Reviews

The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy

nicoles_library's review

2.0

I really wanted to like this as it has so much potential for a magical/cult like horror. A girl goes to a town to found out why her best friend dies and finds out a demon was summoned to kill people? Yes please.

I was hooked to start with and then as soon as Danielle started to meet other characters, it became really slow. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters and it felt that they were very one dimensional and too many introduced at once. They weren’t flushed out.

None of the characters had proper chemistry and most of them didn’t show much panic to what was happening with the town. They just went about on business. I didn’t feel any anticipation for what was going to happen. No stress, or panic, or fear that you would expect to get from a horror novel.

A lot of the horror and plot was told to us rather than shown which wasn’t good. I really wish we spent more time on the horror aspect instead of the found family part. It would have gotten a lot more stars if it had.

The ending was also kinda rushed. I’m not mad, just disappointed.

My favourite part by far was Uliski. He was so cool. A deer with three antlers, breaks ribs, and eats hearts. Awesome. I also liked how other animals were left alive, well kinda. Having them walk around with no guts and massive wounds was good. It gave a really creepy vibe and they were well described. I was very intrigued to find out what was going on as Danielle saw these things and the deer.

Then Uliski killed that dude and everyone Danielle met was like ‘haha, don’t mind that, welcome to Freedom! Clay loved you’ All the mystery was gone then. It got really boring for a book that’s less than 150 pages.

nefariousbee's review

challenging dark reflective tense 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

4.5

short story about freedom and power from an anarchist pov. I don't see what was there not to like, it had the vibes and the idea behind it. I'd like it if some stuff was built upon more but otherwise, perfect

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

valetparkering's review

3.0

A little weirdly paced for me. I know with novellas, we're focusing on the ideas more than any particular plot, but something felt off here. 

I loved the title, and I get and agree with the author's politics, but maybe it just needed more room to make the message weightier. 

othersociologist's review

dark mysterious fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse and Suicide

ponderandwonder's review

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

porkbowl's review

adventurous dark fast-paced

4.0

jesslb429's review

5.0

Margaret Killjoy is amazing. Period. I actually had this book for a while but she guested on the episode that came out today of Behind the Bastards so I dove in. I need to buy the next Danielle Cain! Excellent and hit right to the punk core I have hidden deeply below my future librarian exterior.

bearingwitness's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

ceena's review against another edition

2.0

An interesting concept and story, but I just couldn't get into it for some reason.

selenajournal's review against another edition

5.0

This was brilliant.