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rasha_reads 's review for:
House of Blight
by Maxym M. Martineau
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was very surprised by "House of Blight" as a choice for my Sci-Fi & Fantasy book club since this was not one of the best books I have read in the romantasy genre and probably not one to inspire members to read more of the same. IMHO, I found it slightly reminiscent of "An Enchantment of Ravens" and "The Cruel Prince" (things like the ruling fae - in this case "Evers" -as a ruling class with the use of glamour and the inability to tell lies / their words carrying magical weight). However, it did still have a few things going for it.
The writing wasn't bad (though there were a few phrases that kept repeating) and I found the story to be engaging, if a bit slow to start. There was a sense of mystery that stretched throughout the book that kept a steady sense of anticipation going - it kept me reading and wanting to unravel the mysteries behind the Evers and the blight. I also really liked the characters, good and bad, which made for some interesting dynamics that heightened the overall mystery of the Fernglove family.
However, I dropped my rating slightly partly due to the incompleteness of the world building. I kind of liked the magic system, even though it was somewhat familiar (again, see "An Enchantment of Ravens" and "The Cruel Prince"), but the use of such familiar everyday items in a different world (coffee? Really?) was somewhat jarring.
As to the plot, the story development and plot twist will be familiar to anyone who has read "Direbound" (which I really loved). To be fair, maybe I have read one too many romantasy books lately but I saw the twist coming as soon as the love/attraction triangle was introduced. As to the romance and the spice, I found the content to be tame compared to others and rate it with 🌶️. There is also some violence and bloodshed 🩸 as well as some bullying and toxic behaviours but nothing overtly triggering (unless you are a sensitive reader).
There were other parts, like the ending, which did take me partially by surprise and the fact that there was a cliffhanger for a second book left me feeling kind of frustrated (I've lost count of how many incomplete series stories I am tracking in my head right now). This can be partially chalked up to the demand for this genre; it has grown so much and now a variety of authors have come out of the woodwork to take advantage of demand with stories spanning multiple books to feed the public's craving (not necessarily a terrible thing if people enjoy the results but it has affected quality).
On the plus side, this book was quite short (less than 400 pages) which made it an easy read. I did wonder, given another 150 pages or so, if the whole story could have been told in one book? Unfortunately since I cannot peer into the author's (or publisher's) brain, it is a question I cannot answer. I am curious as to what the author has planned for the next book though I think this story doesn't have enough steam to go beyond a duology: Time and the literary gods will tell.
However many volumes the series ends up being, due in part to my inability to leave a story unfinished, this first instalment has left me anticipating the next book which I will read when it is released.
4 stars 🤓📚
#HouseofBlight @MacyMMckay
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#fiction #romance #romantasy
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence