Clockwork Boys (Clocktaur War)

With every T. Kingfisher book I read, the more obsessed I get with T. Kingfisher. She somehow plots out the best characters, all of whom you can't help but fall in love with. Even the ones who start out annoying, you end up loving in the end. And her plots are always so imaginative and original. So many original fantasy elements that live in her brain! I just want to know how.

This novel focuses on a group of criminals who are recruited on a "suicide" mission to basically infiltrate the enemy lines and figure out how to defeat them. Scores of professional soldiers before them have failed, so they should be fine, right? The author immediately made me fall in love with the main character. Her voice is so snarky and amazing and perfect, and her relationship with the other characters is *chefs kiss*. And of course, can't forget sad, hot, and tortured but honorable man with a ton of guilt who is grumpy but clearly soft for the main character, which is my favorite trope. The author uses that trope a ton in her books and I never tire of it. GIVE ME ALL THE HOT TORTURED MEN.

But even though they are the main characters, all the supporting characters are equally compelling. They are all full characters who you get to know and want to know more about. They have their own stories and relationships with the main characters and each other. It helps to flesh out the world when the author is able to so deftly build so many different characters and make them stand out from each other.

Also the writing is just...hilarious? Like, she makes me laugh out loud, and I don't do that often. There's so many times where I just have to reread a line because it tickled me and I just wanted to enjoy it again. I wish I could reread this whole book for the first time. I'm waiting for my copy of the second one to come in from the library and it's taking too longgggg.