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A review by maeenads
Marionette by Antonia Rachel Ward
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
2.5/3
This story is set on the end of fin de siècle Paris, and follows a dancer, Cece, who comes into possession by a malevolent spirit, and a young artist from England, George. It features multiple forms of arts, yet none of them are executed successfully.
To begin with the things I liked; I was drawn to this book by its beautiful beautiful cover! It was different from most of the covers we see nowadays and eye catching. The writing was fairly good however some of the descriptions was hard to get through and quite boring. I was expecting a detailed and lavish introduction to Paris but unfortunately the background was not set in an inviting manner. I liked the folklore that the story was built upon but i felt like it could’ve been fleshed out more to expand the plot. Even though the first few pages were slow, the story builds in the middle and the last few chapters were exciting and fast paced (I did not like the ending though).
The characters barely had any depth to them, their dispositions could’ve been more amplified; therefore it felt bland and hard to connect or form an opinion. Cece and George’s relationship was rushed and there were no sparks or a real connection. Even though this novella is described as gothic-horror the actual presence of these elements in the plot was weak and unconvincing; I expected a compelling narrative, but personally, the story failed to deliver it.
I understand the author had to rush with certain plot points as this was a novella, but I believe this book could’ve been grand if the plot was full and the characters had more to them.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
This story is set on the end of fin de siècle Paris, and follows a dancer, Cece, who comes into possession by a malevolent spirit, and a young artist from England, George. It features multiple forms of arts, yet none of them are executed successfully.
To begin with the things I liked; I was drawn to this book by its beautiful beautiful cover! It was different from most of the covers we see nowadays and eye catching. The writing was fairly good however some of the descriptions was hard to get through and quite boring. I was expecting a detailed and lavish introduction to Paris but unfortunately the background was not set in an inviting manner. I liked the folklore that the story was built upon but i felt like it could’ve been fleshed out more to expand the plot. Even though the first few pages were slow, the story builds in the middle and the last few chapters were exciting and fast paced (I did not like the ending though).
The characters barely had any depth to them, their dispositions could’ve been more amplified; therefore it felt bland and hard to connect or form an opinion. Cece and George’s relationship was rushed and there were no sparks or a real connection. Even though this novella is described as gothic-horror the actual presence of these elements in the plot was weak and unconvincing; I expected a compelling narrative, but personally, the story failed to deliver it.
I understand the author had to rush with certain plot points as this was a novella, but I believe this book could’ve been grand if the plot was full and the characters had more to them.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.