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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
That was one of the boring things I've ever read I wanted to DNF so bad but I was eager to know if it's getting any better but it didn't...
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this one. I did not want to stop reading. I wanted to know who had killed Sorcerer Solomon. Everyone had motive. I love a fantasy murder mystery. Tabatha has to prove her innocence when she becomes a top suspect in her boss's murder. Solving a murder is very challenging when the main suspects are mostly his family. Can she trust anyone? I will definitely be reading more my this author.
thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Magical ‘Knives Out’ is a hell of a tagline, and one that this book seems to do well living up to. With parts that feel like a movie and twists that took me by surprise even after I thought I had everything figured out, THESE DEADLY PROPHECIES is a pretty quick and enjoyable read. Its worldbuilding takes the basics of much fantastical magic, gives it a simple clarification within the book’s world and lets that be it. The narrative is a bit irreverent, more confessional than I assumed it would be, and all wrapped in a mystery that can keep you guessing despite the Knives Out comparisons. Somewhat strangely, all of these things seem to work for the book; it’s not particularly groundbreaking but I don’t think it needs to be to be worth the read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and twisty mystery with some definite Nancy Drew vibes.
Tabatha Zeng is a prophet sorcerer-to-be, the apprentice of the most well-known prophet, right up until he’s brutally murdered. With the messy family of any wealthy eccentric, this is a mystery that has no quick solution, and gets even messier with the question of inheritance along the way. This book has a pretty steady through line as it comes to the overall mystery, driving everything along at a pace that keeps any one moment from feeling like it dragged. While I actually enjoyed the short length of the book, I do still feel that there were some elements that didn’t seem to carry as much weight as others (re: the Detective, etc.) But it’s still fun to read nonetheless.
Character wise, Tabatha’s frontal narration is really interesting, and helps weave together various elements of the story when they seem a little distant. She’s certainly a somewhat messy YA protagonist as all teenagers are, but there was a level of both self-awareness and obliviousness that I appreciated, and that made things like the slightly cliché romance more enjoyable than they would have been had Tang written them as straightforward or simply sweet. Every member of the family is interesting, and makes you wish that you knew just a little bit more of how they got where they are.
I think that this book ultimately lives up to what it promises, and makes it worth the read along the way. It’s captivating enough to keep you on the edge of your seat without perhaps requiring as much mental exhaustion as a more in-depth fantasy or mystery. I would definitely recommend it!
Magical ‘Knives Out’ is a hell of a tagline, and one that this book seems to do well living up to. With parts that feel like a movie and twists that took me by surprise even after I thought I had everything figured out, THESE DEADLY PROPHECIES is a pretty quick and enjoyable read. Its worldbuilding takes the basics of much fantastical magic, gives it a simple clarification within the book’s world and lets that be it. The narrative is a bit irreverent, more confessional than I assumed it would be, and all wrapped in a mystery that can keep you guessing despite the Knives Out comparisons. Somewhat strangely, all of these things seem to work for the book; it’s not particularly groundbreaking but I don’t think it needs to be to be worth the read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and twisty mystery with some definite Nancy Drew vibes.
Tabatha Zeng is a prophet sorcerer-to-be, the apprentice of the most well-known prophet, right up until he’s brutally murdered. With the messy family of any wealthy eccentric, this is a mystery that has no quick solution, and gets even messier with the question of inheritance along the way. This book has a pretty steady through line as it comes to the overall mystery, driving everything along at a pace that keeps any one moment from feeling like it dragged. While I actually enjoyed the short length of the book, I do still feel that there were some elements that didn’t seem to carry as much weight as others (re: the Detective, etc.) But it’s still fun to read nonetheless.
Character wise, Tabatha’s frontal narration is really interesting, and helps weave together various elements of the story when they seem a little distant. She’s certainly a somewhat messy YA protagonist as all teenagers are, but there was a level of both self-awareness and obliviousness that I appreciated, and that made things like the slightly cliché romance more enjoyable than they would have been had Tang written them as straightforward or simply sweet. Every member of the family is interesting, and makes you wish that you knew just a little bit more of how they got where they are.
I think that this book ultimately lives up to what it promises, and makes it worth the read along the way. It’s captivating enough to keep you on the edge of your seat without perhaps requiring as much mental exhaustion as a more in-depth fantasy or mystery. I would definitely recommend it!