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A review by ellianamaselli
The House Witch by Delemhach
2.0
2.5| I have no idea how to review this book.
On one hand, I was hooked from the beginning and deeply enjoyed the story, characters, and romance. On the other hand... the writing itself was mediocre at best.
Look, I recognize different people have different writing styles, and that's fine. However, while Delemhach knows how to craft a good story and compelling characters, the writing felt a little bit like a first draft. It wasn't enough to pull me out of the story, but it was enough to discourage me from recommending it to the friends I usually recommend books like this.
As far as the positives go, however, there were quite a few. The atmosphere of this book felt cozy and autumnal, despite its spring/summer timeline. The characters were compelling, flawed, and sympathetic. Characters that I started out hating were some of my favorites by the end. Fin himself went through massive character development throughout this novel, but he also never acted outside of what seemed natural for his character. Furthermore, the romance was incredibly well written. Fin and Annika had chemistry from the get-go and their scenes together (particularly from the halfway point on) had just enough sexual tension to keep you invested, without being (unnecessarily) cheesy.
My only last complaint is this: the book was, in my opinion, wayyyy too long. While I loved hanging out with the characters and seeing the fun "shenanigans" they got into, there was a point (around 40% or so) where this book felt like it would never. end. The length wouldn't have bothered me if the romance hadn't also been so ridiculously slow. I will read and enjoy a book for a variety of reasons, but typically, the romance is what keeps me turning pages while I'm reading. In this case, I was invested in the romance. I wanted to keep turning pages... but I did have to look up how long it would freaking take before these two idiots finally got together. And when I thought they would get together, I was wrong and wound up waiting for another two-hundred pages for it to happen. A slow burn wouldn't usually bother me, but honestly, that combined with the ridiculous length of this book made it nearly unbearable. Maybe I'm just impatient lately, but I don't think that's the case (or, at least, not the primary one).
In sum, this book was the very definition of "good, not great." However, I will be reading the sequel, because honestly, I feel like I'm in too deep to stop now (after all, I've put so much time and energy into waiting for Fin and Annika to get together that I feel like I owe it to myself to watch their relationship play out... at least for a little while longer.)
I am not tagging this review for spoilers because, honestly, I think people who read this deserve to know that they are boarding a ship that takes six hundred pages to sail. Just saying.
On one hand, I was hooked from the beginning and deeply enjoyed the story, characters, and romance. On the other hand... the writing itself was mediocre at best.
Look, I recognize different people have different writing styles, and that's fine. However, while Delemhach knows how to craft a good story and compelling characters, the writing felt a little bit like a first draft. It wasn't enough to pull me out of the story, but it was enough to discourage me from recommending it to the friends I usually recommend books like this.
"I am weak, though. I can only do things to promote peace.”
“You think that is weakness?! Kingdoms go to war not because they are strong, but because they are weak!"
As far as the positives go, however, there were quite a few. The atmosphere of this book felt cozy and autumnal, despite its spring/summer timeline. The characters were compelling, flawed, and sympathetic. Characters that I started out hating were some of my favorites by the end. Fin himself went through massive character development throughout this novel, but he also never acted outside of what seemed natural for his character. Furthermore, the romance was incredibly well written. Fin and Annika had chemistry from the get-go and their scenes together (particularly from the halfway point on) had just enough sexual tension to keep you invested, without being (unnecessarily) cheesy.
"You promise you won’t have any second thoughts?” A small smile of her own was beginning to bloom on Annika’s face.
“Love, you’ve been my first and only thought for quite some time.”
My only last complaint is this: the book was, in my opinion, wayyyy too long. While I loved hanging out with the characters and seeing the fun "shenanigans" they got into, there was a point (around 40% or so) where this book felt like it would never. end. The length wouldn't have bothered me if the romance hadn't also been so ridiculously slow. I will read and enjoy a book for a variety of reasons, but typically, the romance is what keeps me turning pages while I'm reading. In this case, I was invested in the romance. I wanted to keep turning pages... but I did have to look up how long it would freaking take before these two idiots finally got together. And when I thought they would get together, I was wrong and wound up waiting for another two-hundred pages for it to happen. A slow burn wouldn't usually bother me, but honestly, that combined with the ridiculous length of this book made it nearly unbearable. Maybe I'm just impatient lately, but I don't think that's the case (or, at least, not the primary one).
In sum, this book was the very definition of "good, not great." However, I will be reading the sequel, because honestly, I feel like I'm in too deep to stop now (after all, I've put so much time and energy into waiting for Fin and Annika to get together that I feel like I owe it to myself to watch their relationship play out... at least for a little while longer.)
I am not tagging this review for spoilers because, honestly, I think people who read this deserve to know that they are boarding a ship that takes six hundred pages to sail. Just saying.