Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Library at Mount Char

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

132 reviews

maddyag123's review

adventurous dark funny 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? No

4.25

Slow and confusing start but it really picked up towards the middle. Great to have books with simple and comical plot points combined with the complex ones

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hilarym's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

1.0

Really confused for most of the book, not sure what the plot was. Kept reading bc was told a surprising ending, but had to read other reviews to understand what happened.

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cassie7e's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I picked this only knowing it was dark and weird. It has similar dark vibes as Seanan McGuire's Alchemical Journeys series, which I loved! Creepy old abilities and beings in the modern day, but even darker and more morally twisted, and on a larger scale. It's meticulously elaborately plotted, especially leading up to the climax ~2/3 the way through, whereupon we get more character growth and trauma reckoning in the aftermath.

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sersi's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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jodar's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

3.75

This is a fantasy novel with a strong science fiction, metaphysical, multiple-universes bent (“there’s no such thing as magic”). Along the way it did feel rather weird and the storyline a little disjointed, but by the end it’s clear why that is. What worried me for quite a while was what appeared to be extreme, gratuitous violence, especially the violence against children. But the rationale for the violence was explained well and is integral to the novel. A novelty to me was having a demiurge as a pivotal character.

I found the characters were well portrayed, the MC relatable (despite getting pretty extreme psychologically), the dialogue flowed naturally and the plot moved along at a moderate pace without bogging down. There’s even some nicely pitched humour, particularly aimed against the foibles and excesses of Americans. The story is well-grounded, too, even though at various times the reader is confronted by a wide-sweeping, multiple-time-and-space viewpoint. I kept wanting to pick up the book again each time, which is a good sign.

Themes that for me lifted this novel above a simple “fun read”: the dark side of power, especially power over others’ welfare and lives; friendship and authentic love; true versus apparent strength; the search for meaning; the ultimate mystery of existence.

An impressive first novel by the author. I’d be keen to read any sequel, as the ending hinted there may be.

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epruta's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I’ve never read any book like this. The concept is fascinating and leaves much to be explored. The only thing keeping me from a 5 star review is that it’s disturbing. Pretty much every content warning you can think of is in here.

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