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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
- A little gory but doesn't go too far when describing violent historical torture
- Thora is immature, how does she get the job anyways? Her lawyer bg doesn't do much for the story
- Lots of fat insults for the secretary
- Not much suspense, but makes for an easy read I guess
The beginning was very promising. I laughed out loud at a few places because I liked the writing and the main character. Then it was as if a different writer stepped in and I was reading phrases like 'laughed sarcastically' and every word you can use other than 'said' when a character was speaking. Did not get very far in it. When the gender studies character was described as a whiny bitch (albeit by a character not the author), I stopped. I could go on, but probably not worth it.
I really wanted to like this one. Thora is a great character, and I really like Ysra's style. But this felt like a bad mix of Nordic Noir and Cozy Mystery - an amateur sleuth who shouldn't really have access to the case and somehow lands right in the middle with all of the darker elements of a great mystery. I might come back and read it again, but this one wasn't what I was expecting.
A German exchange student known to have an unhealthy interest in sorcery is found murdered at an Reykjavik university and Thora Gudmundsdottir, a local lawyer, is asked by his family to investigate. I can only hope it reads better in Icelandic. The book occasionally titillates and teases with gore and inferences to black magic, but then pulls back and provides a rather plodding story with digressions into Icelandic religious history and the personal life of single mother Thora.
#PopSugarReadingChallenge Update: I choose to start out with the “book or about a woman in STEM"
While the book was written by an author who also works on hydro construction projects as a civil engineer, Last Rituals has little to do with STEM. It’s an Icelandic murder mystery that explores ancient witchcraft. The story kicks off when the FMC, a lawyer, is asked to help prove the innocence of a student who appears to be killed as part of pagan ceremony.
While I found the start a bit slow, the second half kept me riveted to the pages. Best of all, I never really guessed who the murderer was, though when I think about it, I should have guessed the reason for the murder. Not only did it have a satisfying ending, but the author did an excellent job tying up all of the loose ends. There was one moment, right at the end of the book, that was even heartwarming.
Not much action in this book and the paragraphs seemed extremely long, especially in the first half where there wasn’t a much dialogue. There was some subtle humor and relatable moments. While the book didn’t make me want to explore ancient witchcraft, it did cause me to develop a burning desire to learn more about the Reformation.
While the book was written by an author who also works on hydro construction projects as a civil engineer, Last Rituals has little to do with STEM. It’s an Icelandic murder mystery that explores ancient witchcraft. The story kicks off when the FMC, a lawyer, is asked to help prove the innocence of a student who appears to be killed as part of pagan ceremony.
While I found the start a bit slow, the second half kept me riveted to the pages. Best of all, I never really guessed who the murderer was, though when I think about it, I should have guessed the reason for the murder. Not only did it have a satisfying ending, but the author did an excellent job tying up all of the loose ends. There was one moment, right at the end of the book, that was even heartwarming.
Not much action in this book and the paragraphs seemed extremely long, especially in the first half where there wasn’t a much dialogue. There was some subtle humor and relatable moments. While the book didn’t make me want to explore ancient witchcraft, it did cause me to develop a burning desire to learn more about the Reformation.
dark
mysterious
fast-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
This book is kind of a hot mess. All of the action takes place in diaglogue with little suspense. Actions come out of nowhere and family drama seemed tacked on to the story. Never fully developed a connection to any of the characters. Not really suspenseful or even that gross. Some interesting tidbits of witch history. Still I am giving it 3 stars because it is set in Iceland and I like the name Yrsa.
The best part of this book was its unique Icelandic setting, bit even that wasn’t that significant. I acknowledge I may have been swayed by the narrator’s choices in the audiobook, but the dialogue was hard to believe. I would be willing to read another book by the author to see if I like it better.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
While this book flowed along quite comfortably and kept up with many a Nordic noir trope, it also wasn't as dark, fast-paced or tense as some of the stories I've read in this genre, and I was surprised how the main character was very relatable and "normal". The book had a lot of historical detail (which I haven't checked if it's true or not) that was woven into the plot better than some efforts. I do have to say, however, the writing hasn't aged well with fatphobic comments and a very ableist plot twist thrown in without a backward glance so do keep it in mind that it was published before many socio-political movements that have thankfully educated (some of!) us to know and do better.
Move over Dan Brown. Other than the awkward reminders of what a good woman does, Yrsa has you beat.