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sally___ 's review for:
The Damned
by Renée Ahdieh
Do you ever sit down with a story idea so vague, that all you know is the general feeling you’re trying to get across? Like you’re trying to match a plot to the aesthetic you have in your head. This book captured the power and mystique of the world it was trying to convey. I’m blown away by Ahdieh’s ability to pin down all the unsaid tones simply with the way she uses words.
The plot would be more enjoyable, I think, if I hadn’t previously encountered similar stories that were executed much worse. There have been many romance-in-the-midst-of-vampires-and-fey that have made me want to scream about the poor world building and character development. None of these problems plagued this book, but I still feel an echo of that frustration. I can’t decide if this is any fault of the book, or residual exasperation with ACOTAR and the like.
This vexes me quite a bit, because Sarah J Maas receives much more credit than Ahdieh and others. Much more capable writers fly under the radar. Ahdieh holds me in her clutches with her eloquent weaving of words and captivating characters. Yet, this series seems to be receiving no attention.
I also applaud her for her use of spacing, especially in terms of world building. She continues to be a pro at creating a rich world for her characters to inhabit. This is the second book in the series, and as such, I’m really glad she held back on many of the world building elements. Had she had squished them into the first installment (as many are apt to do) I would have been in over my head.
As is, I found this a wonderful read, especially the portions from Bastian’s point of view. Would recommend.
The plot would be more enjoyable, I think, if I hadn’t previously encountered similar stories that were executed much worse. There have been many romance-in-the-midst-of-vampires-and-fey that have made me want to scream about the poor world building and character development. None of these problems plagued this book, but I still feel an echo of that frustration. I can’t decide if this is any fault of the book, or residual exasperation with ACOTAR and the like.
This vexes me quite a bit, because Sarah J Maas receives much more credit than Ahdieh and others. Much more capable writers fly under the radar. Ahdieh holds me in her clutches with her eloquent weaving of words and captivating characters. Yet, this series seems to be receiving no attention.
I also applaud her for her use of spacing, especially in terms of world building. She continues to be a pro at creating a rich world for her characters to inhabit. This is the second book in the series, and as such, I’m really glad she held back on many of the world building elements. Had she had squished them into the first installment (as many are apt to do) I would have been in over my head.
As is, I found this a wonderful read, especially the portions from Bastian’s point of view. Would recommend.