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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
read this for my book club and.... idk what to say. it's okay??? I like the characters and I think I get why people like this series so much, but it just doesn't hit for me at all. idk if I would have finished this without a bookclub deadline, probably not.
further thoughts after having sat with this book for a week:
calling this a murder mystery (a locked-room mystery at that!!) is honestly insane, there is a murder and there is some mystery, butit could not matter less who actually commited the murder.
the sex scenes felt more awkward and more boring than in the first book, the romantic conflict felt pretty inorganic and constructed, the confined setting was severely underused as were other things brought up, e.g. the diary with robin's visions. the characters all trust each other way too much from the get go and the call-backs to the characters from the first book are so cheesy, you're just being hit over the head with the found family of it all (spoiler: this is even worse in book 3)
the language is much too metaphor-heavy for my personal taste and the dual pov takes out almost all tension there could have been otherwise.
I get more annoyed at this book the longer I think about it because I see what it could have been and instead it's just meh!!!
further thoughts after having sat with this book for a week:
calling this a murder mystery (a locked-room mystery at that!!) is honestly insane, there is a murder and there is some mystery, but
the sex scenes felt more awkward and more boring than in the first book, the romantic conflict felt pretty inorganic and constructed, the confined setting was severely underused as were other things brought up, e.g. the diary with robin's visions. the characters all trust each other way too much from the get go and the call-backs to the characters from the first book are so cheesy, you're just being hit over the head with the found family of it all (spoiler: this is even worse in book 3)
the language is much too metaphor-heavy for my personal taste and the dual pov takes out almost all tension there could have been otherwise.
I get more annoyed at this book the longer I think about it because I see what it could have been and instead it's just meh!!!
3.5. I just kept forgetting they were on a boat and then I’d be randomly reminded and it threw me off every time. but violet and maud were wonderful together, i just wish we got a bit more build up like we did for robin and edwin in the first book! but i like how violet and maud have this relationship of “idk what’s next but the now is good.” i can really appreciate that!
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Maybe try again. Wasn’t that invested at the time. Putting on hold.
adventurous
lighthearted
adventurous
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
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is a mystery on a boat story. Second in the The Last Binding series, it follows a quest-line of retrieving a magical artifact.. only there's a body, and a conspiracy, and a Lesbian tryst. The main character is coded ADHD.
This book fleshes out more of the magic system, does a little world-building which feels relatively effortless. Cruise ships... everyone is strangers so you can learn about their experiences and backgrounds which fleshes out the world in interesting ways.
The thing I noticed (being me) is that the continuity, physics/magicks, characterisation, is all fantastic. There are no glaring holes, no out-of-character prior knowledge — the author has paid attention to detail and the historical-ish setting isn't weird and anachronistic in anything other than the choice of some slang words..
It's explicit — so I'm guessing language is adapted a bit so people don't laugh at the saucy bits.
The characters are fun.
I was not at all shocked to find out that the author is a SciFi writer.. her attention to detail shows that she is a good self-editor. Her similes are gold. Honestly I'd put her on a similar podium as Agatha Christie for descriptive language that flows, is creative rather than cliché, and that is additive to a vibe rather than distracting from it. Marske is a master of simile.
Not disappointed :)
This book fleshes out more of the magic system, does a little world-building which feels relatively effortless. Cruise ships... everyone is strangers so you can learn about their experiences and backgrounds which fleshes out the world in interesting ways.
The thing I noticed (being me) is that the continuity, physics/magicks, characterisation, is all fantastic. There are no glaring holes, no out-of-character prior knowledge — the author has paid attention to detail and the historical-ish setting isn't weird and anachronistic in anything other than the choice of some slang words..
It's explicit — so I'm guessing language is adapted a bit so people don't laugh at the saucy bits.
The characters are fun.
I was not at all shocked to find out that the author is a SciFi writer.. her attention to detail shows that she is a good self-editor. Her similes are gold. Honestly I'd put her on a similar podium as Agatha Christie for descriptive language that flows, is creative rather than cliché, and that is additive to a vibe rather than distracting from it. Marske is a master of simile.
Not disappointed :)