Reviews with content warning for Murder - A Lesson in Vengeance

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

235 reviews

sammy357's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

I've never read dark academia before and I really only started the book because I thought the premise was interesting and wanted to read more sapphic books, so maybe I wasn't the intended audience.
I thought their would be magic, witches, and ghosts in the book and that's what I was most excited for. That and the mystery of the Dalloway Five.

But unfortunately there wasn't actually any magic involved.

I wasn't really invested in the romance or the characters. Honestly from the beginning Ellis gave off bad vibes. When I read that she was a "method writer" I knew she would be a walking red flag. I mean have you ever heard of a method actor that didn't take it too far?
Overall the book was okay. I liked the beginning because of the hints of magic and a haunting, wasn't really invested in the rest of the book, and liked the last couple chapters

with the murder and Felicity trying not to get framed.

Wouldn't read again but I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it.

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decie's review against another edition

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3.5

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ursa_arlo's review against another edition

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dark 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

5.0

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sayhar13's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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jcurry447's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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persephonefoxx's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

“The question isn't whether magic is real. It's whether I can touch it without being consumed by it.”

There is a certain irony that a book that criticises characters for pursuing witchcraft in a shallow and aesthetic way finds itself more focused on aesthetics than a plot. This is a story that values witchy and dark academia vibes first and plot second.

When I say that I didn’t know where this book was going, it is not in the usual way you’d expect from a tale marketed as a thriller. It was because for 75% of this story, it didn’t really go anywhere. The bulk of this book involves Felicity experiencing her slowing building flirtation, struggling with mental illness, and ignoring a sea of red flags amidst a list of dark academia brand backdrops.

The real substance in this book hides in the final quarter. It is here that the events I expected 100 pages ago started firing off in quick succession. The last 15% is a whirlwind and a victim of pacing issues due to the sheer amount of plot existing within.

Overall, this is a book with a strong start and an okay ending (although I am conflicted about the epilogue and if it even has a place in the story). But it got severely lost along the way. As a literary tale of grief and female anger and its relationship to witchcraft both past and present, it is a fully fledged entity with pacing issues. As a thriller, it misses the mark. It is not a bad book, it’s just not a memorable one.

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