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amy_bc 's review for:

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner
4.0
adventurous informative inspiring mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Such a fantastic tale. I loved the plot, Haven following in her father’s footsteps to retrace his last dive only to discover an even greater treasure than she had ever imagined. It was truly beautiful. 

I loved the lore about the stregheria, it was really intriguing and not something I’ve heard about before. The characters were all wonderfully written and everyone had some really great development. The switching POVs between Haven, Mari and Holmes was an amazing inclusion and added the perfect dimension to the story. I did find the pacing a little slow but there were still moments of tension and interest that drew you back in. Sarah Penner does a remarkable job of building a world for her stories. Sometimes fantasy standalones can sacrifice world building to incorporate everything else that must be detailed in a fantasy novel, but Sarah doesn’t sacrifice anything. I fully felt myself within the streets of Positano and saw the views from Savina’s villa — written absolutely beautifully. 

Overall, a great story with lovely world building, amazing characters, a unique magic system and a mysterious and heartwarming plot.