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theamyleblanc 's review for:
These Deadly Prophecies
by Andrea Tang
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'd love to read a story that's part Knives Out and part magic.
This is not that story. Sure, it's a mystery full of family drama and there are some magical elements but it's nowhere near the same vibe. I was pretty disappointed.
The world building and emotional life are completely lacking here. The pacing is quick but only because so much happens . . . while at the same time it feels like nothing happens. I had no sense of where this took place. A suburb? How much of a suburb? A city-leaning one or a rural-leaning one? It's so vague that when Tabatha referred to her clothes as "joggers", I almost thought this could be set in the UK.
The magic system is barely explained and we hardly see it. It was more for convenience than anything else. Magic keeps the story moving but doesn't add to it. It's poorly thought-out and I felt a bit cheated.
The story feels very one note. We don't see the characters emotional lives at all. Yes, this is told from Tabatha's PoV but surely she'd have feelings about what she saw, about her mentor being murdered? We get so much of her internal ramblings but it hardly ever touches on her reactions to the events. And Callum wouldn't be able to hide all his feelings, either. They're supposed to be teenagers! And the ending would've had more of an impact had the emotional groundwork been laid out. As it exists, the end felt preachy and cliche.
Finally, the sense of time is wonky. I often had no idea how much time had (or hadn't) passed from one chapter to the next. And is it summer break for Tabatha and Callum or are they also going to school while all this happens? It's very disorienting.
I won't be recommending this one, unfortunately.
I'd love to read a story that's part Knives Out and part magic.
This is not that story. Sure, it's a mystery full of family drama and there are some magical elements but it's nowhere near the same vibe. I was pretty disappointed.
The world building and emotional life are completely lacking here. The pacing is quick but only because so much happens . . . while at the same time it feels like nothing happens. I had no sense of where this took place. A suburb? How much of a suburb? A city-leaning one or a rural-leaning one? It's so vague that when Tabatha referred to her clothes as "joggers", I almost thought this could be set in the UK.
The magic system is barely explained and we hardly see it. It was more for convenience than anything else. Magic keeps the story moving but doesn't add to it. It's poorly thought-out and I felt a bit cheated.
The story feels very one note. We don't see the characters emotional lives at all. Yes, this is told from Tabatha's PoV but surely she'd have feelings about what she saw, about her mentor being murdered? We get so much of her internal ramblings but it hardly ever touches on her reactions to the events. And Callum wouldn't be able to hide all his feelings, either. They're supposed to be teenagers! And the ending would've had more of an impact had the emotional groundwork been laid out. As it exists, the end felt preachy and cliche.
Finally, the sense of time is wonky. I often had no idea how much time had (or hadn't) passed from one chapter to the next. And is it summer break for Tabatha and Callum or are they also going to school while all this happens? It's very disorienting.
I won't be recommending this one, unfortunately.