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slyxrin's review against another edition
4.0
★★★★ ꒰4/5꒱
˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿ ︵ ‿ ︵ ‿ ︵˚₊
belladonna is a novel that explores both the chilling price of immortality and the depth of love that transcends the boundaries between life and death.
꒰ ﹟ plot ꒱
lurking in the shadowed halls of the farrow estate, where ghosts walk the floors and secrets entwine like webs, lies signa farrow. rumoured to be trailed by a dark presence and bound to her cursed lineage, signa finds herself plagued by the death of her relatives and amidst the shadows that cling to thorn grove, she is thrust into an unfamiliar world, both captivating and cruel. as signa navigates her new home, she uncovers unique abilities linked to the one thing she longs to escape: death itself.
i overall enjoyed the mystery aspect of the plot, following signa unravel the dark secrets stashed beneath high society, although it lacked something that i cant quite put my finger on.
꒰ ﹟ death + signa ꒱
˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿ ︵ ‿ ︵ ‿ ︵˚₊
Belladonna (noun)
[bel-uh-don-uh]
Known as ‘deadly nightshade’ and, ‘witches berry’, it holds potent poison within its delicate black petals and when given the opportunity to, can intoxicate an individual till death.
belladonna is a novel that explores both the chilling price of immortality and the depth of love that transcends the boundaries between life and death.
꒰ ﹟ plot ꒱
lurking in the shadowed halls of the farrow estate, where ghosts walk the floors and secrets entwine like webs, lies signa farrow. rumoured to be trailed by a dark presence and bound to her cursed lineage, signa finds herself plagued by the death of her relatives and amidst the shadows that cling to thorn grove, she is thrust into an unfamiliar world, both captivating and cruel. as signa navigates her new home, she uncovers unique abilities linked to the one thing she longs to escape: death itself.
"You are not cursed-you are a reaper. You are the night incarnate, the ferrier of souls. You are the bridge between the living and the dead—a caged bird that's ready to fly."
i overall enjoyed the mystery aspect of the plot, following signa unravel the dark secrets stashed beneath high society, although it lacked something that i cant quite put my finger on.
꒰ ﹟ death + signa ꒱
01jessi01's review against another edition
2.0
Why am I mostly disappointed by the books I most look forward to? 🥲
All in all, this was a solid YA (did not realise that but that is my fault) fantasy with a murder-mystery storyline, a little bit of romance, and the best thing about the book: a girl touched by death.
I'm still very much obsessed with this idea and I loved this detail and her interactions with the Death...
But...
1.
Those little conversations between Signa and Death were too few and too little. It missed the opportunity for banter or SOMETHING more - I need more (but maybe nothing will ever be the same after reading Powerless 😅). I also need more details about the appearance of death because I cannot get my head around whether he is just a shadow, a ghost or a person without a face, and I also have some logistical questions.
2.
Somehow, nothing astounding happened. It felt repetitive, and I had guessed the majority of the plot twists correctly - much to my disappointment. Signa, could you also please stay focused on solving a murder and saving lives instead of drinking tea with fake friends?
3.
I already feel like I know about a few upcoming "plot twists" and "discoveries" of the sequel; (I call it: mistrusting every single character until proven otherwise, and a few got let off too easily ... soooo I'm just going to wait for the shoe to drop).
4.
I read this book in German as I had this book on my tbr and was able to receive the arc (why not save some money?). I don't think that I'm used to German fantasy anymore 👉🏻👈🏻. Apperently, I am not feeling anything when reading books in my native language at this point.
I did not really like the writing, them not being on first name terms (=siezen), and the fact that there were so few conversations between the characters and most instead in Signas head (which would have been fine, if she had discovered clues sooner and followed through faster).
Summary:
In the end, it was still a fantasy YA with a very interesting twist and a faster read but lacked some plot twists and surprises in the second half of the book.
This might have been a me-problem, and if you are new to YA fantasy (or fantasy in general) or want a palette cleanser, this might be perfect for you. So many other people enjoyed this, and even though I'm rather disappointed, this might be because of my high expectations, and I still would like to know about and read the sequel 🤭
……………………………
Thank you Netgalley, arsEdition and Adalyn Grace for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
……………………………
Some quotes in German for my keepsake:
All in all, this was a solid YA (did not realise that but that is my fault) fantasy with a murder-mystery storyline, a little bit of romance, and the best thing about the book: a girl touched by death.
I'm still very much obsessed with this idea and I loved this detail and her interactions with the Death...
But...
1.
Those little conversations between Signa and Death were too few and too little. It missed the opportunity for banter or SOMETHING more - I need more (but maybe nothing will ever be the same after reading Powerless 😅). I also need more details about the appearance of death because I cannot get my head around whether he is just a shadow, a ghost or a person without a face, and I also have some logistical questions.
2.
Somehow, nothing astounding happened. It felt repetitive, and I had guessed the majority of the plot twists correctly - much to my disappointment. Signa, could you also please stay focused on solving a murder and saving lives instead of drinking tea with fake friends?
3.
I already feel like I know about a few upcoming "plot twists" and "discoveries" of the sequel; (I call it: mistrusting every single character until proven otherwise, and a few got let off too easily ... soooo I'm just going to wait for the shoe to drop).
4.
I read this book in German as I had this book on my tbr and was able to receive the arc (why not save some money?). I don't think that I'm used to German fantasy anymore 👉🏻👈🏻. Apperently, I am not feeling anything when reading books in my native language at this point.
I did not really like the writing, them not being on first name terms (=siezen), and the fact that there were so few conversations between the characters and most instead in Signas head (which would have been fine, if she had discovered clues sooner and followed through faster).
Summary:
In the end, it was still a fantasy YA with a very interesting twist and a faster read but lacked some plot twists and surprises in the second half of the book.
This might have been a me-problem, and if you are new to YA fantasy (or fantasy in general) or want a palette cleanser, this might be perfect for you. So many other people enjoyed this, and even though I'm rather disappointed, this might be because of my high expectations, and I still would like to know about and read the sequel 🤭
……………………………
Thank you Netgalley, arsEdition and Adalyn Grace for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
……………………………
Some quotes in German for my keepsake:
"[...] wurde ihr klar, dass sie sich zum ersten Mal in ihrem Leben nicht mehr einsam fühlte."
"Weil ich eine Ewigkeit auf dich gewartet habe, Signa Farrow."
"Ich wollte jemanden finden, der mich verstehen kann, den ich berühren kann. Sobald ich jemanden berühre, sehe ich sein Leben in Augenblicken vorbeiziehen. Doch als ich dich zum ersten Mal berührt habe, sah ich deine Zukunft."
"Sag, dass du mich willst, und ich werde dir diese Welt zu Füßen legen."
"Vom Anbeginn der Welt habe ich gewartet. Du bist mein und ich bin dein. Und zusammen gehört uns die Welt."
bbutterflyi's review against another edition
5.0
i'll briefly review this book. in the early chapters bfore signa meets the spirit of lilian, it's very boring but after signa meets lilian's spirit and reveals the mystery of the murder it bcomes exciting. i like this book bcs death teaches many things and the story in this book is unique
indigoblue777's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
This kind of reminded me of Mortal Heart from the His Fair Assassins series. I love stories about Death falling in love with a human.
This story is a weird mishmosh of a whodunit mystery, supernatural with ghosts, and a smidgeon of romance.
I love the beginning, with Signa’s emphasized loneliness and her desire to become a socialite like her mother was. It was weird that she wanted to follow etiquette and social rules. She was the opposite of most historical romance leads, in that regard, but it was explained by her consuming desire for companionship. Signa’s death powers were very cool, and I wish we got to see her use them more. Especially the power that prevents her from dying.
People who like The Phantom of the Opera would probably enjoy this story. Death and Signa’s interactions, especially when he tries to romance her, remind me of Christine and the Phantom’s relationship.
The ending (WITH SPOILERS):
It was fairly obvious that Sylas was Death, because Signa was ridiculously attracted to him, more than she was attracted to Death. I almost wish he hadn’t been Death, because it would have subverted my expectations.
There is a sex scene in this book, but it’s very very vague about what’s happening. Signa does acknowledge that ‘going farther’ with Death would ruin her in the eyes of society, and she somehow knows what sex is despite her secluded upbringing, but she decides it’s worth the risk to her reputation. Overall, it felt like the romance could have been written better.
I was shocked that Percy was the killer because none of his reasoning really made sense. The only explanation for his actions is that he is completely insane. There was absolutely no reason for him to be psychotic enough to murder his mother, or try to murder his sister. It was an unsatisfying conclusion to the mystery.
I didn’t really like the cheesy cliffhanger with someone else getting poisoned, but I also don’t like cheesy murder mysteries. Fate seems interesting, but I don’t understand how you personify Fate. He doesn’t have any clear powers the way Death does.
This kind of reminded me of Mortal Heart from the His Fair Assassins series. I love stories about Death falling in love with a human.
This story is a weird mishmosh of a whodunit mystery, supernatural with ghosts, and a smidgeon of romance.
I love the beginning, with Signa’s emphasized loneliness and her desire to become a socialite like her mother was. It was weird that she wanted to follow etiquette and social rules. She was the opposite of most historical romance leads, in that regard, but it was explained by her consuming desire for companionship. Signa’s death powers were very cool, and I wish we got to see her use them more. Especially the power that prevents her from dying.
People who like The Phantom of the Opera would probably enjoy this story. Death and Signa’s interactions, especially when he tries to romance her, remind me of Christine and the Phantom’s relationship.
The ending (WITH SPOILERS):
It was fairly obvious that Sylas was Death, because Signa was ridiculously attracted to him, more than she was attracted to Death. I almost wish he hadn’t been Death, because it would have subverted my expectations.
There is a sex scene in this book, but it’s very very vague about what’s happening. Signa does acknowledge that ‘going farther’ with Death would ruin her in the eyes of society, and she somehow knows what sex is despite her secluded upbringing, but she decides it’s worth the risk to her reputation. Overall, it felt like the romance could have been written better.
I was shocked that Percy was the killer because none of his reasoning really made sense. The only explanation for his actions is that he is completely insane. There was absolutely no reason for him to be psychotic enough to murder his mother, or try to murder his sister. It was an unsatisfying conclusion to the mystery.
I didn’t really like the cheesy cliffhanger with someone else getting poisoned, but I also don’t like cheesy murder mysteries. Fate seems interesting, but I don’t understand how you personify Fate. He doesn’t have any clear powers the way Death does.
inlesnuages's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
swoopingevil's review against another edition
4.0
Really liked this book. Definitely something different and dark but not too dark. I like all the twists and turns throughout the book it kept me interested. If you like 1800s bridgerton style but goth romance you'll probably enjoy it
mdlynprsrpn_'s review against another edition
5.0
"Say that you do, and I will make this world everything for you, Signa." —Death
"Since the dawn of this earth, I have waited. You are mine, and I am yours. And together, this world is ours." —Death
The first solid 5/5 stars book this year from me asadshjkdg. The plot twists got me wheezing, gawking, choking, shocking so hard make me asked my own sanity?! Not to mention, the tension between Death and Signa is hot hot
"Since the dawn of this earth, I have waited. You are mine, and I am yours. And together, this world is ours." —Death
The first solid 5/5 stars book this year from me asadshjkdg. The plot twists got me wheezing, gawking, choking, shocking so hard make me asked my own sanity?! Not to mention, the tension between Death and Signa is hot hot
gemma_00's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75