Reviews

Belladonna – Die Berührung des Todes by Adalyn Grace

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miki514's review against another edition

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dark lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

2.0

dana_abdullah's review against another edition

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3.5

This was a mostly enjoyable read! Although I have to say I was disappointed. I wanted to love it so bad. I was drawn in by the vibe of this book (I love gothic dark fantasy). But it just didn’t hit for me. The first thing that threw me off was the writing. It just fell extremely flat. The prose felt a bit amateurish.

I liked the storyline and the development of the plot I will say, I alwayss enjoy a good murder mystery. But it just wasn’t developed enough. Especially with a murder mystery every single plot point needs to be airtight and it just wasn’t. The darkness and allure of Signa’s abilities were super intriguing but I found it frustrating that she was missing so many obvious things that I as a reader could easily see. Its like she was playing catch up the whole book.

And it really bothered me that Sylas’s character was so obviously shrouded in mystery and she didn’t think to question it for a second. That was bothering me the whole time.

Even the resolution at the end was unsatisfying. The motives didn’t really feel strong enough and kind of felt out of nowhere.

And the romance! It had such potential! I liked their dynamic, but it was wayy too rushed. The passion felt kind of forced.

Also it just didn’t make sense to me how Death was experiencing such human emotions. You didn’t get the sense that he was this ancient old-as-time being. He just felt like a dark broody man with death powers. I wish there was some sort of reasoning like maybe he was turning more human or something and Signa had a role in that. Idk his infatuation with her made absolutely zero sense. How was he “waiting for her all this time”? Was he just spending eternity longing for a companion? If so show us that, give us a glimpse into his mind in years past. Idk there was just so much backstory lacking. It would have made so much more sense to focus on his personality and backstory and then let this romance be a veryy slow burn. So you have time as a reader to understand his character and witness the buildup of tension. Also Signa’s thirst for these men was kind of cringy lol maybe it’s just me but sometimes it felt a bit much and just untimely.

This book just felt like a combination of beautifulll elements that never quite came together properly. Amazing potential terrible execution. It had the bones but no meat. Maybe I just had way too high expectations honestly but alas. It wasn’t for me but I’m still glad I read it.

livia610's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

omg???? this book was so so so well written both plot wise and the actual written language in the book!!!

the twist with percy was CRAZY??? AND THE FACT THAT DEATH AND SYLAS ARE THE SAME PERSON IS AMAZING LIKE I WAS WISHING THAT SHE COULD BE WITH BOTH OF THEM OMG AND NOW SHE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! and i’m so excited to read the second book since julius wakefield just got murdered??????

SO EXCITED!!!!

lauramcsherry's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense 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

4.75

Belladonna

4.75 ⭐️

Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance… it might just be easier to list what genres this book doesn’t fit into!

Signa finds all around her dying as she grows up, until she is finally living at Thorn Grove, where she is determined to keep everyone alive. While her cousin, Blythe, is dying, she is determined to solve her aunt’s murder and who is hurting her cousin. Meanwhile, the ghosts in the house help her solve the mystery as she joins society as an eligible young woman.

I loved this story so much. I started with the audiobook and it was so riveting that I had to pick up the physical copy from @tropesandtrifles to read faster! It was so atmospheric and enthralling. I loved the perfect mashup of all the genres! Definitely requesting the next book now!