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A review by notlikethebeer
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I am, openly, not a fan of books that aren't set firmly in The Real World. Even magical realism can get a bit too fantastical for me. And yet, every now and again, a book comes along and breaks that exception. This was one of them. A Lesson in Vengeance is dark and enticing and engrossing. It gave me Moira Fowley-Doyle vibes in a lot of ways, as well as Secret History vibes at times too - it definitely fits firmly into dark academia. And yet it went far darker than either of those, often quite unsettlingly so. Despite the various twisted parts, I really enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, and there was a great sense of unreliability and conflict as to who could be trusted and who couldn't - along with what could be trusted, and what couldn't. I personally loved the ending too, I can see why others might not, but I thought it was perfect.
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, and Grief