Take a photo of a barcode or cover
yabytheway 's review for:
This Mortal Coil
by Emily Suvada
Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars
I read this because it was free on RivetedLit for the month of March, and I was intrigued. It took about 10% of the book or so for me to really get into the story, but then I was all in. The world-building was super intriguing, though there were a few confusing aspects, too. The plot was fun, but a bit point-by-point. The characters would make a plan and begin to enact it, then get waylaid by an event that was out of their control before the chapter would end in a cliffhanger. This happened over and over again, so by the second half of the book, I was never surprised by something new going wrong, even up to the end of the book.
Our two main characters, Catarina and Cole, were really well fleshed-out, but others were relegated to nearly stereotypical caricatures, while most others are cardboard stand-ins without a lot of development or personality. I did really like Leoben and Dax, though they also suffer from personality deficiencies. The villain is villainous in an almost cartoony way, which gives the final monologue a weird tone.
Speaking of the ending, that monologue and climactic scene were underwhelming. I just didn't love the explanation.
When the book was good, it was really good. The action scenes were fantastic, and I could easily see everything that was happening in my head. The chemistry between our two leads sizzles, and is totally believable the entire time. I really enjoyed their relationship. I loved their relationships with Dax and Leoben, too. But other relationships feel underdeveloped or not explored.
I enjoyed this book, but I don't know yet if I will continue with the series or not.
I read this because it was free on RivetedLit for the month of March, and I was intrigued. It took about 10% of the book or so for me to really get into the story, but then I was all in. The world-building was super intriguing, though there were a few confusing aspects, too. The plot was fun, but a bit point-by-point. The characters would make a plan and begin to enact it, then get waylaid by an event that was out of their control before the chapter would end in a cliffhanger. This happened over and over again, so by the second half of the book, I was never surprised by something new going wrong, even up to the end of the book.
Our two main characters, Catarina and Cole, were really well fleshed-out, but others were relegated to nearly stereotypical caricatures, while most others are cardboard stand-ins without a lot of development or personality. I did really like Leoben and Dax, though they also suffer from personality deficiencies. The villain is villainous in an almost cartoony way, which gives the final monologue a weird tone.
Speaking of the ending, that monologue and climactic scene were underwhelming. I just didn't love the explanation.
When the book was good, it was really good. The action scenes were fantastic, and I could easily see everything that was happening in my head. The chemistry between our two leads sizzles, and is totally believable the entire time. I really enjoyed their relationship. I loved their relationships with Dax and Leoben, too. But other relationships feel underdeveloped or not explored.
I enjoyed this book, but I don't know yet if I will continue with the series or not.