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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Cute whimsical mystery and story of a woman and holding onto her power. Really enjoyed this novel and the magical elements woven in.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Atwater is definitely an instant buy for me as her works are well tailored to the characters and stories I adore. This one is no exception. I will say I struggled quite a bit getting into the first half as it seemed to draw out the intro fart too long. Once we started into the labyrinth, the fairy parties and Robert’s fate it became hard to put the book down.
Mr. Quincy was so delightfully refreshing (as her MMCs so very often are). The fairy lore was beautiful and rich and I loved getting mixed up with it. Our protagonist, Winnie, was equally well done, full of justice and independence and I found her powers to be a delight. Cartomancy is so underutilized in fantasy magic in lieu of more fantastical displays.
I only wish the pacing was a bit better to match the gothic atmosphere more to the novels that inspired it. Horror needs to be drawn out and that creeping dread was missing in some moments. Additionally, the nods to her other books felt a little too heavy handed for my taste. Overall a very good read though.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse
3.5 / 5 not my favourite of Atwater’s but I did enjoy it. Didn’t feel the character development was as good as her other work. Liked the creepy vibes and will definitely read the next in the series when it comes out.
Also, I was surprised as it contains some pretty dark themes - more so than her other books.
Also, I was surprised as it contains some pretty dark themes - more so than her other books.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DNF @ 50%.
I loved the darker vibes in this novel but I think I'm just not into this author's works. I rated Half a Soul similarly and it's because they're enjoyable but not memorable. And in this case...it's just taking way too long to get to the plot. As in, the first part of the synopsis of this novel hasn't even happened yet.
Loved the atmosphere but there is only so much setup I want before I want things to get going.
I loved the darker vibes in this novel but I think I'm just not into this author's works. I rated Half a Soul similarly and it's because they're enjoyable but not memorable. And in this case...it's just taking way too long to get to the plot. As in, the first part of the synopsis of this novel hasn't even happened yet.
Loved the atmosphere but there is only so much setup I want before I want things to get going.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated