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A review by lizshayne
Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Update to my review for the first book: it did not get better.
So, first of all, the two main characters keep doing the thing of “you kept SECRETS from me?” As if they are not themselves hiding truly astonishing amounts of information and it was annoying the first time and progressively more annoying with each subsequent occurrence. There was a lot of interpersonal conflict that seemed to exist because the book had a conflict quota and was working to exceed it.
Also, this is a book written after 2020, so OBVIOUSLY I’m going to judge it for its portrayal of an epidemic and, in particular, the way our main characters seem to constantly do the thing that should-by the rules of the world-get them sick but don’t. The explanations offered are insufficient for making me feel like it’s more than a hand wave plot device and, I mean, come on.
Also, wow, is this a book about bad dads. Just like EVERYONE. Dead moms and bad dads. Which also made it FASCINATING to see who got forgiven by the narrative. One evil mom would have been a lovely change of pace.
And while I’m kvetching, the book definitely set up the main romance to be far kinkier than it actually delivered on. Which, like, fine. Given the publishers, it makes sense. But why write it that way to start then?
This could have been so much less meh.
So, first of all, the two main characters keep doing the thing of “you kept SECRETS from me?” As if they are not themselves hiding truly astonishing amounts of information and it was annoying the first time and progressively more annoying with each subsequent occurrence. There was a lot of interpersonal conflict that seemed to exist because the book had a conflict quota and was working to exceed it.
Also, this is a book written after 2020, so OBVIOUSLY I’m going to judge it for its portrayal of an epidemic and, in particular, the way our main characters seem to constantly do the thing that should-by the rules of the world-get them sick but don’t. The explanations offered are insufficient for making me feel like it’s more than a hand wave plot device and, I mean, come on.
Also, wow, is this a book about bad dads. Just like EVERYONE. Dead moms and bad dads. Which also made it FASCINATING to see who got forgiven by the narrative. One evil mom would have been a lovely change of pace.
And while I’m kvetching, the book definitely set up the main romance to be far kinkier than it actually delivered on. Which, like, fine. Given the publishers, it makes sense. But why write it that way to start then?
This could have been so much less meh.