A review by sheepishly_sarah
The Brilliant Death by A.R. Capetta

4.0

I really really enjoyed the second half of this book. It had Teo really growing into herself and who she was always meant to be. The reveals we got about a lot of characters were exciting and super interesting. However, the first half journey to get there was not interesting. The prologue was good but after such a strong introduction of Teo and her father what we got in the actual beginning of the story was a bit bland. The family dynamics felt old and tired. To be honest, I didn't like Cielo when we first meet the character. The first introduction was just too much and it felt a bit like the author was trying too hard. The character was always going to be interesting but the way the first conversation was framed with Teo and the whimsical(?) way Cielo spoke was just overkill for me. I loved the different ways the strega's powers manifested. They possessed some really unique powers like one who could show you someone else's memory in a dream and another who could turn fears to stones. I really enjoyed how Teo and Cielo's relationship developed. Cielo became a much more enjoyable character for me after that first introduction. I would have liked to see a bit more from the other mafia family's. One, in particular, had a nice line towards the end of the book that opened up new ideas for how things could have gone differently for Teo and her family. I'm not sure if this book is part of a series or not. It wrapped up nicely but I would enjoy seeing more from this world.