years ago. This is the farthest into the story I've gotten and I think it's as far as I'll ever get.
Every time I try to read it I get hung up in the main character's ridiculousness. She's a stickler for the rules in a Frank Burns/Teacher's Pet/Tattletale-style extreme. And yet she has broken what is essentially the single most important law of her land. She collects these banned magic (no, I am not spelling in the stupid way the book does) artifacts that are basically ticking bombs. It's the fantasy equivalent of a character lecturing all the other characters about watching pirated videos and driving over the speed limit while she herself is culturing weaponised smallpox and anthrax as a fun hobby.
_AND SHE DOEST SAY WHY_. There's no detail about what compells her to collect them or what they do. And that means I can NOT get invested in her character at all. Maybe her motive becomes clear down the road but at 26% of the way into the story all we have are repeated thoughts along the lines of "oh I am kind of a hypocrite".
I can't get into a story where the protagonist acts so ridiculously out of character in an effort to move the story along.
Every time I try to read it I get hung up in the main character's ridiculousness. She's a stickler for the rules in a Frank Burns/Teacher's Pet/Tattletale-style extreme. And yet she has broken what is essentially the single most important law of her land. She collects these banned magic (no, I am not spelling in the stupid way the book does) artifacts that are basically ticking bombs. It's the fantasy equivalent of a character lecturing all the other characters about watching pirated videos and driving over the speed limit while she herself is culturing weaponised smallpox and anthrax as a fun hobby.
_AND SHE DOEST SAY WHY_. There's no detail about what compells her to collect them or what they do. And that means I can NOT get invested in her character at all. Maybe her motive becomes clear down the road but at 26% of the way into the story all we have are repeated thoughts along the lines of "oh I am kind of a hypocrite".
I can't get into a story where the protagonist acts so ridiculously out of character in an effort to move the story along.
February 21, 2019
If you enjoy this review, please consider reading the longer version (and my other reviews and articles) on my bloghttp://adjectiveplusnoun.wordpress.com/ .
Straight off the bat, there’s a lot of world-building in The Cipher . I accidentally read (and enjoyed) book two before I found The Cipher, so I didn’t mind. However, if you were reading the books in order (and I recommend you do), the constant in-world terms and scenarios at the beginning of the book may get tedious unless you’ve already decided to stick with the book. That being said—I really enjoyed the world built by The Cipher (and continued in the other books of the Crosspointe Chronicles), so if you love in-depth fantasy worlds that have a realistic and well thought out environment and political system, definitely consider reading The Cipher.
The environment in these novels is almost a character in itself, the constant threat of sylveth and the magical artefacts and spawn it has created was used to build tension and provide plot devices in a way that never felt unrealistic or forced. The use of the setting to both shape the political environment and provide a constant, low grade threat reminded me of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, in the best way. I love a fully-realised fantasy world, more than just ‘Ancient Europe, plus wizards’ and you can expect far more than that from the Crosspointe Chronicles.
Lucy was an amazing heroine, and the host of secondary characters and antagonists in the novel provided a perfect backdrop for her character to be explored. I loved that she didn’t suffer from Main Character Orphan Syndrome, instead possessing a large, caring family that both furthered the plot and provided motivation for her actions at several key points.
Lucy’s relationship with her love interest was unique among the books I have read—it was refreshing to read a heroine with a healthy attitude towards intimacy, rather than one who falls in love at the drop of a hat to ‘justify’ her existence as a sexual being. None of that here! Lucy is not promiscuous, but she has had lovers before, something the book and her love interest both treat as normal (as they should). I also enjoyed the fact that Lucy was a character in her own right, even when she became involved with her love interest—Marten Thorpe. She has friends, family and jobs (that’s right, plural) that inform her decisions, ensuring she never becomes less than a full person.
As much as I loved the world being built, The Cipher as a novel had a few plot holes that somewhat weakened the book’s standing as a book in its own right. Lucy’s relationship seems to build naturally on her end, but I felt Marten’s feelings for her a little harder to accept. The man manipulates her and abuses her trust, at one point ). Marten’s relationship with his brother also falls a little flat to me, perhaps more indications of the effect the man had had on Marten’s life would have made the drama that plays out between the two more effective.
Keros and Sarah are both intriguing characters, and I really hope that they reappear in future books. There’s a lot of hints at their backstory that make me eager to know more. One of my favourite things about this novel is the believable way the tension was introduced—Lucy’s job, family, abilities and past justify her actions, but her perspective and the way she handles the situation never feels predictable. She takes responsibility without acting the martyr, takes calculated risks without seemingly overbold, and all in all acts in ways totally contrary to most protagonists, while still being very much a hero.
While the final conflict seemed a bit abrupt—both in the quick escalation and sudden conclusion, the ending of The Cipher was interesting, and both Lucy and Marten had grown by the end of the book. Overall, The Cipher is a fresh, interesting fantasy novel with a strong heroine and a great setting. It is the beginning of an amazing series, and one I would definitely recommend.
Straight off the bat, there’s a lot of world-building in The Cipher . I accidentally read (and enjoyed) book two before I found The Cipher, so I didn’t mind. However, if you were reading the books in order (and I recommend you do), the constant in-world terms and scenarios at the beginning of the book may get tedious unless you’ve already decided to stick with the book. That being said—I really enjoyed the world built by The Cipher (and continued in the other books of the Crosspointe Chronicles), so if you love in-depth fantasy worlds that have a realistic and well thought out environment and political system, definitely consider reading The Cipher.
The environment in these novels is almost a character in itself, the constant threat of sylveth and the magical artefacts and spawn it has created was used to build tension and provide plot devices in a way that never felt unrealistic or forced. The use of the setting to both shape the political environment and provide a constant, low grade threat reminded me of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, in the best way. I love a fully-realised fantasy world, more than just ‘Ancient Europe, plus wizards’ and you can expect far more than that from the Crosspointe Chronicles.
Lucy was an amazing heroine, and the host of secondary characters and antagonists in the novel provided a perfect backdrop for her character to be explored. I loved that she didn’t suffer from Main Character Orphan Syndrome, instead possessing a large, caring family that both furthered the plot and provided motivation for her actions at several key points.
Lucy’s relationship with her love interest was unique among the books I have read—it was refreshing to read a heroine with a healthy attitude towards intimacy, rather than one who falls in love at the drop of a hat to ‘justify’ her existence as a sexual being. None of that here! Lucy is not promiscuous, but she has had lovers before, something the book and her love interest both treat as normal (as they should). I also enjoyed the fact that Lucy was a character in her own right, even when she became involved with her love interest—Marten Thorpe. She has friends, family and jobs (that’s right, plural) that inform her decisions, ensuring she never becomes less than a full person.
As much as I loved the world being built, The Cipher as a novel had a few plot holes that somewhat weakened the book’s standing as a book in its own right. Lucy’s relationship seems to build naturally on her end, but I felt Marten’s feelings for her a little harder to accept. The man manipulates her and abuses her trust, at one point ). Marten’s relationship with his brother also falls a little flat to me, perhaps more indications of the effect the man had had on Marten’s life would have made the drama that plays out between the two more effective.
Keros and Sarah are both intriguing characters, and I really hope that they reappear in future books. There’s a lot of hints at their backstory that make me eager to know more. One of my favourite things about this novel is the believable way the tension was introduced—Lucy’s job, family, abilities and past justify her actions, but her perspective and the way she handles the situation never feels predictable. She takes responsibility without acting the martyr, takes calculated risks without seemingly overbold, and all in all acts in ways totally contrary to most protagonists, while still being very much a hero.
While the final conflict seemed a bit abrupt—both in the quick escalation and sudden conclusion, the ending of The Cipher was interesting, and both Lucy and Marten had grown by the end of the book. Overall, The Cipher is a fresh, interesting fantasy novel with a strong heroine and a great setting. It is the beginning of an amazing series, and one I would definitely recommend.
February 20, 2020
Not too long ago, I read and enjoyed two of the author's other novels (Trace of Magic & Edge of Dreams - the first two books in the Diamond City Magic series). I was disappointed to learn that the fourth book in that series ends on a cliffhanger and the fifth book seems to be on hiatus. I'll go back to it when the continuation of the series is assured. I enjoyed the author's style, though, and I wanted to try something else by her. So when I heard that the books in the Crosspointe series are more like individual stories set in the same world, I decided to try this series instead.
First of all, it has to be said that Diana Pharaoh Francis is a queen of world building. Everything is so very intricate that you have to pay close attention to make sure you don't miss anything. The world really comes to life as you read. From the streets that the characters walk to the society that they live in. Unfortunately, I was reading this book around looking after a four-week-old baby, so my reading was very stop-start; I feel like I may have missed some of the finer points of the world-building because of this.
Her characters are also very human. They try to be good people, but they make mistakes - big mistakes - that lead to big consequences. The heroine in particular is very relateable. I have to admit that I wasn't as keen on the hero, he was very good at reasoning away his actions even though he really knew he was doing what he was doing in order to feed an addiction. DPF certainly isn't afraid to drag her characters down to the lowest place possible. They really couldn't catch a break. It got to the point where I was wondering how on earth the two of them were going to get themselves back out of the corners they'd managed to back themselves into.
This is where things got a bit sketchy for me: the final section of the story. The solution to all of the characters' problems seemed just too... easy, maybe? It was handed to them rather than them working for it. I understand why the plot took that road, but I wasn't so keen on it as a plot device. It might have worked better for me if it had started being introduced earlier on in the story.
The Cipher made for an interesting fantasy read. The over-arcing story is certainly not finished, though I have to admit that the second book isn't a siren call for me right now in the same way that the continuation of the DCM books are.
First of all, it has to be said that Diana Pharaoh Francis is a queen of world building. Everything is so very intricate that you have to pay close attention to make sure you don't miss anything. The world really comes to life as you read. From the streets that the characters walk to the society that they live in. Unfortunately, I was reading this book around looking after a four-week-old baby, so my reading was very stop-start; I feel like I may have missed some of the finer points of the world-building because of this.
Her characters are also very human. They try to be good people, but they make mistakes - big mistakes - that lead to big consequences. The heroine in particular is very relateable. I have to admit that I wasn't as keen on the hero, he was very good at reasoning away his actions even though he really knew he was doing what he was doing in order to feed an addiction. DPF certainly isn't afraid to drag her characters down to the lowest place possible. They really couldn't catch a break. It got to the point where I was wondering how on earth the two of them were going to get themselves back out of the corners they'd managed to back themselves into.
This is where things got a bit sketchy for me: the final section of the story. The solution to all of the characters' problems seemed just too... easy, maybe? It was handed to them rather than them working for it. I understand why the plot took that road, but I wasn't so keen on it as a plot device. It might have worked better for me if it had started being introduced earlier on in the story.
The Cipher made for an interesting fantasy read. The over-arcing story is certainly not finished, though I have to admit that the second book isn't a siren call for me right now in the same way that the continuation of the DCM books are.
September 14, 2018
a strong story
Starts with a bang and doesn’t let up. I like Lucy, the female lead. She’s bright, abrasive, lacks confidence in unexpected ways, but she’s also strong, loyal and determined to fix her mistakes. Marten was harder to like, as he began the book as a self-indulgent whiner blaming other people for his mistakes and getting people hurt because he wanted to believe nothing bad would happen to anyone from his doing a very bad thing. The worldbuilding was fascinating, as was the magic system, and I hope later books say more about Crosspointe, its founders and why things work there the way they do. The politics are also interesting, given the royal line is caught up in a Chancery suit that means they have to work to feed themselves. Unlike some other readers, I had no issue with the motivations of the Crosspointe villain. He was just looking out for himself, enjoyed amassing wealth, power over other people, and hurting anyone he felt like. It’s a classic villain personality, there are people just like that, and I didn’t need him to have a stronger or “more believable somehow” motivation or for making the choices he did. The writing was sharp, the plot flowed and the story wrapped up with a real ending and threads to carry on into the next book—which I’m buying now.
Starts with a bang and doesn’t let up. I like Lucy, the female lead. She’s bright, abrasive, lacks confidence in unexpected ways, but she’s also strong, loyal and determined to fix her mistakes. Marten was harder to like, as he began the book as a self-indulgent whiner blaming other people for his mistakes and getting people hurt because he wanted to believe nothing bad would happen to anyone from his doing a very bad thing. The worldbuilding was fascinating, as was the magic system, and I hope later books say more about Crosspointe, its founders and why things work there the way they do. The politics are also interesting, given the royal line is caught up in a Chancery suit that means they have to work to feed themselves. Unlike some other readers, I had no issue with the motivations of the Crosspointe villain. He was just looking out for himself, enjoyed amassing wealth, power over other people, and hurting anyone he felt like. It’s a classic villain personality, there are people just like that, and I didn’t need him to have a stronger or “more believable somehow” motivation or for making the choices he did. The writing was sharp, the plot flowed and the story wrapped up with a real ending and threads to carry on into the next book—which I’m buying now.
July 31, 2014
This Review Appeared First at Fantasy is More Fun
4.5 stars
Note: The Cipher was recently re-released with some changes. This review is of the version released June 30, 2014
My Initial Reaction...
It's been a little bit since I read Diana Pharaoh Francis and I'd sort of forgotten her incredible ability to weave fantasy worlds that blow my mind with their originality, to torture her characters in ways that make me cringe in pain and despair of hope, all while enticing me to not let the book go. The Cipher delivered all that and reminded me why she's one of my favorite authors.
The Characters...
The characters in The Cipher are beautifully complex and flawed. The Cipher is told from the point of view of the two main characters - Lucy Trenton and Marten Thorpe.
I loved everything about Lucy. She's a customs inspector - sounds boring, right? Nope! In this world - which I will gush about thoroughly in the next section - it's anything but boring. It's a position of authority and, as we see right away, requiring some serious cojones! She has to deal with consequences of this serious magical storm that not only wrecks pretty much every ship trying to make its way to her port, but devours - Yes DEVOURS - the people on board and transforms them into dangerous, hideous scary creatures. In just the first few chapters my stomach dropped out numerous times at these horrific descriptions, but Lucy not only had to deal with it - she had to take command of it. And she did so in an admirable way. Sure she has nightmares about it later, but who wouldn't?
So Lucy's kick ass. She's also got quite a mouth on her, refuses to be made into the proper lady her mother wishes she'd be, has no qualms about taking a lover, and tells it how it is - even when talking about herself. She repeatedly says she's rude, insensitive, and not very beautiful - but not in the "feel sorry for me" way. Nope, she takes ownership of who she is and makes no apology. Except on one major issue. She's been committing a serious offense - the kind that will take down not just her but everyone she knows - and in The Cipher it's about to catch up to her. And that's when we saw the other part about her I loved - she owns her mistakes, is willing to face them dead on and take responsibility for them, all while trying to protect others from the possible fall out. And did I mention she won't go down without a fight? Yeah, I seriously love this girl.
And then there's Marten. Oh man I just got so frustrated with him, felt so sorry for him, and fell in love with him - in a pretty fluid circle. Marten's got this really great heart deep down, but he has one major flaw. He's a gambler. Not a "I like to gamble from time to time" kind of gambler. A "I'm going to ruin my life because I can't live without it" kind of gambler. Watching him try to deal with the draw and repercussions of that addiction was painful and brutal in a way only Diana Pharaoh Francis can write. And when his gambling tangles him up with Lucy - things get really messy, he starts to have some serious crises of conscience, and things get really messy again. Marten Thorpe is the walking disaster you can't help but love.
There are some seriously brilliant secondary characters in The Cipher as well. I've gone on and on already though, so I'll just say that from good guy to bad guy, they're all marvelously written and complex.
The Story...
Oh gosh, this review is already so long and I have so much to say about the world in The Cipher! If you've read Diana Pharaoh Francis you know she's incredibly creative and knows how to build a world. I knew all that going in and still The Cipher's world building blew me away. We've got this island world that felt a bit like Victorian England - strong sea kingdom, corsets, balls, wash basins, quarters within the city, etc - and yet was nothing like it. For one, it's clear that men and women aren't divided along ridiculous gender lines - entire ship crews are made up of men or women, women own businesses, women and men have similar sexual freedoms, etc. She changes all these little details too - not even the same units of measurement for time. Days of the week aren't Monday, Tuesday, etc - they have different names that fit a sea culture. They measure time by the glass. It's different and yet familiar enough that you understand it.
And then there's the magic! I have to admit, this was the one area I would have liked things better explained. Like most high fantasy, in The Cipher you get all these new words that you aren't familiar with and sometimes I got confused about what meant what. But on the whole, it was still brilliant. You've got this whole class of people who practice magic and there supposed to be registered when they have that ability. They are generally healers but they also create magical objects and there's even this magical forcefield (for lack of a better world) protecting the kingdom.
I was gripped by the world & characters from the start - and then the plot was equally awesome. Lucy's being blackmailed and you just know shit's going to hit the fan. Except your really hope it won't. And the beautiful agony of waiting to see what would happen and never being able to know just how far Diana Pharaoh Francis is going to torture these poor people just kept me glued to The Cipher.
Concluding Sentiments...
If you can handle some serious pain and chilling descriptions and a bit of agony for your characters, I seriously recommend The Cipher!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 stars
Note: The Cipher was recently re-released with some changes. This review is of the version released June 30, 2014
My Initial Reaction...
It's been a little bit since I read Diana Pharaoh Francis and I'd sort of forgotten her incredible ability to weave fantasy worlds that blow my mind with their originality, to torture her characters in ways that make me cringe in pain and despair of hope, all while enticing me to not let the book go. The Cipher delivered all that and reminded me why she's one of my favorite authors.
The Characters...
The characters in The Cipher are beautifully complex and flawed. The Cipher is told from the point of view of the two main characters - Lucy Trenton and Marten Thorpe.
I loved everything about Lucy. She's a customs inspector - sounds boring, right? Nope! In this world - which I will gush about thoroughly in the next section - it's anything but boring. It's a position of authority and, as we see right away, requiring some serious cojones! She has to deal with consequences of this serious magical storm that not only wrecks pretty much every ship trying to make its way to her port, but devours - Yes DEVOURS - the people on board and transforms them into dangerous, hideous scary creatures. In just the first few chapters my stomach dropped out numerous times at these horrific descriptions, but Lucy not only had to deal with it - she had to take command of it. And she did so in an admirable way. Sure she has nightmares about it later, but who wouldn't?
So Lucy's kick ass. She's also got quite a mouth on her, refuses to be made into the proper lady her mother wishes she'd be, has no qualms about taking a lover, and tells it how it is - even when talking about herself. She repeatedly says she's rude, insensitive, and not very beautiful - but not in the "feel sorry for me" way. Nope, she takes ownership of who she is and makes no apology. Except on one major issue. She's been committing a serious offense - the kind that will take down not just her but everyone she knows - and in The Cipher it's about to catch up to her. And that's when we saw the other part about her I loved - she owns her mistakes, is willing to face them dead on and take responsibility for them, all while trying to protect others from the possible fall out. And did I mention she won't go down without a fight? Yeah, I seriously love this girl.
And then there's Marten. Oh man I just got so frustrated with him, felt so sorry for him, and fell in love with him - in a pretty fluid circle. Marten's got this really great heart deep down, but he has one major flaw. He's a gambler. Not a "I like to gamble from time to time" kind of gambler. A "I'm going to ruin my life because I can't live without it" kind of gambler. Watching him try to deal with the draw and repercussions of that addiction was painful and brutal in a way only Diana Pharaoh Francis can write. And when his gambling tangles him up with Lucy - things get really messy, he starts to have some serious crises of conscience, and things get really messy again. Marten Thorpe is the walking disaster you can't help but love.
There are some seriously brilliant secondary characters in The Cipher as well. I've gone on and on already though, so I'll just say that from good guy to bad guy, they're all marvelously written and complex.
The Story...
Oh gosh, this review is already so long and I have so much to say about the world in The Cipher! If you've read Diana Pharaoh Francis you know she's incredibly creative and knows how to build a world. I knew all that going in and still The Cipher's world building blew me away. We've got this island world that felt a bit like Victorian England - strong sea kingdom, corsets, balls, wash basins, quarters within the city, etc - and yet was nothing like it. For one, it's clear that men and women aren't divided along ridiculous gender lines - entire ship crews are made up of men or women, women own businesses, women and men have similar sexual freedoms, etc. She changes all these little details too - not even the same units of measurement for time. Days of the week aren't Monday, Tuesday, etc - they have different names that fit a sea culture. They measure time by the glass. It's different and yet familiar enough that you understand it.
And then there's the magic! I have to admit, this was the one area I would have liked things better explained. Like most high fantasy, in The Cipher you get all these new words that you aren't familiar with and sometimes I got confused about what meant what. But on the whole, it was still brilliant. You've got this whole class of people who practice magic and there supposed to be registered when they have that ability. They are generally healers but they also create magical objects and there's even this magical forcefield (for lack of a better world) protecting the kingdom.
I was gripped by the world & characters from the start - and then the plot was equally awesome. Lucy's being blackmailed and you just know shit's going to hit the fan. Except your really hope it won't. And the beautiful agony of waiting to see what would happen and never being able to know just how far Diana Pharaoh Francis is going to torture these poor people just kept me glued to The Cipher.
Concluding Sentiments...
If you can handle some serious pain and chilling descriptions and a bit of agony for your characters, I seriously recommend The Cipher!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
September 25, 2021
Not sure what I think of this book. There’s story here. And one character to invest in. But the downsides are strong.
- the opening chapter, despite the author’s best intent, was a brain dump. Slow down, give her a chance to think about these things slower without darting around in explanation all over the place.
- she has a compulsion. But we don’t get to spend much time with it. What do these things even do? We really need to be with her on this compulsion, as it could be more than a plot device, and it’s so contrary to what she thinks is her nature. We should be exploring this aspect of the world, not just getting a list.
- he is incredibly stupid. Just how desperate are they for ship captains that he’s one of the more successful ones? Though maybe that’s foreshadowing?
- he destroyed her life and family, so… (did you guess right? How much did you roll your eyes at that subplot?)
- what happens to her makes sense. What happens to him… I don’t understand the why.
I read to the end, but I doubt I’ll read the next.
- the opening chapter, despite the author’s best intent, was a brain dump. Slow down, give her a chance to think about these things slower without darting around in explanation all over the place.
- she has a compulsion. But we don’t get to spend much time with it. What do these things even do? We really need to be with her on this compulsion, as it could be more than a plot device, and it’s so contrary to what she thinks is her nature. We should be exploring this aspect of the world, not just getting a list.
- he is incredibly stupid. Just how desperate are they for ship captains that he’s one of the more successful ones? Though maybe that’s foreshadowing?
- he destroyed her life and family, so… (did you guess right? How much did you roll your eyes at that subplot?)
- what happens to her makes sense. What happens to him… I don’t understand the why.
I read to the end, but I doubt I’ll read the next.
May 8, 2017
Hmmmm? It was a bit confusing and I did find that the author did waste a bit of writing on in depth descriptions that really didn't build the world or give any credit to the story. But overall, it was an enjoyable read once the action started ---- especially the last 30% of the book where the adventure was non-stop!
July 20, 2017
Unfortunately, while this book had great promise, it just didn't deliver to me. I tried very hard to find something about the characters I liked and couldn't get there. While I hadn't been engaged in the beginning, I tried to wade through it, and found it too easy to put down in favor of other novels that brought you in through the imagery and characters right off the bat.
January 7, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
The good:
The characters are great. Funny, quick witted, and well rounded. A lovely enemies to lover arch.
The not so good. I had a really hard time understanding the world and setting of the book. It was a lot of information in the beginning but it didn’t seem to be presented in a clear way.
Overall I like DPF other series better and won’t continue this series.
The good:
The characters are great. Funny, quick witted, and well rounded. A lovely enemies to lover arch.
The not so good. I had a really hard time understanding the world and setting of the book. It was a lot of information in the beginning but it didn’t seem to be presented in a clear way.
Overall I like DPF other series better and won’t continue this series.
January 4, 2019
It started of, confusing coming to terms with unrecognizable terms, as you had to continue to read to get an understanding of what you were dealing with. But as the story unfolded it kept me enthralled.
September 25, 2017
I can't find documentation, but I think I've read this. So making note
February 4, 2019
This book is a new adult at best. It will do in a pinch. The main Male character is kind of whimpy. I personally like a strong Male character.
May 22, 2022
It was strangely slow going, especially in the middle. I ended up skipping several chapters, but the ending was satisfying enough to draw me in for the next book.
September 20, 2014
Welcome to Crosspointe. Where if you don’t control the majick, it may control you…
What I liked
I think the strongest elements in Francis’ writing are her terrific world-building and her characters.
The world-building is rich and complex. Francis uses a lot of her own words within the story, which may sometimes get confusing. But they are well-placed in context. The visual descriptions are very well done. I had no trouble visualizing the scenes—places, people, and action—as I was reading. I particularly liked the complex majick and how it is both used and feared by the society in general and our characters in specific.
I genuinely liked the narrative voices of both Lucy and Marten, the two POV characters, despite the fact that these are both flawed people—more antihero than hero. Lucy starts off kind of stand-offish and selfish, although I liked that she was a strong, dedicated professional woman. Marten’s a would-be hero with a gambling addiction that leads to his ruin and contributes to Lucy’s and many other people’s difficulties (even deaths).
Francis writes them in such a way that I *wanted* them to overcome their many obstacles. I *wanted* them to succeed in their quest, and I wanted them to work things out together. They both grow throughout their journey. There’s a touching reunion with a friend near the end of the novel that highlights this point.
I liked many of the secondary characters as well, and they had enough to do in the story that I felt like I got to know them through the eyes of the main POVs. The villains were sufficiently nasty, if sometimes one-dimensional, and Francis did an excellent job with Marten’s conflicted relationship with his brother.
What I didn’t like
The storytelling bogged down in places, but never enough to make me really give up. It was a combination of too much description and not enough action or forward momentum. But overall, I enjoyed the narrative language and the storytelling very much.
I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending. Pretty much *everything* happens in the last three or four chapters, so it felt too abrupt at times, after so much struggle to get there. And the actual ending felt limp after the tension of the dramatic action right up to it. I appreciate the circular nature of the beginning and ending, but it made me wrinkle my nose nonetheless.
The foreign Jutras were given very vivid physical descriptions, and Lucy even has sympathy for some of them at times. But we don’t get to interact with them at all, to see them as real and complex characters in their own right. Their final scene is pretty horrific, and it will be a challenge for Francis to build any reader connection with them in future books. I hope she will do so, and give us a more fully realized culture to provide a context for their actions in The Cipher.
Caveats (potential triggers)
There is some sex, some threatening sexual language, and fairly detailed graphic violence.
Summary
I found this book on NetGalley and requested a review copy. I enjoyed the story very much and plan to continue Francis’ series of Crosspointe novels. I give it four out of five stars.
What I liked
I think the strongest elements in Francis’ writing are her terrific world-building and her characters.
The world-building is rich and complex. Francis uses a lot of her own words within the story, which may sometimes get confusing. But they are well-placed in context. The visual descriptions are very well done. I had no trouble visualizing the scenes—places, people, and action—as I was reading. I particularly liked the complex majick and how it is both used and feared by the society in general and our characters in specific.
I genuinely liked the narrative voices of both Lucy and Marten, the two POV characters, despite the fact that these are both flawed people—more antihero than hero. Lucy starts off kind of stand-offish and selfish, although I liked that she was a strong, dedicated professional woman. Marten’s a would-be hero with a gambling addiction that leads to his ruin and contributes to Lucy’s and many other people’s difficulties (even deaths).
Francis writes them in such a way that I *wanted* them to overcome their many obstacles. I *wanted* them to succeed in their quest, and I wanted them to work things out together. They both grow throughout their journey. There’s a touching reunion with a friend near the end of the novel that highlights this point.
I liked many of the secondary characters as well, and they had enough to do in the story that I felt like I got to know them through the eyes of the main POVs. The villains were sufficiently nasty, if sometimes one-dimensional, and Francis did an excellent job with Marten’s conflicted relationship with his brother.
What I didn’t like
The storytelling bogged down in places, but never enough to make me really give up. It was a combination of too much description and not enough action or forward momentum. But overall, I enjoyed the narrative language and the storytelling very much.
I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending. Pretty much *everything* happens in the last three or four chapters, so it felt too abrupt at times, after so much struggle to get there. And the actual ending felt limp after the tension of the dramatic action right up to it. I appreciate the circular nature of the beginning and ending, but it made me wrinkle my nose nonetheless.
The foreign Jutras were given very vivid physical descriptions, and Lucy even has sympathy for some of them at times. But we don’t get to interact with them at all, to see them as real and complex characters in their own right. Their final scene is pretty horrific, and it will be a challenge for Francis to build any reader connection with them in future books. I hope she will do so, and give us a more fully realized culture to provide a context for their actions in The Cipher.
Caveats (potential triggers)
There is some sex, some threatening sexual language, and fairly detailed graphic violence.
Summary
I found this book on NetGalley and requested a review copy. I enjoyed the story very much and plan to continue Francis’ series of Crosspointe novels. I give it four out of five stars.
October 31, 2015
The Cipher was a wonderful read, full of rich setting details, mystery, and a thoroughly constructed fantasy world. This book was originally published in 2007 by Tor, and was re-issued in 2014 by Bell Bridge Books. I haven’t read the original version, so I can’t comment on any differences between them. However, it is my understanding that the changes were minor.
The basic storyline of The Cipher is: Lucy works as a customs inspector. She has a strange ability to detect magic. During a salvage, Lucy is drawn to a magical item called a cipher. It attaches itself to her. Not long after, she is blackmailed. Then, she is accused of crimes she didn’t commit, tricked by a lover, and uncovers a plot to undermine her cousin, King William. She has to figure out how to save her city (Crosspointe) from invasion by savages and how to clear her name. Strangely, Lucy never concerns herself with how to remove the cipher. She just deals with the consequences of it flaring up, until later in the story when a solution appears without effort on her part.
The best aspect of this book was the depth of worldbuilding, including the descriptions. This wasn’t a book that I could read quickly, because I was afraid I would miss something. Although the descriptions were detailed, vivid, and beautifully written, they also bogged down the story at times. Overall, the pace was quick, but I sometimes felt like I was getting more information than was necessary at that particular moment.
I feel I must warn readers that the magick in this world is frightening. Think deformed monsters that eat you rather than fairies sprinkling magical dust. There are consequences to using magic–at least during most of the book–and the characters are not immune to its effects. The Cipher is not a book for readers with weak stomachs. If you don’t want to read about people being flayed alive, this isn’t the book for you. It can be graphic and disgusting at times (not that I minded).
The characters in The Cipher were well-developed. Lucy and Marten, the main characters, were flawed and believable. I liked them both very much, because they realized their mistakes and took steps to correct them. The romance between them was not rushed or forced. I also liked that the romance stayed a subplot; it didn’t take over the story.
The majority of threads were resolved to my satisfaction. The only thing that left me scratching my head was the Jutras magicars’ (enemy magic users) ritual in the throne room. I never fully understood what they were trying to accomplish. Sure it was gory and shocking, but it didn’t seem to have a point. I got that the villains were trying to overthrow the king. I just didn’t see why they needed to perform a sacrificial ritual.
Overall, I strongly recommend reading The Cipher if you don’t mind a dark and dangerous world filled with deceit, betrayal, and treason. I thought it was excellent, despite having a couple of minor complaints. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Black Ship.
*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
The basic storyline of The Cipher is: Lucy works as a customs inspector. She has a strange ability to detect magic. During a salvage, Lucy is drawn to a magical item called a cipher. It attaches itself to her. Not long after, she is blackmailed. Then, she is accused of crimes she didn’t commit, tricked by a lover, and uncovers a plot to undermine her cousin, King William. She has to figure out how to save her city (Crosspointe) from invasion by savages and how to clear her name. Strangely, Lucy never concerns herself with how to remove the cipher. She just deals with the consequences of it flaring up, until later in the story when a solution appears without effort on her part.
The best aspect of this book was the depth of worldbuilding, including the descriptions. This wasn’t a book that I could read quickly, because I was afraid I would miss something. Although the descriptions were detailed, vivid, and beautifully written, they also bogged down the story at times. Overall, the pace was quick, but I sometimes felt like I was getting more information than was necessary at that particular moment.
I feel I must warn readers that the magick in this world is frightening. Think deformed monsters that eat you rather than fairies sprinkling magical dust. There are consequences to using magic–at least during most of the book–and the characters are not immune to its effects. The Cipher is not a book for readers with weak stomachs. If you don’t want to read about people being flayed alive, this isn’t the book for you. It can be graphic and disgusting at times (not that I minded).
The characters in The Cipher were well-developed. Lucy and Marten, the main characters, were flawed and believable. I liked them both very much, because they realized their mistakes and took steps to correct them. The romance between them was not rushed or forced. I also liked that the romance stayed a subplot; it didn’t take over the story.
The majority of threads were resolved to my satisfaction. The only thing that left me scratching my head was the Jutras magicars’ (enemy magic users) ritual in the throne room. I never fully understood what they were trying to accomplish. Sure it was gory and shocking, but it didn’t seem to have a point. I got that the villains were trying to overthrow the king. I just didn’t see why they needed to perform a sacrificial ritual.
Overall, I strongly recommend reading The Cipher if you don’t mind a dark and dangerous world filled with deceit, betrayal, and treason. I thought it was excellent, despite having a couple of minor complaints. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Black Ship.
*I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 6, 2014
The Cipher, originally published in 2007, has just been re-released (by Bell Bridge Books). According to the author’s website: “If you read the original version, it’s much the same, though there have been some edits to strengthen the characters more.” This was a first read-through for me, so I can’t speak to how the story has changed from its original version.
I enjoyed the writing style. The dialogue felt fluid and had a good rhythm. The language and setting had the feeling of a historical and yet the story was set in fantasy with characters who were not bound by the usual historical conventions. I liked that very much. Lately, I’ve shied from historicals because as much as I love the setting, I have come to dislike the antiquated social mores and how those mores tend to be used as plot devices to put women in situations they wouldn’t otherwise choose for themselves. None of those societal restrictions existed in The Cipher. I found the blend of a historical feel with a more equal social structure refreshing.
Although Lucy is of royal blood, she has to work for a living. Apparently, all the royals do as there aren’t any free-rides in Crosspointe. Lucy enjoys her work as a customs inspector. She also has a secret that threatens not only her career, but everyone who knows her. Lucy is blunt, to the point, and tenacious. I liked her introspective nature. Marten is a good man at heart, but is also lost to a terrible addiction. He didn’t think his gambling would hurt anyone but himself. He soon learned the folly of such thinking.
Both main characters were flawed and living within their own hypocrisy. Lucy was a customs officer sworn to uphold the law while at the same time willfully breaking it. Marten was caught in the sticky web of addiction that lead him further down a sink-hole of despair in which he lied, cheated, betrayed, and acted out of cowardly self-preservation. It wasn’t until his back was against the wall and was faced with a final debasement that he found the will to act selflessly. I suppose one could argue “too little too late” considering the damage he had caused, but I suppose that is a question for each reader to ask of themselves. Is there a point of no return when it comes to redemption?
Personally, I think that while we all make mistakes in life, we still have to find a way to continue living and contribute to the world around us in positive ways. Redemption is a deeply felt shifting of the heart and mind, bringing them into alignment. From that point forward, a person has no choice but to choose differently because their heart and mind simply won’t let them go back to old patterns. From that perspective...
Read the complete review at The Book Pushers: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/08/06/...
I enjoyed the writing style. The dialogue felt fluid and had a good rhythm. The language and setting had the feeling of a historical and yet the story was set in fantasy with characters who were not bound by the usual historical conventions. I liked that very much. Lately, I’ve shied from historicals because as much as I love the setting, I have come to dislike the antiquated social mores and how those mores tend to be used as plot devices to put women in situations they wouldn’t otherwise choose for themselves. None of those societal restrictions existed in The Cipher. I found the blend of a historical feel with a more equal social structure refreshing.
Although Lucy is of royal blood, she has to work for a living. Apparently, all the royals do as there aren’t any free-rides in Crosspointe. Lucy enjoys her work as a customs inspector. She also has a secret that threatens not only her career, but everyone who knows her. Lucy is blunt, to the point, and tenacious. I liked her introspective nature. Marten is a good man at heart, but is also lost to a terrible addiction. He didn’t think his gambling would hurt anyone but himself. He soon learned the folly of such thinking.
Both main characters were flawed and living within their own hypocrisy. Lucy was a customs officer sworn to uphold the law while at the same time willfully breaking it. Marten was caught in the sticky web of addiction that lead him further down a sink-hole of despair in which he lied, cheated, betrayed, and acted out of cowardly self-preservation. It wasn’t until his back was against the wall and was faced with a final debasement that he found the will to act selflessly. I suppose one could argue “too little too late” considering the damage he had caused, but I suppose that is a question for each reader to ask of themselves. Is there a point of no return when it comes to redemption?
Personally, I think that while we all make mistakes in life, we still have to find a way to continue living and contribute to the world around us in positive ways. Redemption is a deeply felt shifting of the heart and mind, bringing them into alignment. From that point forward, a person has no choice but to choose differently because their heart and mind simply won’t let them go back to old patterns. From that perspective...
Read the complete review at The Book Pushers: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/08/06/...
September 3, 2014
Well, after finishing this book all I can really say is that the world created by Diana Pharaoh Francis is scary. Actually is more than scary. It’s freaking terrifying, that’s what it is. Apparently the poor folks that live in Cresspointe not only have to worry about the sylveth (toxic little abominations that not only mutilate, but turn their victims into one of them) — no, they also have to worry about dangerous sea monsters, inclement weather, Jutras (a ruthless violent race that wants to invade at any given moment), megalomaniacal psycho killers, and majikar users, among other things. All in all it seems that everything, EVERYTHING is out to kill them. Therefore, the narrative is filled with crude and violent images, and characters that seem all too accustomed to all the viciousness.
The Cipher follows the dual point of view of Lucy (a customs officer) and Marten (gambler and prestigious ship captain) as they have to face some very difficult challenges that will threaten their lives, and the lives of all of Cresspointe. As Lucy’s darkest (an most illegal) secrets are threatened to be exposed she must find a way to unmask this extortionist, depose of the incriminating evidence and try to survive the true cipher, a magical cursed object that kills its host, that has decided to attach itself to her.
There were things I liked about the book, and others that haven’t convinced me at all. First the good bits. I enjoyed that plot keeps you at the edge of your seat, rapidly moving and unraveling the mysteries as you discover a new magical world. Now, what didn’t make me entirely happy were the “new” terms Francis gives her magic beings, the gods, and even some curses. I understand the idea of creating a new world from scratch, but in this case it just seems like it is trying too hard. What I am still on the fence about is the violent and crude images that appear constantly in the story. One minute I am reading about Lucy’s mothers horrible attempts to find her a husband and the next there is pain, screaming and exposed bone injuries with dripping blood and piss all over the place. For me it just went 0 to 60 way, WAY, too fast.
I got this book from NetGalley.
The Cipher follows the dual point of view of Lucy (a customs officer) and Marten (gambler and prestigious ship captain) as they have to face some very difficult challenges that will threaten their lives, and the lives of all of Cresspointe. As Lucy’s darkest (an most illegal) secrets are threatened to be exposed she must find a way to unmask this extortionist, depose of the incriminating evidence and try to survive the true cipher, a magical cursed object that kills its host, that has decided to attach itself to her.
There were things I liked about the book, and others that haven’t convinced me at all. First the good bits. I enjoyed that plot keeps you at the edge of your seat, rapidly moving and unraveling the mysteries as you discover a new magical world. Now, what didn’t make me entirely happy were the “new” terms Francis gives her magic beings, the gods, and even some curses. I understand the idea of creating a new world from scratch, but in this case it just seems like it is trying too hard. What I am still on the fence about is the violent and crude images that appear constantly in the story. One minute I am reading about Lucy’s mothers horrible attempts to find her a husband and the next there is pain, screaming and exposed bone injuries with dripping blood and piss all over the place. For me it just went 0 to 60 way, WAY, too fast.
I got this book from NetGalley.
August 27, 2015
The Cipher turned out to be an unexpectedly good read! The twists throughout the story were well foreshadowed, but done subtly enough that you might guess in the right general direction, but the execution of the twist itself would still be an enjoyable surprise.
I think I'd have to say Lucy Trenton's tenacity was my favorite of all her traits. Once she set her mind to something, she would not let go! For a woman who enjoyed following the rules, I was impressed with how brazen she was in her actions throughout the story, doing what she felt was needed to overcome her obstacles and try to save her city and family. Martin was an interesting character in his own right. I found it difficult to like him at many points in the story, but I'd say that was by design. He made some truly poor choices that negatively affected characters I did like. As I said, by design. Still, I couldn't help but like him by the end. He had his own charms and virtues that finally wriggled him into my good graces. I would say my favorite relationship was that between Lucy and Keros. Keros became a fast favorite all on his own, but there was something about the chemistry between them. I could've abandoned the whole story at one point just for more scenes with them together. They had an extremely likable friendship.
The only thing I really couldn't stand is how quick Lucy was to forgive Martin. I don't have a problem with them getting back on friendly terms, and I appreciate that she explicitly balanced the books of his actions for the reader, but to get as close as they did as quickly as they did after his actions really irritated me. I was practically shouting at the book.
A bit of bittersweet praise, I would both impressed and grieving for the ending. Not many authors so boldly say "Some of these characters aren't getting happy endings". I really felt for Lucy that she couldn't save everyone she set out to save.
For a story that started out a bit slow and tedious in areas, toward the end I found myself trying to set aside time wherever I could to try and read just one more paragraph, one more page. I couldn't wait to see how it would end.
I think I'd have to say Lucy Trenton's tenacity was my favorite of all her traits. Once she set her mind to something, she would not let go! For a woman who enjoyed following the rules, I was impressed with how brazen she was in her actions throughout the story, doing what she felt was needed to overcome her obstacles and try to save her city and family. Martin was an interesting character in his own right. I found it difficult to like him at many points in the story, but I'd say that was by design. He made some truly poor choices that negatively affected characters I did like. As I said, by design. Still, I couldn't help but like him by the end. He had his own charms and virtues that finally wriggled him into my good graces. I would say my favorite relationship was that between Lucy and Keros. Keros became a fast favorite all on his own, but there was something about the chemistry between them. I could've abandoned the whole story at one point just for more scenes with them together. They had an extremely likable friendship.
The only thing I really couldn't stand is how quick Lucy was to forgive Martin. I don't have a problem with them getting back on friendly terms, and I appreciate that she explicitly balanced the books of his actions for the reader, but to get as close as they did as quickly as they did after his actions really irritated me. I was practically shouting at the book.
A bit of bittersweet praise, I would both impressed and grieving for the ending. Not many authors so boldly say "Some of these characters aren't getting happy endings". I really felt for Lucy that she couldn't save everyone she set out to save.
For a story that started out a bit slow and tedious in areas, toward the end I found myself trying to set aside time wherever I could to try and read just one more paragraph, one more page. I couldn't wait to see how it would end.
November 2, 2012
I bought this book a few years ago, and vaguely remember being disappointed in it at the time. So when I found it again today I thought I'd give it a second chance...maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it before...
Alas, no, it is just a disappointing book. It looks as if I should like it. It has this cool setting with a city that feels sort of late-Georgian/early-Victorian, and magic (only, irritatingly, it's spelled "majick") that washes in on the tide, and a royal family that's all tied up in a suit in Chancery (very "Bleak House") and consequently has to work for its living... It has a heroine who is a minor royal and works as a customs inspector, and who can sense magic which no-one else can do, and who has the dangerous and illegal hobby of collecting ancient magical artefacts, and who has just been "bit" by one of these, and who is about to be blackmailed over this hobby...
And all of this should add up to something I love, but it doesn't.
I wonder if the author writes Mills & Boon on the side. The romantic plot seems straight out of a rather bad historical romance: the heroine is sexy but not conventionally beautiful; she has a mother busily trying to get her married off; the "hero" is dashing and disreputable and seduces her for sordid reasons but then decides he cares for her after all.
I'm not sure what happens after that because I gave up in disgust around page 100 (and can't remember from my previous read). But it was looking a lot like most of the plot was going to be fuelled by the characters being stupid, which is something that generally enrages me.
Alas, no, it is just a disappointing book. It looks as if I should like it. It has this cool setting with a city that feels sort of late-Georgian/early-Victorian, and magic (only, irritatingly, it's spelled "majick") that washes in on the tide, and a royal family that's all tied up in a suit in Chancery (very "Bleak House") and consequently has to work for its living... It has a heroine who is a minor royal and works as a customs inspector, and who can sense magic which no-one else can do, and who has the dangerous and illegal hobby of collecting ancient magical artefacts, and who has just been "bit" by one of these, and who is about to be blackmailed over this hobby...
And all of this should add up to something I love, but it doesn't.
I wonder if the author writes Mills & Boon on the side. The romantic plot seems straight out of a rather bad historical romance: the heroine is sexy but not conventionally beautiful; she has a mother busily trying to get her married off; the "hero" is dashing and disreputable and seduces her for sordid reasons but then decides he cares for her after all.
I'm not sure what happens after that because I gave up in disgust around page 100 (and can't remember from my previous read). But it was looking a lot like most of the plot was going to be fuelled by the characters being stupid, which is something that generally enrages me.
July 6, 2009
In an odd phenomenon I've rarely witnessed, the writing in the beginning of the book was immature at best: badly set-up flashbacks contrived to tell a lot of backstory in one fell swoop, more body language than necessary, the lead character's focus on what appeared to be an important side character that had little to do with the actual plot. In fact, two of the side characters portrayed to be quite significant to Lucy have backstory told about them, but barely impact the plot, while an utterly new side character becomes very involved. It felt like I was missing several of the details about these older characters--if they were appearances from another series, I could understand, but I don't believe they existed prior to this book.
However, the overall concept of the story kept me reading. About a fourth way into the book the writing picked up, relying less on writing cliches and more on developing the plot. Once the world was set up and an array of characters introduced, the story hit the ground running. At first the book felt more romance than fantasy, but half way through the true plot thickened, with Francis pushing her characters like never before. Indeed, she pushed them harder than I thought she would, given the waffle-like beginning, but by the end I felt that Lucy and Marten were fleshed-out individuals who went through hell and came straight back.
However, the overall concept of the story kept me reading. About a fourth way into the book the writing picked up, relying less on writing cliches and more on developing the plot. Once the world was set up and an array of characters introduced, the story hit the ground running. At first the book felt more romance than fantasy, but half way through the true plot thickened, with Francis pushing her characters like never before. Indeed, she pushed them harder than I thought she would, given the waffle-like beginning, but by the end I felt that Lucy and Marten were fleshed-out individuals who went through hell and came straight back.
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