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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
Love, witchcraft, and adventure off the coast of Italy both now and in 1820. Impeccable summer reading vibes.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
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
This book started off so strong, and ended up meh. The past storyline was far more compelling than the present one. I suggest reading the past chapters and skipping the present.
The entire present storyline was cliche after cliche, stereotype on stereotype. And the mystery didn’t amount to much. Enzo is meh, Conrad is meh, what is Mal even there for?
The theme of the past, “sacrifice is cool,” is nowhere in the present. The theme of the present “love is better than money and rubies” is juvenile.
Please go back in time and make Conrad a real baddie, give Enzo some flaws, up the stakes significantly, and let Enzo’s mom be a reasonable, rational human. Then this book would be at the top of my list. Alas.
The entire present storyline was cliche after cliche, stereotype on stereotype. And the mystery didn’t amount to much. Enzo is meh, Conrad is meh, what is Mal even there for?
The theme of the past, “sacrifice is cool,” is nowhere in the present. The theme of the present “love is better than money and rubies” is juvenile.
Please go back in time and make Conrad a real baddie, give Enzo some flaws, up the stakes significantly, and let Enzo’s mom be a reasonable, rational human. Then this book would be at the top of my list. Alas.
Another successful Dual Timeline-Multi-POV historical fiction from Sarah Penner. This one weaves a little fantasy into the historical fiction mix, which in my opinion, was a pleasant twist, but wasn't overdone to the point that it felt like a fantasy novel. The ending, which has a satisfying twist for Conrad (poop-throne king he is) was a little bit of a let down. I'd hoped we'd see what her father found, seen what she did it with, Enzo's reaction to it? I do enjoy this, it was fun and had me on the edge of my seat through the last 1/3rd as the life and death stakes really rose up and grabbed you.
I'll also say that the Modern Day timeline in this one is stronger than the one written for The Lost Apothecary. It was good.
I'll also say that the Modern Day timeline in this one is stronger than the one written for The Lost Apothecary. It was good.
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-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:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes