A review by redseraphina
The Boy with the Porcelain Blade by Den Patrick

dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

This book had a lot of potential but it suffered from issues with pacing and character development. The book had an action-packed present times storyline interspersed with chapters of flashbacks. Unfortunately, the voice of the adult character in the present was the same as the voice of the character as a child in the past. This made it hard to follow the competing storylines and a lot of tension was lost between chapters. Additionally, while the main character was somewhat more fleshed out, none of the characters were particularly well-developed. After reading the book, I found that I didn’t feel anything particularly strongly towards any one of them. I didn’t hate the villain or empathize with them. I didn’t care for the well-being of the protagonist nor did I care much for the fate of any of the supporting characters. Overall, the world and premise of the book were interesting but felt underdeveloped. 
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