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lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for a review copy!
tl;dr
Strikes a perfect 50/50 balance between steamy romance and fantasy adventure. World building can be confusing, especially on the front end.
About
The undead wander the wilderness, but marshals like Hart patrol the border to take them down. Undertakers like Mercy prepare the bodies of the deceased so they can't be turned again. They should be a perfect pair, but there's been mutual hatred since they first laid eyes on each other. The only find comfort in their anonymous pen pals, unaware that they are baring their souls to each other.
Thoughts
What a great read! This book's a little longer than one might expect, but I finished it in a day anyway. Strong opener for an enemies-to-lovers romance, with some all the sniping and banter that one would hope for, and a wonderful supporting cast of complex characters, all with their own lives and dreams. Mercy's family is messy, in a deeply relatable way. Love and resentment all simmer in the same space as they try to navigate around each other and their own hopes, and I found myself equally frustrated by and cheering for them to make it out together. The letter writing portions very touching, and I found myself anticipating each one with the same eagerness as the characters. The hate switched to romance a little earlier than expected, but this is largely to facilitate the rest of the book's plot, which focuses on the zombie outbreak outside the city. It can be very disappointing to see an interesting plot thread resolve itself off screen to make more room for the romance, so I was pleased to see this story taken to its conclusion. This was probably the portion of the book that was initially harder for me to follow, however. There's a lot of world building going on in here, including several sets of deities, and quite a bit of history. Once you manage to catch up with that, the final plot makes a good deal of sense, and the reveal at the end clicks into place quite neatly. Anyone looking for an engrossing enemies-to-lovers tale with some steamy scenes, paired against a fun fantasy zombie world should find this book very satisfying.
tl;dr
Strikes a perfect 50/50 balance between steamy romance and fantasy adventure. World building can be confusing, especially on the front end.
About
The undead wander the wilderness, but marshals like Hart patrol the border to take them down. Undertakers like Mercy prepare the bodies of the deceased so they can't be turned again. They should be a perfect pair, but there's been mutual hatred since they first laid eyes on each other. The only find comfort in their anonymous pen pals, unaware that they are baring their souls to each other.
Thoughts
What a great read! This book's a little longer than one might expect, but I finished it in a day anyway. Strong opener for an enemies-to-lovers romance, with some all the sniping and banter that one would hope for, and a wonderful supporting cast of complex characters, all with their own lives and dreams. Mercy's family is messy, in a deeply relatable way. Love and resentment all simmer in the same space as they try to navigate around each other and their own hopes, and I found myself equally frustrated by and cheering for them to make it out together. The letter writing portions very touching, and I found myself anticipating each one with the same eagerness as the characters. The hate switched to romance a little earlier than expected, but this is largely to facilitate the rest of the book's plot, which focuses on the zombie outbreak outside the city. It can be very disappointing to see an interesting plot thread resolve itself off screen to make more room for the romance, so I was pleased to see this story taken to its conclusion. This was probably the portion of the book that was initially harder for me to follow, however. There's a lot of world building going on in here, including several sets of deities, and quite a bit of history. Once you manage to catch up with that, the final plot makes a good deal of sense, and the reveal at the end clicks into place quite neatly. Anyone looking for an engrossing enemies-to-lovers tale with some steamy scenes, paired against a fun fantasy zombie world should find this book very satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Animal death
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