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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Feral girl that gives in to the monster. What a wild, dark ride.
I’ll be honest, some of the sayings and the dances; I couldn’t understand at first because I’m not a theatre or ballet person but the author gives a good explanation of things happening. I liked it.
I’ll be honest, some of the sayings and the dances; I couldn’t understand at first because I’m not a theatre or ballet person but the author gives a good explanation of things happening. I liked it.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
medium-paced
There will be blood.
Well, I dipped my toe into dark fantasy and it didn't kill me, lol! Was I thirst-trapped by the cover? I'm not gonna lie - it is truly mesmerizing. But beyond that, Jamison Shea understands the beauty of words and the power they have to transport us. They were able to describe the setting so well, that even people like me who understand very little French, and ballet even less, can viscerally feel every pirouette, arabesque, plié, and jete. We can feel the calloused heels, the broken toenails, and the aching in the calves.
Shea also expands on what it is to be "other" - a brown-skinned girl in a sea of pale, blonde, privilege. Where for her, perfection is not enough. They also take us down the road of greed, longing, jealousy, and sacrifice. There is mythology, allusions to the River Styx, to blood sacrifice, and to dark rituals.
Despite the heavy topics, this book flowed effortlessly and beautifully. However, please do note the TWs. If you like books like Black Swan, Ballerinas (Kapelke-Dale), or books by Carlos Castaneda, you will enjoy this.
Huge thanks to Bookish First where I won a paperback version, and to the publisher.
Well, I dipped my toe into dark fantasy and it didn't kill me, lol! Was I thirst-trapped by the cover? I'm not gonna lie - it is truly mesmerizing. But beyond that, Jamison Shea understands the beauty of words and the power they have to transport us. They were able to describe the setting so well, that even people like me who understand very little French, and ballet even less, can viscerally feel every pirouette, arabesque, plié, and jete. We can feel the calloused heels, the broken toenails, and the aching in the calves.
Shea also expands on what it is to be "other" - a brown-skinned girl in a sea of pale, blonde, privilege. Where for her, perfection is not enough. They also take us down the road of greed, longing, jealousy, and sacrifice. There is mythology, allusions to the River Styx, to blood sacrifice, and to dark rituals.
Despite the heavy topics, this book flowed effortlessly and beautifully. However, please do note the TWs. If you like books like Black Swan, Ballerinas (Kapelke-Dale), or books by Carlos Castaneda, you will enjoy this.
Huge thanks to Bookish First where I won a paperback version, and to the publisher.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
It’s not this book, it’s me.
Going into this already captured by the synopsis and charmed all the way to hell by the cover, I had expected a thrilling, twisted tale of corruption and obsession, a villain’s original story, so to speak. One that is soaked with blood and riddled with sacrifices. One that revolves around one of the most coveted, highly exclusive, and demanding forms of art - the ballet. One that delves into the gilded glory of the stages and all the darkness lurked behind the lush velvet curtain... I had hoped for another book, essentially.
The plot focused more on Laure’s, our protagonist, journey to ruination and her connection with the ancient river that led her there rather than her devotion to the art she claimed to be nothing without and yet betrayed her times and again, to the point of turning her the very thing they accused her of being, the thing that ruined them all. I wouldn’t despite the constant paragraphs describing the rage rising deep within her whenever Acheron flowed through her bloodstream so much if the results, i.e. everything that happened at the ballet wasn’t portrayed so listlessly, unconvincingly, almost half-heartedly. Every moment seemed to be told to me, even when Laure was actively dancing, rather than shown to me. All the so-called life-changing, important performances were so rushed they gave me whiplashes.
True to the synopsis, the pacing was slow. Expecting that, I still held on to the hope that the ending would tie everything together and finish the book with a bang, making the journey worthwhile. Instead, till the very last pages, the book still focused way too much on the river and Laure’s relationships with the people around her (while not entirely successful in hitting those marks either), making the last act an immersive letdown. Already not a fan of the title shoehorned into the book, this particular one actually made me roll my eyes.
Don’t even get me started on Laure’s nonexistent character development (or should I say regression ?!). Her entire emotional journey was so flat, the final scene between her and Coraline pissed me off a little.
Urgh, I wanted to like this book so badly. Despite all these harsh words, I didn’t hate it either, I just barely felt anything for or about Laure, that’s all… My hope flew too close to the sun and got barbecued, essentially.
Going into this already captured by the synopsis and charmed all the way to hell by the cover, I had expected a thrilling, twisted tale of corruption and obsession, a villain’s original story, so to speak. One that is soaked with blood and riddled with sacrifices. One that revolves around one of the most coveted, highly exclusive, and demanding forms of art - the ballet. One that delves into the gilded glory of the stages and all the darkness lurked behind the lush velvet curtain... I had hoped for another book, essentially.
The plot focused more on Laure’s, our protagonist, journey to ruination and her connection with the ancient river that led her there rather than her devotion to the art she claimed to be nothing without and yet betrayed her times and again, to the point of turning her the very thing they accused her of being, the thing that ruined them all. I wouldn’t despite the constant paragraphs describing the rage rising deep within her whenever Acheron flowed through her bloodstream so much if the results, i.e. everything that happened at the ballet wasn’t portrayed so listlessly, unconvincingly, almost half-heartedly. Every moment seemed to be told to me, even when Laure was actively dancing, rather than shown to me. All the so-called life-changing, important performances were so rushed they gave me whiplashes.
True to the synopsis, the pacing was slow. Expecting that, I still held on to the hope that the ending would tie everything together and finish the book with a bang, making the journey worthwhile. Instead, till the very last pages, the book still focused way too much on the river and Laure’s relationships with the people around her (while not entirely successful in hitting those marks either), making the last act an immersive letdown. Already not a fan of the title shoehorned into the book, this particular one actually made me roll my eyes.
Don’t even get me started on Laure’s nonexistent character development (or should I say regression ?!). Her entire emotional journey was so flat, the final scene between her and Coraline pissed me off a little.
Urgh, I wanted to like this book so badly. Despite all these harsh words, I didn’t hate it either, I just barely felt anything for or about Laure, that’s all… My hope flew too close to the sun and got barbecued, essentially.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Murder
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail