A review by bubblewombat
Rise of the Red Hand by Olivia Chadha

3.0

Oh how I wanted to love this book. I think that's really what kept me going, but more on that later.

I'm 99% sure the release date on NetGalley said the 19th but Goodreads has two dates, depending on the edition, so I'm doing this in between both of them, probably should've done it even earlier BUT.

I really thought this would be a four star read AT LEAST...and then I started reading it.

I could tell even by the first page that the writing would bug me. It started off very monotone and didn't fit with the whole atmosphere, so it made it hard for me to care that these bad things were happening.

What didn't make it any easier is that the reader gets thrown directly into the action. Sure, it gets mellowed out in the next few chapters, but chapter one was a big confusing mess. There was a sad scene in it, where I thought we were getting somewhere...and I was wrong.

The first half (literally the entire half) dragged on forever. I'm not one to drop books, I will push through, but Rise of the Red Hand really tested my patience. It took so long to get back to the action we initially saw.

The second half picks up dramatically. It's as if the author was taking a nap, suddenly woke up and remembered that something needs to happen.

If I was judging based on that alone, yeah, I could see it hit four stars. Unfortunately I can't disregard the boring first part.

As for the characters, I had no attachment until the final third or so. Only Taru managed to find her way into my heart. And I'm getting lgbt vibes from her? Maybe I'm wrong, I'd still like to see that.

Our two main leads got more likable as the story progressed. I don't mind their love that much because it's barely there. They also fit together like puzzle pieces.

I like that the side characters had a role to play and weren't just there once for convenience.

The setting was great and one we need more of. I love love love all the real and made up words. It's not hard to guess what they mean even if you don't speak a language rooted in Sanskrit (then again you can trace just about anything to it but you know what I mean).

So I'm glad I didn't drop this book. There's a story to be told and I might pick up the sequel when it comes out. It's worth the read if you have the patience.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*