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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thought this was a pretty fun read, very much like an Agatha Christie with a sci-fi/ multiverse element
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Damnnnn. That was wild AF. The creativity of this book is 5 stars- the fact that this came from someone’s brain is mind blowing. The actual writing and phrasing of this book was amazing. Some of the similes and lines were so good they were like poetry. The reason I’m going lower, the ending left me flat. Still need to process.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The concept of the main character living throught the same from several different perspectives intrigued me, it is not something I had read before. Aiden (MC) retaining some of the personality of his host each time was also interesting and added to the intrigue.
That said, it dragged on sooo much. This book could have been around 20% shorter and would have lost nothing. The twist in the end was also one its weakest points, and despite being so long, it left me with more questions than answers.
There were a couple of twists that I did enjoy and that were breadcrumbed enough that I saw it coming. The reveal about Daniel Coleridge and Silver-Tear (the Other Plague Doctor) was one. It was nicely done, and I'm not going to lie, Daniel was by far my favourite character. Similarly with Charles Cunningham, I think he was a lot more developed than some others and therefore a lot more interesting.
I hated Anna. She was so annoying throughout the book, but then so was Aidan, so maybe they are worth each other. I feel very lukewarm about the reveal of her having been this infamous murderer and torturer. The fact that the only crime she was punished for was the murder of Aidan's sister is also odd to me - apparently, she had been tormenting the world for years, so why only punish her for this one thing? I also found it quite odd how Aidan immediately forgave her; on the one hand, he had been there for 30 years, but on the other, he did not know that, nor did he feel like it. Immediately after being told what Anna had done, he remembered his sister and felt grief, and yet moments later, he was fine. Perhaps he is a better person that I would ever be, but that just does not track. Or maybe I just dislike Anna so much that I wish she had been left where she was.
Another point regarding Anna that I could not quite reconcile was the way Aidan immediately started dehumanising the real Evelyn, especially when Anna was right next to him. I can't necessarily say that it is unrealistic, given he viewed Anna as a friend, but he was willing to defend a torturer and murderer, who was by all accounts hated by the world, but he was unwilling to give any grace to this woman who clearly had some mental health issues. In fact, Aidan has a few of these moments, where he dehumanises someone he does not like - Ravencourt was one, Darby as well. I think characters can be written as awful people without resorting to dehumanisation.
Aidan as a character was underdeveloped. Despite being the main character, his personality gets so conflated with all of his hosts that in the end, he is left with none at all, but perhaps that was the point, as by the end of the book, he completely chucks out Aidan Bishop, the only actually interesting thing about himself, and decides he wants no memories to be left. That, too, felt like a Choice and left the ending very open indeed. I have a few questions - which memories would be taken away? If all of them, how are Anna and Aidan going to survive in the outside world? If only the ones from Blackheath, who is to say Anna will not go back to her normal self? I find I rather agree with whoever it was that imprisoned her.
Lastly, the explanation - or rather non-explanation - of the whole being trapped in Blackheath felt very lacking. Are these people that are making these decisions? Given the Plague Doctor revealed himself as a man, it seems like it. How does any of it work? Is the world outside of Blackheath on the same timeline? Is it the same year or far in the future? Is it magic or future tech?
That said, it dragged on sooo much. This book could have been around 20% shorter and would have lost nothing. The twist in the end was also one its weakest points, and despite being so long, it left me with more questions than answers.
There were a couple of twists that I did enjoy and that were breadcrumbed enough that I saw it coming. The reveal about Daniel Coleridge and Silver-Tear (the Other Plague Doctor) was one. It was nicely done, and I'm not going to lie, Daniel was by far my favourite character. Similarly with Charles Cunningham, I think he was a lot more developed than some others and therefore a lot more interesting.
I hated Anna. She was so annoying throughout the book, but then so was Aidan, so maybe they are worth each other. I feel very lukewarm about the reveal of her having been this infamous murderer and torturer. The fact that the only crime she was punished for was the murder of Aidan's sister is also odd to me - apparently, she had been tormenting the world for years, so why only punish her for this one thing? I also found it quite odd how Aidan immediately forgave her; on the one hand, he had been there for 30 years, but on the other, he did not know that, nor did he feel like it. Immediately after being told what Anna had done, he remembered his sister and felt grief, and yet moments later, he was fine. Perhaps he is a better person that I would ever be, but that just does not track. Or maybe I just dislike Anna so much that I wish she had been left where she was.
Another point regarding Anna that I could not quite reconcile was the way Aidan immediately started dehumanising the real Evelyn, especially when Anna was right next to him. I can't necessarily say that it is unrealistic, given he viewed Anna as a friend, but he was willing to defend a torturer and murderer, who was by all accounts hated by the world, but he was unwilling to give any grace to this woman who clearly had some mental health issues. In fact, Aidan has a few of these moments, where he dehumanises someone he does not like - Ravencourt was one, Darby as well. I think characters can be written as awful people without resorting to dehumanisation.
Aidan as a character was underdeveloped. Despite being the main character, his personality gets so conflated with all of his hosts that in the end, he is left with none at all, but perhaps that was the point, as by the end of the book, he completely chucks out Aidan Bishop, the only actually interesting thing about himself, and decides he wants no memories to be left. That, too, felt like a Choice and left the ending very open indeed. I have a few questions - which memories would be taken away? If all of them, how are Anna and Aidan going to survive in the outside world? If only the ones from Blackheath, who is to say Anna will not go back to her normal self? I find I rather agree with whoever it was that imprisoned her.
Lastly, the explanation - or rather non-explanation - of the whole being trapped in Blackheath felt very lacking. Are these people that are making these decisions? Given the Plague Doctor revealed himself as a man, it seems like it. How does any of it work? Is the world outside of Blackheath on the same timeline? Is it the same year or far in the future? Is it magic or future tech?
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Super interesting concept! I loved how each pov brought new insights and perspectives into the process of solving the murder mystery! I disliked the explanation for the magical time loop, and the reason it existed in the first place. I think it would have been more impactful if the main character had some kind of connection to the house/the people affected by the murder/murders. Anna's backstory ruined her character for me.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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