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A review by caitibeth
Mother of Souls by Heather Rose Jones
4.0
Widow Luzie Valorin is a music teacher, and secretly a composer (though she's never performed her works publicly, and the famous composer she showed them to damned them with faint praise). She takes in boarders to make ends meet. And one day, one of those boarders is Serafina Talarico, a visitor from Rome. What shape will their association take, and how will it affect Alpennia?
This one wasn't quiiiiiite as good as the first two in the series. The music+magic plot was good, though irritatingly vague at times, but I didn't buy the central romance and it was frustrating. Also the direction Antunient's story took in this book was very strained; it needed more time and attention to be believable for me.
I think overall the impression I took away was that too many story threads had been accumulated over the three books to be woven together evenly, so the result was a bit clumsy and rushed, and many of the threads suffered a bit for it.
I did still enjoy the novel, though, despite the disappointment of the central romance! All my old favorite characters are back, and the worldbuilding and magic system remains fun. :) Hopefully the next book returns to previous heights.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This one wasn't quiiiiiite as good as the first two in the series. The music+magic plot was good, though irritatingly vague at times, but I didn't buy the central romance and it was frustrating. Also the direction Antunient's story took in this book was very strained; it needed more time and attention to be believable for me.
I think overall the impression I took away was that too many story threads had been accumulated over the three books to be woven together evenly, so the result was a bit clumsy and rushed, and many of the threads suffered a bit for it.
I did still enjoy the novel, though, despite the disappointment of the central romance! All my old favorite characters are back, and the worldbuilding and magic system remains fun. :) Hopefully the next book returns to previous heights.
3.5 stars, rounded up.