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sandreline's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
"Remember you are safe. Your response is out of proportion to the facts. There is no danger except in your mind."
After the introduction, we meet Anna as a middle-aged woman. You quickly parse she is someone who has spent her life supporting the dreams of her husband, and man who, while perhaps good-intentioned, has a bumbling paternalism for his wife.
In Anna's point of view you hear all the excuses she makes for him. She is filled with a lifetime of guilt, shame, and inferiority, and that colors all her interactions with him.
This is where King Nyx excels. Exposing and subtly picking apart the relationships between it's characters. And that is the primary focus for the first half of the book.
After that is when it starts to fall apart. We fall into a mystery set up quite well in the beginning, but tied together a bit too cleanly at the end. Those meaty character interactions fall to the wayside for some gothic-mystery shenanigans.
The most disappointing aspect for me was that we didn't really get to see all that much growth from Anna. She is, ultimately, the same character we meet at the beginning.
Very strong start, but I wish this story had leaned more into its strengths instead of getting lost in its own mysteries.
ARC provided by NetGalley.
After the introduction, we meet Anna as a middle-aged woman. You quickly parse she is someone who has spent her life supporting the dreams of her husband, and man who, while perhaps good-intentioned, has a bumbling paternalism for his wife.
In Anna's point of view you hear all the excuses she makes for him. She is filled with a lifetime of guilt, shame, and inferiority, and that colors all her interactions with him.
This is where King Nyx excels. Exposing and subtly picking apart the relationships between it's characters. And that is the primary focus for the first half of the book.
After that is when it starts to fall apart. We fall into a mystery set up quite well in the beginning, but tied together a bit too cleanly at the end. Those meaty character interactions fall to the wayside for some gothic-mystery shenanigans.
The most disappointing aspect for me was that we didn't really get to see all that much growth from Anna. She is, ultimately, the same character we meet at the beginning.
Very strong start, but I wish this story had leaned more into its strengths instead of getting lost in its own mysteries.
ARC provided by NetGalley.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Torture
Minor: Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape
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