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ameliaadrianna 's review for:
The Diabolic
by S.J. Kincaid
I didn't hate this book, but it definitely wasn't a new favourite of mine.
This may sound presumptuous but my creative writing courses have made it close to impossible not to notice these issues. My main issue with this book was the dialogue, it felt forced and unnatural. I understand that the characters were immersed in propriety and that their language reflected that, but even in conversation with close friends the dialogue felt strange. The second problem was the extra effort that I saw towards the start of the novel in regards to convincing the reader of Nemesis's power and ability to kill. I understand the struggle of making it clear that your character is strong and merciless but it seemed overdone. However, in my opinionthe very act of killing without hesitation should have been enough.
Now onto the actual story!
Coming into the story I had already seen a few reviews that said things like 'very stabby' so I kept my eyes open for that. It was very stabby, but I felt like most of the deaths were beneficial to the story and the characterisation. I got up to seven deaths (that were explicitly shown rather than just mentioned), six of which occurred within the first 85 pages, before I gave up and accepted that there was going to be a lot.
I did enjoy the plot once it really picked up, I found Nemesis's inner conflict interesting and was really intrigued by the idea of Diabolics. The plot twists were unexpected and worked to pull the story away from the direction I had assumed it would go in. The romance felt a bit fast paced but given the situation and the fact that it didn't even begin until halfway through the novel I can forgive that. I also felt like there was a touch of queer baiting for a moment here and there.
Towards the end of the novel, the plot felt rushed. I remember getting to the final chapter and wondering how everything could possibly be wrapped up neatly within the next 20 or so pages. The novel was wrapped up decently, but I felt that some of the characters in the final scene acted in ways that didn't fit with their characterisation.
Overall, it wasn't a terrible novel, and I did enjoy it. However, I am happy to know that the author didn't attempt to draw out the story over more than one book.
If you enjoy, I guess this fits somewhere in the science fiction genre, books that show a darker outlook on the manipulated of humans and that deal with corrupt governments and subterfuge than I recommend this book. Be warned, though, that some of the deaths are a touch explicit and may be distressing for sensitive readers.
Don't let my review discourage you from reading this story, some of my favourite stories have received disheartening reviews. This may well be your new favourite story.
This may sound presumptuous but my creative writing courses have made it close to impossible not to notice these issues. My main issue with this book was the dialogue, it felt forced and unnatural. I understand that the characters were immersed in propriety and that their language reflected that, but even in conversation with close friends the dialogue felt strange. The second problem was the extra effort that I saw towards the start of the novel in regards to convincing the reader of Nemesis's power and ability to kill. I understand the struggle of making it clear that your character is strong and merciless but it seemed overdone. However, in my opinionthe very act of killing without hesitation should have been enough.
Now onto the actual story!
Coming into the story I had already seen a few reviews that said things like 'very stabby' so I kept my eyes open for that. It was very stabby, but I felt like most of the deaths were beneficial to the story and the characterisation. I got up to seven deaths (that were explicitly shown rather than just mentioned), six of which occurred within the first 85 pages, before I gave up and accepted that there was going to be a lot.
I did enjoy the plot once it really picked up, I found Nemesis's inner conflict interesting and was really intrigued by the idea of Diabolics. The plot twists were unexpected and worked to pull the story away from the direction I had assumed it would go in. The romance felt a bit fast paced but given the situation and the fact that it didn't even begin until halfway through the novel I can forgive that. I also felt like there was a touch of queer baiting for a moment here and there.
Towards the end of the novel, the plot felt rushed. I remember getting to the final chapter and wondering how everything could possibly be wrapped up neatly within the next 20 or so pages. The novel was wrapped up decently, but I felt that some of the characters in the final scene acted in ways that didn't fit with their characterisation.
Overall, it wasn't a terrible novel, and I did enjoy it. However, I am happy to know that the author didn't attempt to draw out the story over more than one book.
If you enjoy, I guess this fits somewhere in the science fiction genre, books that show a darker outlook on the manipulated of humans and that deal with corrupt governments and subterfuge than I recommend this book. Be warned, though, that some of the deaths are a touch explicit and may be distressing for sensitive readers.
Don't let my review discourage you from reading this story, some of my favourite stories have received disheartening reviews. This may well be your new favourite story.