A review by elliott_the_clementine
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

dark lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is weird, to say the least; in fairness, a friend of mine recommended me and leant me her copy of this book after warning me multiple time to read the author’s warnings at the beginning of the book, so I had an idea of what was coming.

I started reading it as a romance and immediately stopped - I don’t have the stomach to read it quite that realistically. However, once I stopped taking it seriously, I found that I really enjoyed it. It kind of reads like a satire on morally grey characters and the world’s fixation on serial killers while also somehow portraying a MUCH healthier relationship than even some not-“dark” romance books (seeking consent, viewing each other as equal partners, etc.). The characters are also sympathetic enough to make them bearable.  Their brutal actions have sort of good intentions (both are kind of like twisted contemporary Robin-Hood-style “superheroes” - put them in masks and tights and you have a pair of bloodthirsty Avengers).

Read with caution and don’t take it too seriously - it’s the unserious moments that make Butcher & Blackbird shine as a messed-up horror-comedy for romance-trope-loving readers venturing into the genre. 
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