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A review by goosemixtapes
Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn
4.0
(I was given a copy of this book via tumblr in exchange for an honest review.)
Our Bloody Pearl hooked me from pretty much the first paragraph. I loved it, and I'm excited to see Bryn's future works!
IMO the strongest aspect of this book was the main character. Perle's narrative voice was fresh and unique; they were distinct within sentences and I was attached within pages. The other characters proved similarly lovable - OBP has a really solid cast with a strong dynamic. (The cast was also entirely LGBT and didn't struggle for it, which always warms my heart, and as a nonbinary person, seeing a main character who uses they/them pronouns made me !!!) Bryn also has a wonderful narrative style; the lines of poetry at the start of each chapter were gorgeous, and so was the prose. I finished the book a few weeks ago, but a lot of the scenes still stick out clearly in my mind, and I have a vivid memory of both the imagery the prose created and the emotions carried in the scene.
The worldbuilding did feel fresh as well - I love pirate stories and the steampunk aspects involved were really well integrated, and of course the exploration of the siren species was wonderful and dragged me in at once. That being said, though, this was definitely a story driven by and focused on characters, which is where the book's worst (and perhaps only noticeable) flaw comes through: the development of the villain. Kian was a strong presence at the beginning of the book, in Perle's memories and constant fear of her, but she seemed to remain that way, only growing into a full character at the end of the story.
That said, though, I wholeheartedly enjoyed this novel and will definitely be buying a paperback copy!
Our Bloody Pearl hooked me from pretty much the first paragraph. I loved it, and I'm excited to see Bryn's future works!
IMO the strongest aspect of this book was the main character. Perle's narrative voice was fresh and unique; they were distinct within sentences and I was attached within pages. The other characters proved similarly lovable - OBP has a really solid cast with a strong dynamic. (The cast was also entirely LGBT and didn't struggle for it, which always warms my heart, and as a nonbinary person, seeing a main character who uses they/them pronouns made me !!!) Bryn also has a wonderful narrative style; the lines of poetry at the start of each chapter were gorgeous, and so was the prose. I finished the book a few weeks ago, but a lot of the scenes still stick out clearly in my mind, and I have a vivid memory of both the imagery the prose created and the emotions carried in the scene.
The worldbuilding did feel fresh as well - I love pirate stories and the steampunk aspects involved were really well integrated, and of course the exploration of the siren species was wonderful and dragged me in at once. That being said, though, this was definitely a story driven by and focused on characters, which is where the book's worst (and perhaps only noticeable) flaw comes through: the development of the villain. Kian was a strong presence at the beginning of the book, in Perle's memories and constant fear of her, but she seemed to remain that way, only growing into a full character at the end of the story.
That said, though, I wholeheartedly enjoyed this novel and will definitely be buying a paperback copy!