A review by abbyschalupa
The Helm of Midnight by Marina J. Lostetter

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow was this book good. Once I got about a third through, I couldn't put it down. The end gutted me. The mystery of the murderer was tense and kept me guessing. The writing and the atmosphere were both well done. While it took me a while to like the characters, once I did, I was invested. The more clues there are through the story, the more tense it gets. One thing not making this 5 stars is a scene towards the end where the main character endures and battles suicidal thoughts. Not something I try to read especially with such descriptive thoughts. Along with that, the first third of the book was rather slow. Once I got past that point, the story did pick up and the different POVs had me invested even with the different timelines. The characters could have felt more lifelike if there was more depth to them and their thoughts, instead of the simplistic descriptions of that made it more difficult to connect with them. Besides those things, I was lost in this story and completely enthralled in the chase and mystery behind the murderer. 
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