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whimsyhoard 's review for:
Snowblooded
by Emma Sterner-Radley
This title was on my radar for a few months, the delight I felt when my ARC request got approved ! Described as "The princess bride" met "Six of Crows", Snowblooded is a tale of assassin who doesn't shy away from the darkness and grittiness of the world, without being overwhilming in said darkness. The story is centered on Valour and Petrichor, assassins of Vinterstock Assassin Guild (a city in Sweden, the delight to have a change of scenery in a fantasy !) and who can't stand each other, having been raised against each other. They have to work together (or not) to complete an order, which revealed itself to be harder and with more ramification that expected, especially with Valour entangling herself with Ingrid, an aristocrat.
I enjoyed the world created with this story, the 'ness dealing, the winter vibe and the realities of a world where the wealthy strive and the poors struggle. It's a nice canva to reveal more about Valour and Petrichor past, see their relationship unravel and become less tense. It is, I think, the core of the story, what kept me going the most, since I guessed a few twist ahead of time. The mystery is still an interesting one, interspersed with action and emotional relief moment, while maintaining that darkish element. Valour relationship with Ingrid was quite well manage to my taste, present, driving some part of the story but not all of it.
I love the queernormative setting and how easily Valour and Petrichor can live their life in that regard. After all, their lifes are already hard, no need to add another layer.
All in all, an enjoyable story, with well built characters, interesting world and intrigue !
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I enjoyed the world created with this story, the 'ness dealing, the winter vibe and the realities of a world where the wealthy strive and the poors struggle. It's a nice canva to reveal more about Valour and Petrichor past, see their relationship unravel and become less tense. It is, I think, the core of the story, what kept me going the most, since I guessed a few twist ahead of time. The mystery is still an interesting one, interspersed with action and emotional relief moment, while maintaining that darkish element. Valour relationship with Ingrid was quite well manage to my taste, present, driving some part of the story but not all of it.
I love the queernormative setting and how easily Valour and Petrichor can live their life in that regard. After all, their lifes are already hard, no need to add another layer.
All in all, an enjoyable story, with well built characters, interesting world and intrigue !
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