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darkstarsbookcavern's review against another edition
3.0
This book came in the January Illumicrate Murder Mystery themed box. I hadn’t heard of it before then and a secluded murder mystery seemed right up my alley. This is a beautiful looking edition, the artwork is amazing and I love that there is not just one but two maps included! The writing is good and deep but only in parts, for the most of the book the writing is clearly YA and for a book marketed as an Adult murder mystery queer fantasy, it just doesn’t hit that line.
The writing was really good in the first third of the book and it had me completely gripped, I was convinced that this would be a 4 or even a 5 star read. Unfortunately, it didn’t keep that momentum, even being in places juvenile. The main character of Dee is supposed to be 22 years old, all the characters range in age but they all speak, act and think like young teenagers, where the word ‘fart’ and ‘bottom’ is hilariously funny. And one thing that annoyed me is that the character of Dee is bi, but I don’t think that that demographic is represented in the best way. Basically, every blessed he encounters, his first thought is that he wants to have sex with them and could be falling for them. Every. Single. One. Bar the character of Grasshopper who is supposed to be six years old. but is written like a toddler, she doesn’t speak properly, has toddler mannerisms, but we’re supposed to believe that this girl is six.
Spoilers!
And a really big gripe is that Dee figures NOTHING out! There’s Blessed being murdered all around him and he’s too busy moping about to do any real, thorough investigating. All the clues he is given he does nothing with and the murderer ends up just revealing it all to him in a great big exposition dump, not once, but twice in as many pages! The ending is so rushed I practically got whiplash.
Too many characters died for there to be any real stakes, I mean I get the plot for why but because it wasn’t a main focus for Dee (and his is the only perspective we have) then it didn’t seem to matter that much. There was a lot of ‘no great loss’.
Preferred the characters of Eska, Tendai and Nergui and Shinjiro – their respective backstories were much more intriguing. More detailed review here: https://youtu.be/wbzvDwoQ_MA
The writing was really good in the first third of the book and it had me completely gripped, I was convinced that this would be a 4 or even a 5 star read. Unfortunately, it didn’t keep that momentum, even being in places juvenile. The main character of Dee is supposed to be 22 years old, all the characters range in age but they all speak, act and think like young teenagers, where the word ‘fart’ and ‘bottom’ is hilariously funny. And one thing that annoyed me is that the character of Dee is bi, but I don’t think that that demographic is represented in the best way. Basically, every blessed he encounters, his first thought is that he wants to have sex with them and could be falling for them. Every. Single. One. Bar the character of Grasshopper who is supposed to be six years old. but is written like a toddler, she doesn’t speak properly, has toddler mannerisms, but we’re supposed to believe that this girl is six.
Spoilers!
Spoiler
Around the one third mark of the book it turns from what could have been a gripping edge of your seat murder mystery into some emo bullshit moping around romance. The murders happen way to often and are more like background events to Dee’s emotional moping about. The romance was well written between Dee and Ravi when they were younger and the building romance with Wyatt, but the sex really didn’t need to be there. I think the only reason it was included was to push the book from YA to Adult marketing. It was so jarring and unnecessary. And speaking of the romance, the fact that Ravi was Wyatt the whole time and Dee never reacts to this dumping of information, especially given all the time they had spent together and Dee falling in love not just with Wyatt’s personality but with his looks??? That betrayal never registers. And the fact that most of the book this romance between Dee and Wyatt is building slowly, I was invested and then in the space of one conversation all that is flung to the side and means nothing, it’s like using the ‘it was all a dream’ trope at the end.And a really big gripe is that Dee figures NOTHING out! There’s Blessed being murdered all around him and he’s too busy moping about to do any real, thorough investigating. All the clues he is given he does nothing with and the murderer ends up just revealing it all to him in a great big exposition dump, not once, but twice in as many pages! The ending is so rushed I practically got whiplash.
Too many characters died for there to be any real stakes, I mean I get the plot for why but because it wasn’t a main focus for Dee (and his is the only perspective we have) then it didn’t seem to matter that much. There was a lot of ‘no great loss’.
Preferred the characters of Eska, Tendai and Nergui and Shinjiro – their respective backstories were much more intriguing. More detailed review here: https://youtu.be/wbzvDwoQ_MA
arwery's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to devour more and more pages as the story progressed . I loved the twist and turns but honestly should have figured some of it out before the reveal. However, I was reading too fast to care! Definitely a contender for my personal favorite book of this year.
katieanne4's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
This was fantastic. World building ON POINT. creative, immersive, fresh, and internally cohesive. Not bogged down, the plot moves along as we get to know the world and the characters.
Loved Dee, a lot. The rest of the cast were interesting, wouldn't say I loved them. The narrator of the audiobook did a different accent and voice for each of the 12 characters so that's a feat. And his delivery for some of Dee's lines was beyond perfect. I liked grasshopper and Wyatt best.
At the end it did seem like the revelations were coming fast and furious and it almost got ridiculous, but I was too hooked to care. And I did pick it up because "gay magical Agatha Christie" and it was certainly no more ridiculous than her plots.
That said. On reflection I have knocked this down to 4.5 because while I did love it... The end was not 100% satisfying. I won't say more to avoid spoilers but it just felt like there was some reaching there, and I didn't feel satisfied with the resolution for Concordia.
Still, I loved it, and 4.5 feels like the right rating overall. It wasn't a rock solid ending but it wasn't a stumble, just kind of a wobble.
Loved Dee, a lot. The rest of the cast were interesting, wouldn't say I loved them. The narrator of the audiobook did a different accent and voice for each of the 12 characters so that's a feat. And his delivery for some of Dee's lines was beyond perfect. I liked grasshopper and Wyatt best.
At the end it did seem like the revelations were coming fast and furious and it almost got ridiculous, but I was too hooked to care. And I did pick it up because "gay magical Agatha Christie" and it was certainly no more ridiculous than her plots.
That said. On reflection I have knocked this down to 4.5 because while I did love it... The end was not 100% satisfying. I won't say more to avoid spoilers but it just felt like there was some reaching there, and I didn't feel satisfied with the resolution for Concordia.
Still, I loved it, and 4.5 feels like the right rating overall. It wasn't a rock solid ending but it wasn't a stumble, just kind of a wobble.
charleypie2912's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
5.0
dramaticdoodler's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
ghostcalls's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book & found it very entertaining, however I’d have to say it should definitely be considered New Adult. The MC is immature with his dialogue (and maybe his personality altogether?) but I found this understandable for a 22 year old boy who pretty much grew up in isolation.
The first half of the book felt like a game of Clue and I loved that. (The characters even had their own colors associated with them, which I found amusing.) For anyone interested in reading this, my main takeaway would be that this feels like a murder mystery first, fantasy second. Does magic play a key role? Yes, but I feel like the fantasy & magical elements take the backseat in this book—which I don’t mind at all. I’m more of a mystery/triller reader to begin with.
With that being said, I think this is an excellent book for someone who needs an introduction into fantasy. The world & magic system isn’t complex, which is sure to be a pro for some and a con for others.
I can’t find a place to begin with the representation in this book. The relationship some characters have with their ethnicity felt very special to me—in a world where they aren’t legally allowed to practice their own ancient languages or spiritual beliefs and still their words are spoken in whispers from parent to child through generations—it was beautiful to say the least. Like this example, I feel that the author carries the responsibility of the representation in their book with grace.
The first half of the book felt like a game of Clue and I loved that. (The characters even had their own colors associated with them, which I found amusing.) For anyone interested in reading this, my main takeaway would be that this feels like a murder mystery first, fantasy second. Does magic play a key role? Yes, but I feel like the fantasy & magical elements take the backseat in this book—which I don’t mind at all. I’m more of a mystery/triller reader to begin with.
With that being said, I think this is an excellent book for someone who needs an introduction into fantasy. The world & magic system isn’t complex, which is sure to be a pro for some and a con for others.
I can’t find a place to begin with the representation in this book. The relationship some characters have with their ethnicity felt very special to me—in a world where they aren’t legally allowed to practice their own ancient languages or spiritual beliefs and still their words are spoken in whispers from parent to child through generations—it was beautiful to say the least. Like this example, I feel that the author carries the responsibility of the representation in their book with grace.
hazybee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
literaryluxe's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a fun read.
While this book did try a little to hard to be funny in some instances - there were plenty of times where the dead-pan humor worked really well!
Dee is a very memorable character and that is rare for me. A book is only a favorite of mine if the characters are memorable. That to me means that the development was spot on enough to resonate with me in some way. Grasshopper was also one of my faves!
As for the story line, I saw one or two of the twists coming and a couple that I didn't. It is a murder mystery read, so I'd say it's perfect for a weekend getaway or traveling as I found it to be quite engaging.
The world building is very hefty! So the maps and guides in the beginning are extremely important. Without giving to much away, it is a very fast paced book so you get introduced to a lot of characters quickly...That said, some are more flushed out than others, but all equally important. You also get some backstory for some side pieces lol
This is a highlight read and will be one of my faves of the year! The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the wishy wash romance - The premise of an open relationship could have work here but there wasn't much discussion of it. Just a hookup between some characters and then back to square one which sucked.
Other than that, I'd recommend giving it a shot!
While this book did try a little to hard to be funny in some instances - there were plenty of times where the dead-pan humor worked really well!
Dee is a very memorable character and that is rare for me. A book is only a favorite of mine if the characters are memorable. That to me means that the development was spot on enough to resonate with me in some way. Grasshopper was also one of my faves!
As for the story line, I saw one or two of the twists coming and a couple that I didn't. It is a murder mystery read, so I'd say it's perfect for a weekend getaway or traveling as I found it to be quite engaging.
The world building is very hefty! So the maps and guides in the beginning are extremely important. Without giving to much away, it is a very fast paced book so you get introduced to a lot of characters quickly...That said, some are more flushed out than others, but all equally important. You also get some backstory for some side pieces lol
This is a highlight read and will be one of my faves of the year! The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the wishy wash romance - The premise of an open relationship could have work here but there wasn't much discussion of it. Just a hookup between some characters and then back to square one which sucked.
Other than that, I'd recommend giving it a shot!
colleenbuchanan's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0