Reviews

This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron

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missjeann's review

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adventurous hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

eileenononono's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

okevamae's review against another edition

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4.0

This Wicked Fate is the sequel to This Poison Heart, which I really enjoyed last year. The author does a really good job of recapping the important bits of the previous book right off the bat and bringing the reader back up to speed in a way that isn’t too clunky – hard to do when the book picks up in medias res. I appreciate the recap, as I often have trouble remembering plot details from previous books when it’s been a while since I read them.

This book, like the previous one, is beautifully written and well plotted. However, I’m still not really connecting with the romance between Marie and Bri. I think it’s partly because, like I mentioned in my previous review, their relationship was insta-love-y and not well developed, but I’m also not a huge fan of the “centuries-old person who forever looks like a teenager falls in love with actual underage teen” trope. The whole thing feels forced and inconsequential, like the author wanted to include a romance in the book (because it's a YA novel and a romance subplot is basically required) but wasn’t sure how to properly integrate it into the story in a way that felt organic. The familial love, on the other hand, is really strong and palpable, especially between Bri and her moms, and between the two moms themselves. The relationship between Bri and Circe also has a chance to take root, and with that newfound relationship to her blood family, Bri’s powers thrive.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that while I didn't like it as much as the first one, I was satisfied with the conclusion.

Representation: Lesbian and bi/pan characters (including main characters), Black main character, most characters are black or other POC

I received an advance copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

kaitlynisliterate's review against another edition

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2.0

I have never seen a more passive main character who basically spends 75% of the story being told what’s going on, watching other people do things, and following along.