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lalaelisabeth 's review for:
The Second Death of Locke
by V.L. Bovalino
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts are my own.
This book had such an interesting concept and world, and I really enjoyed reading about the magic system because the codependent nature of it was just so different and fun. Sometimes it would have been nice with a bit more information on what exactly the mages could do in terms of the "basic" magic like wards and shields. What else? Where are the limits and how exactly does it work? More explanations would have been nice, but what we did get was still highly entertaining and such an interesting way to make sure our main characters are always together (besides the fact that they are just completely obsessed with each other).
And I really liked the dynamic between our two main characters. It is a bit crazy how many years they've both been in love with each other without doing anything about it (and without noticing how the other person felt), but it was very sweet to see the romantic development throughout the story.
I did think that the writing sometimes leaned a bit towards telling instead of showing, which can result in the experience sometimes being just a little bland. That sounds harsh and it's really not meant that way, but it did feel a bit monotone and flat sometimes. I would have liked some more depth and flavor, because I think it would have made the story a lot more engaging and exciting and a more unforgettable read that it ended up being.
It was a great story, but I do think the ending (and specifically the final battle) was over very quickly and conveniently. Everything seemed so easy and just lacked depth and flair. More details, more descriptions, and more focus on the fighting would have been nice. And maybe even let our characters face some more difficulties that are dragged out just a little bit, so the stakes feel real.
But I still enjoyed myself a lot, and there are definitely many positives about the book! I think our FMC is interesting and different and I liked how she was the grumpy one with a hard time opening up. And I loved that it was a queer-normative world and the way that was portrayed and shown throughout the story. It was the most natural thing in the world and it made my tiny queer heart so very happy. More of this in every book, please!
This book had such an interesting concept and world, and I really enjoyed reading about the magic system because the codependent nature of it was just so different and fun. Sometimes it would have been nice with a bit more information on what exactly the mages could do in terms of the "basic" magic like wards and shields. What else? Where are the limits and how exactly does it work? More explanations would have been nice, but what we did get was still highly entertaining and such an interesting way to make sure our main characters are always together (besides the fact that they are just completely obsessed with each other).
And I really liked the dynamic between our two main characters. It is a bit crazy how many years they've both been in love with each other without doing anything about it (and without noticing how the other person felt), but it was very sweet to see the romantic development throughout the story.
I did think that the writing sometimes leaned a bit towards telling instead of showing, which can result in the experience sometimes being just a little bland. That sounds harsh and it's really not meant that way, but it did feel a bit monotone and flat sometimes. I would have liked some more depth and flavor, because I think it would have made the story a lot more engaging and exciting and a more unforgettable read that it ended up being.
It was a great story, but I do think the ending (and specifically the final battle) was over very quickly and conveniently. Everything seemed so easy and just lacked depth and flair. More details, more descriptions, and more focus on the fighting would have been nice. And maybe even let our characters face some more difficulties that are dragged out just a little bit, so the stakes feel real.
But I still enjoyed myself a lot, and there are definitely many positives about the book! I think our FMC is interesting and different and I liked how she was the grumpy one with a hard time opening up. And I loved that it was a queer-normative world and the way that was portrayed and shown throughout the story. It was the most natural thing in the world and it made my tiny queer heart so very happy. More of this in every book, please!