Reviews

The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal by Jodi Taylor

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wilmaknickersfit's review against another edition

3.0

It was OK, better than expected. Smallhope sounds more like Max in this story and Pennyroyal sounds like Matthew. So many similarities to the the St Mary's series. Not impressed with bits of the plot as it goes off track about ⅔ in, but it finishes well.

greeniepunk's review

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

hannahreanie's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

glennau's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

discoverypaper's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Overall I enjoyed this and finished it in a few days. Upon reflection, I did have quite a few complaints about it. I'll just spoiler the rest in case.

The stakes were never high and the book had more telling rather than showing exposition than I normally like. Additionally, most conflicts resolved themselves within the same chapter they arose, or the one immediately following. Though I can see how this might be a "pro" for someone seeking a cozy story.

I found myself a bit conflicted by the end. Was it good story and did I enjoy it? Mostly yes, but the middle of the book was too much of a tropey "and then this happened, and then this happened, etc" and I think that's dragging my rating down. Also I wish the romance at the end wasn't so abruptly cut short. Although interesting as it's told from Pennyroyal's perspective, it felt incredibly rushed.