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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Definitely see this being made into a movie. Very well done. Loved Damien. The plot gave me Dan Brown vibes in how a murder happens and a chain of events unfolds while two people try to solve it. Lots of well-written tension. The only issue I had with it was in world-building. I felt this was supposed to be a fantasy world with magic but there were some moments in speech or how they spoke about the world that made it feel as though the world was our own and took me out of the story a little bit. Regardless, I found it enjoyable and can't wait for the sequel!
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
HOLY F***ING CRACK A** S***! This book was AMAZING and THRILLING and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I'm mad that book 2 isn't out. It's a creepy and thrilling murder mystery with romance subplot set in a historical religious era. F***ing wicked; I can't get enough! Would definitely rate higher if I could!
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm a sucker for a good Italian inspired fantasy world.
This was a fun but broody YA fantasy novel that in the end doesn't seem to trust its audience's intelligence. The world and its religion were well developed and interesting. I do think that Lobb spoke to the teenage desire to better the world and end inequality. She brings to life a complicated and messy teen relationship that is able to be messy without being toxic. Roz and Damian are flawed individuals that make mistakes in a way that I feel is more realistic than some other YA novels. That was refreshing to read to be honest.
I appreciate that Lobb also kept us guessing to the end of who the murderer was and engineered a legitimately intelligent twist. However, once the culprit was unmasked so to speak, the book seems to swerve into thinking its audience is stupid territory. Our villain engages in a cliche monologue and spoon feeds information to the audience in a way that was insulting. Teens are intelligent, they don't need everything spelled out for them.
That being said, the epilogue was a banger.
This was a fun but broody YA fantasy novel that in the end doesn't seem to trust its audience's intelligence. The world and its religion were well developed and interesting. I do think that Lobb spoke to the teenage desire to better the world and end inequality. She brings to life a complicated and messy teen relationship that is able to be messy without being toxic. Roz and Damian are flawed individuals that make mistakes in a way that I feel is more realistic than some other YA novels. That was refreshing to read to be honest.
I appreciate that Lobb also kept us guessing to the end of who the murderer was and engineered a legitimately intelligent twist. However, once the culprit was unmasked so to speak, the book seems to swerve into thinking its audience is stupid territory. Our villain engages in a cliche monologue and spoon feeds information to the audience in a way that was insulting. Teens are intelligent, they don't need everything spelled out for them.
That being said, the epilogue was a banger.