A review by marimoose
Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

It's clear this book kept my attention, especially since I blitzed it in roughly two days. I think a lot of that was due to the familiarity of the tropes and plot involved. I've seen the comparisons of the Bargainer to Rhysand, but I feel like Des was a conglomeration of a Rhysand and an Adam Hauptman with the ethereal looks of a Malfoy just sprinkled in there. The plot and mystery itself took a back seat to the romance (we get flashbacks to seven years prior) between Callie and Des, which I found worked to develop the characters' relationships to each other. But at the same time, I wished we actually got to see Callie AND Des be more wicked, monstrous, and badass. 

I felt like there could have been much more done with Callie's talents, and the Bargainer beads--while constantly prominent throughout most of the story--are only offhand mentions to move and explain a crucial turn in the climax (which could have been done better). I honestly wished Callie had more agency at the end, too, because while yes,
Des coming in to save the day was oddly satisfying, but Callie not helping out and going after the big bad with her siren ferocity was a wasted opportunity. Only in fantasies do we usually get sexual predators being utterly eviscerated by the supernatural love interests, but it's also high time for the assaulted to take their power back in a similar cathartic release.


I will definitely pick up the rest of the trilogy at some point, because my hope is we get to see more of Des and Callie actually showing their badassery.
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