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palmkd's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The concept and general framework for the story was so promising. Compared to Caraval and Hotel Magnifique, I was expecting whimsical wonder, some dark twists and interesting magic. There was definitely hints of that but unfortunately it did not deliver for me.
The murder mystery and magical inheritance game in a massive estate was a fun setting. There were many different points of view but the two main characters were easily Mullory Prudence and Lyric Stoutmire. When Xavier Stoutmire is found dead, it sets into motion a game to determine who will inherit both his magic and estate.
Mullory was warned to "run if the strange finds you" but when she's out of options and money, she decides to risk it and play this game to change her fate. An outsider who didn't even know magic existed before she got her invitation, she finds herself in competition with several others, mainly Stoutmires, for the chance of winning the massive inheritance.
The magic in this world passes down between family members, but each parent can only pass their magic down to one child. As the third child in the family, the family expected Lyric to inherit from Xavier who had no children of his own. No one, especially Lyric, was expecting there to be a challenge for Xavier's magic.
I felt the story read like a very young YA. Emotions are high and everything is a bit of a crisis. The audiobook added an extra layer of melodrama which for me only took away from the story, so I do wish I had read the text for this one instead of listened.
I feel with more editing and workshopping this story could have been amazing, but it was not a great fit for me unfortunately.
The murder mystery and magical inheritance game in a massive estate was a fun setting. There were many different points of view but the two main characters were easily Mullory Prudence and Lyric Stoutmire. When Xavier Stoutmire is found dead, it sets into motion a game to determine who will inherit both his magic and estate.
Mullory was warned to "run if the strange finds you" but when she's out of options and money, she decides to risk it and play this game to change her fate. An outsider who didn't even know magic existed before she got her invitation, she finds herself in competition with several others, mainly Stoutmires, for the chance of winning the massive inheritance.
The magic in this world passes down between family members, but each parent can only pass their magic down to one child. As the third child in the family, the family expected Lyric to inherit from Xavier who had no children of his own. No one, especially Lyric, was expecting there to be a challenge for Xavier's magic.
I felt the story read like a very young YA. Emotions are high and everything is a bit of a crisis. The audiobook added an extra layer of melodrama which for me only took away from the story, so I do wish I had read the text for this one instead of listened.
I feel with more editing and workshopping this story could have been amazing, but it was not a great fit for me unfortunately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
asims723's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"What does Death fear most?"
Mystery Royale was a fun game of magical Clue where fate vs. free will is the timeless true question at play. This read like Inheritance Games but with a deadly fantasy twist and a more sure romance. Mullory is forced into an Inheritance gauntlet against a family full of secrets with rules she doesn't quite understand. She is one of the brightest young heroines I've read this year, using her logic and math skills to carry herself through despite her otherwise disadvantages. Lyric, the bitter heir-apparent, was another complex character walking the line between wanting to be both hero and villain in his own story.
I enjoyed the mystery, the characters, and the overall story. If anything, I wanted more. I am not entirely clear on the ending, but I grasp enough to be content.
I read both the ebook and audiobook. The audiobook has dual narrators for the four POVs, and both narrators did an excellent job of ensuring that I was never confused about whose chapter I was listening to.
Thanks to NetGalley, Disney Hyperion, and Hyperion audio for this ARC to review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Murder
coffeeaddicted1988's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
The game that is the Mystery Royale was quite good. The clues were interesting. The events were glitzy enough to be distracting us from the clues and the end goal: find Xavier Stoutmire’s killer and inherit his fortune and magic.
The blurb, comparing this book to Inheritance Games, was spot on! Puzzles, mystery, games, simply add a dash of magic.
My negatives:
The multiple POVs threw me off in the beginning, it was confusing. Plus all the names were uncommon, so took me a minute to remember of who’s who.
I disliked ALL the main characters until the 30% mark. I kept reading because the plot was good. I usually wouldn’t keep reading when I don’t care for the characters.
Mullory starts off as weak (fainting and fearful), Ellison is haughty and disgusted of everything and Lyric is angry at everything. Once we understand more details about the family and the plot, we realize why they act and think the way they do.
Of course this had to have a cliffhanger. How many years before we know if there will be a book 2?
The game that is the Mystery Royale was quite good. The clues were interesting. The events were glitzy enough to be distracting us from the clues and the end goal: find Xavier Stoutmire’s killer and inherit his fortune and magic.
The blurb, comparing this book to Inheritance Games, was spot on! Puzzles, mystery, games, simply add a dash of magic.
My negatives:
The multiple POVs threw me off in the beginning, it was confusing. Plus all the names were uncommon, so took me a minute to remember of who’s who.
I disliked ALL the main characters until the 30% mark. I kept reading because the plot was good. I usually wouldn’t keep reading when I don’t care for the characters.
Mullory starts off as weak (fainting and fearful), Ellison is haughty and disgusted of everything and Lyric is angry at everything. Once we understand more details about the family and the plot, we realize why they act and think the way they do.
Of course this had to have a cliffhanger. How many years before we know if there will be a book 2?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Vomit and Abandonment