jess_lovesreading's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
decoachwife's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emmafluff15's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jen_pell's review
4.0
Pros: an overall interesting whodunit type story, complex/layered characters, exquisitely described scenery, multiple twists, good resolution.
Cons: Chaotic time-hopping, too many characters and narrators, very heavy on Welsh phrases and names that I found borderline incomprehensible.
As someone who knows very little about the Welsh native tongue, I found the heavy use of it to be a bit of an obstacle in the flow of this story. I couldn’t even pronounce most of the words in my head, much less understand what they meant. The author did at least weave the pronunciation of the town where the story was set (Cvm Coed = Coom Coyed) into the story in a natural way, but leaves the reader hanging on virtually everything else. This may sound petty or ethnocentric, but it’s something to be aware of since it does affect the flow of the story and some of the interactions between characters.
I enjoyed the two detectives and hope to read more of their story when Book 2 is released next year.
Cons: Chaotic time-hopping, too many characters and narrators, very heavy on Welsh phrases and names that I found borderline incomprehensible.
As someone who knows very little about the Welsh native tongue, I found the heavy use of it to be a bit of an obstacle in the flow of this story. I couldn’t even pronounce most of the words in my head, much less understand what they meant. The author did at least weave the pronunciation of the town where the story was set (Cvm Coed = Coom Coyed) into the story in a natural way, but leaves the reader hanging on virtually everything else. This may sound petty or ethnocentric, but it’s something to be aware of since it does affect the flow of the story and some of the interactions between characters.
I enjoyed the two detectives and hope to read more of their story when Book 2 is released next year.
percyflies's review
Wasn’t bad, I could’ve read it another time but at the moment I have a lot to read so didn’t feel like forcing myself to get through this. Was a really slow start and so many characters that I felt like I couldn’t keep track of who was who. I liked the main characters, but just wasn’t grabbed and found myself kind of confused.
sara_gustaf's review
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
Starts out strong, the whole time you are waiting to find out what happened. I did not enjoy the English slang, just a preference. Kind of had trouble keeping track of all the characters with the timeline going back and forth as well.
thoroughlymodernmolly's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0