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A review by noctuarie
A Pale Box on the Distant Shore by P.J. Nwosu
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op and NetGalley for the ARC.
"What's dead is dead and all shall die... and live again."
I adore dark fantasies, and the description along with the beautiful cover drew me to this book. I really hoped this book could deliver on its promises of a bloody mystery in a magical setting, and it blew away my expectations! I read it in less than a day.
PJ Nwosu paints a tragically dark fantasy world, and her talented writing brings it to life. The setting felt so real, from climbing dead giant bones to searching plague-ridden streets for clues to a murderer. Some scenes made my skin crawl, and it was the perfect amount of creepiness.
Following Honnan as he tried to piece together the mystery, especially as others doubted him, was riveting to read. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see who would succumb to the black lung, a deadly disease spreading through the city, and who might be the next victim of the mysterious killer.
There are kingdom politics (and I always love that in fantasy) which really enrich the world. Honnan's story is tied up relatively neatly at the end, but there are still enough loose ends about the world to make me excited for the next book. The fantasy world that PJ Nwosu built was one of the best I've read in a while, and I can't wait to see more of Death City.
While I loved Honnan and his grandnannie- she's my favorite character, I loved her wizened old vibes- I did struggle to connect with the rest of the cast a bit. It made certain scenes less impactful because I don't think I got as attached to those characters as I should've, which is the only reason I can't give it five stars. But it's the start of the series, and I think with another book or two I could grow to love the whole cast as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and could easily recommend to anyone who enjoys dark mysteries mixed with fantasy.
"What's dead is dead and all shall die... and live again."
I adore dark fantasies, and the description along with the beautiful cover drew me to this book. I really hoped this book could deliver on its promises of a bloody mystery in a magical setting, and it blew away my expectations! I read it in less than a day.
PJ Nwosu paints a tragically dark fantasy world, and her talented writing brings it to life. The setting felt so real, from climbing dead giant bones to searching plague-ridden streets for clues to a murderer. Some scenes made my skin crawl, and it was the perfect amount of creepiness.
Following Honnan as he tried to piece together the mystery, especially as others doubted him, was riveting to read. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see who would succumb to the black lung, a deadly disease spreading through the city, and who might be the next victim of the mysterious killer.
There are kingdom politics (and I always love that in fantasy) which really enrich the world. Honnan's story is tied up relatively neatly at the end, but there are still enough loose ends about the world to make me excited for the next book. The fantasy world that PJ Nwosu built was one of the best I've read in a while, and I can't wait to see more of Death City.
While I loved Honnan and his grandnannie- she's my favorite character, I loved her wizened old vibes- I did struggle to connect with the rest of the cast a bit. It made certain scenes less impactful because I don't think I got as attached to those characters as I should've, which is the only reason I can't give it five stars. But it's the start of the series, and I think with another book or two I could grow to love the whole cast as well.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and could easily recommend to anyone who enjoys dark mysteries mixed with fantasy.