A review by kimberfw
House of Bane and Blood by Alexis L. Menard

4.0

The characters really overtook the plot, which is necessarily a bad thing. The relationship and character-building were the best part of the book. Some of the plotlines didn't feel fully flushed or just didn't really come full circle. None of the plots came into play until the end, and even then the connection was weak. It's like she wasn't that sure where she wanted the story to go when she started it. Even things like Milla's food sensitivity being such a heavy point of conversation at the beginning... like why?  

I do feel like some of the world & magic system could have been better explained. The vibes of the world were great, but I also think watching Peaky Blinders is a prerequisite to fully understanding the picture she is trying to paint. If you haven't seen that show, you probably won't catch the vision as well. 

I really liked Milla. She was strong, but still had personality and quirk. I could not understand her role in the company though.

She was the boss and managed the company, but held no respect from her family. Also, she just left all of her responsibilities to the company when she got married. I also don't understand why Aramis wasn't the heir. Milla not having autonomy from the start didn't make sense. There was a disconnect for me.

I hated the ending. It made me not want to read the second book. In fact, I don't think there needed to be a second book. The way this ended is kind of giving me divine rivals—  the first book could have been good enough to stand on its own (and I think the second will ruin it). 

Final verdict: 4 stars. Great vibes, strong characters, fun dialogue, a messy plot, and a left-field ending.