Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry

When I started reading, I was immediately struck by the excellent use of voice both in the narration and dialogue. C.M. Waggoner certainly reminds me of P.G. Wodehouse in the ability to conjure up a strong, distinctive voice for Delly.
The story is completely centered on the stories and experiences of women - not just a female protagonist, but all of the significant characters are women.
The pacing is a little odd, and almost is like "video game time," where characters will establish a clear, time-sensitive goal (find and bring the murderer to justice) and then spend multiple days training and preparing. From the initial premise described in the blurb, the story goes in unexpected directions.
This is one of the only pieces of media I've encountered where any characters are concerned about the long-term impacts of head trauma.
I felt like Waggoner successfully avoided using any cheap, predictable methods to create drama. I kept expecting certain obvious arguments between Delly and Winn as the tension between Delly's goals and guilt grew, but my expectations were subverted. The relationships between characters, particularly Delly and Ms. Dok, were complex and dynamic.
I would die for Mrs. Totham, and Buttons made me laugh out loud more times than I can count.
Birds are a big recurring motif. Dan suggested maybe they symbolize freedom?
I would fancast Michelle Dockery as Abstentia

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toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny 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

4.5

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wandering_not_lost's review

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funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

...eh. I wish I liked this book more, but though some pieces all were nice (good character voice, sweet romance, hard character learning to love, ensemble heist cast, casual necromancy, and a deep dedication to [if not a great description of] sense of place), in the end I just couldn't get past some of the choices the author made about the plot and plotting.

As others have said, this book has weird pacing and a strange bifurcation of the plot about 40% of the way through. The plot summary on the cover is basically just that first 40%, and after that things A) slow down considerably and B) start taking headscratching turns in the plot department.

I never really understood the drug-making plotline...like...why would you think that that is the only way to find the person they're looking for? As opposed to, I don't know, following the runner kid or the attempted abductor back to the place where they SAID they knew the operation was based? Why this plan which basically set them up to be noticed/attacked/ripe for their "product" to be stolen?

I mean, I'm not saying that Delly wouldn't come up with that plan (though see below, I have doubts), but why no one else said, "um...why not this less ethically fraught and simpler way instead?" is utterly beyond me. That just really broke my interest in the book. Additionally, not only did they follow what I thought was a boneheaded plan, but they apparently didn't think at all about what I thought were the obvious repercussions of that plan.

They didn't think that just sending a sample, with no further information, wouldn't open them up to being attacked or pressured by the Companions? They didn't think that gaining attention in that way might lead to danger for themselves or the people they are supposedly trying to protect? Or that they'd be under surveillance at all? They didn't think that they'd obviously need a TEST SUBJECT FOR A DANGEROUS AND ADDICTIVE DRUG THAT THEY WERE MAKING, and that maybe that in itself was a deep, deep moral issue? Also, the use of Delly's mom as that test subject just really, really made me make horrified faces. So many horrified faces. I mean...ASIDE from the issues with drug addiction and Delly's feelings about it, it could have been dangerous, but hey, why worry about THAT?

Also, the romance? I just...it was there. It was nice to see a lesbian romance be the focus, but Winn's characterization was a bit too one-note and never progressed past "cheerful and nice". I never really GOT

the way she was suddenly ready to freaking propose after what...a few weeks?

It didn't really click with me.

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co2lreads's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I throughly enjoyed this book. Fun, magical, gay, all the best adjectives. Exciting world and I hope that it becomes a series!

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abutler's review

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

If Anne of Green Gables was a foul-mouthed, street grifter in a magical world.

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blackrabbitrun's review

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adventurous funny slow-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book will sink or swim for you depending on your opinion on characters who will say "gesticulate towards the firmament" instead of "point at the sky", and use words like "post-bong-etary" and "enkittenated". Because Dellaria Wells is such a character, and she's the narrator.

The language is a bit heavy in the opening chapters, but lightens up quickly once the plot gets underway and Delly becomes too busy vanquishing undead mechanical spiders to think through too many hoops when talking to her new companions. While Delly's narration drops extraneous flourishes, the overall language of the book stays delightfully immersive throughout - religion, history, geography, wealth, class, personality and character development woven deep into characters' word choice and grammar. The fact that there's a plot (and a romance) as well became almost secondary, though the latter deserves praise for avoiding most of the stupidest romance plot contrivances.

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storiesandsidequests's review

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was a lot of fun despite being weirdly slow paced for a story that contains a lot of action. I really liked the characters and their interactions, and enjoyed the relationships that developed, particularly Delly and Winn’s romance. I did find myself wanting more of the magical aspect, but overall, I really enjoyed it.

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