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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fast little read! The romance was central but not the WHOLE story. It’s like supernatural a bit with some Chicago gangster style setting.
You don’t do the unthinkable to get something you want. You do it to get back what you lost.
A lovely noir set in midcentury magical Chicago, with a hardboiled queer private eye nosing around trying to solve the case of a ritualistic serial killer; while also weathering the prospect of permanently saying goodbye to her girlfriend and leaving this world because she’s staring down the barrel of a demonic contract coming due, having sold her own soul 10 years ago.
Helen and Edith are great; it’s rare that we get to see an established relationship like this, with their warm pre-existing attachment and domestic habits and knowing how the other person ticks. I like the worldbuilding of warlocks and mystics and maguses, the sexism baked into the secret magical societies, the intricacies of how selling your soul works, Helen working through some issues with her family. We also get to see a bit of “inhuman things wearing human skins”, which is one of my very favourite things.
The twists and turns are neat and it’s a well-plotted little mystery, and ends satisfyingly; all-in-all, a solid novella. I think I just wish that Teddy had more depth, and the sibling relationship/arc had been fleshed-out more — with such a relatively short length, though, there’s only so much you can do.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I will always, always be a sucker for a book that proves to me time and again that love is the most powerful force in the world 🥹
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I enjoyed this queer historical thriller, though it felt like it could’ve been more fleshed out. I cared about the characters and the audiobook performance was good too.
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes