A review by mollyrook
Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous dark funny lighthearted 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

3.5

I think I would have liked this book more if I didn't have such enormously high standards for Tamsyn Muir after the Locked Tomb series. This book still gets four stars from me because I did like it a lot, and Muir can absolutely always make me laugh, but it isn't a book that's going to stick with me the way, say, Harrow the Ninth does.

My favourite thing in this book was the complicated emotions that Floralinda and Cobweb both feel about Cobweb's imprisonment. It felt, more than anything, like a commentary on an abusive relationship that isn't always abusive and therefore the person kept captive doesn't always want to leave. Even if Floralinda loves Cobweb and doesn't mean to do harm, she does do harm. I didn't love the ending,
because I don't think Cobweb returning to Floralinda should have been viewed as a positive. Sure, Floralinda grew and changed, but she still held Cobweb against her will.
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