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displacedcactus's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
This is a "getting a crew together for a heist" book set in a magic-tinged 1920s Washington, DC, specifically focused on the Black community. Our characters need to get a magic ring that is somehow warping peoples' minds and making them disappear. That sounds complicated enough, but there's even more going on than is immediately apparent.
I just didn't really vibe with this book. I didn't dislike it, but I never fully connected to the characters, especially the main character, Clara, who has A Secret. I don't have a lot of patience for MCs who have A Secret that they keep from the reader for as long as possible, and even more so since I felt like her secret didn't really end up contributing that much to the plot.
I also didn't feel very convinced by the motivation of the Big Bad, so it was hard to really buy into the stakes of the story.
There were some pretty likeable side characters, and 1920s DC made for a good setting, so I suspect other readers will enjoy this one a lot more than I did.
I just didn't really vibe with this book. I didn't dislike it, but I never fully connected to the characters, especially the main character, Clara, who has A Secret. I don't have a lot of patience for MCs who have A Secret that they keep from the reader for as long as possible, and even more so since I felt like her secret didn't really end up contributing that much to the plot.
I also didn't feel very convinced by the motivation of the Big Bad, so it was hard to really buy into the stakes of the story.
There were some pretty likeable side characters, and 1920s DC made for a good setting, so I suspect other readers will enjoy this one a lot more than I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
puttingwingsonwords's review
adventurous
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Trafficking, Ableism, Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Confinement, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia
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