A review by wandering_not_lost
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

2.5

...eh.  I wish I liked this book more, but though some pieces all were nice (good character voice, sweet romance, hard character learning to love, ensemble heist cast, casual necromancy, and a deep dedication to [if not a great description of] sense of place), in the end I just couldn't get past some of the choices the author made about the plot and plotting.

As others have said, this book has weird pacing and a strange bifurcation of the plot about 40% of the way through.  The plot summary on the cover is basically just that first 40%, and after that things A) slow down considerably and B) start taking headscratching turns in the plot department. 
I never really understood the drug-making plotline...like...why would you think that that is the only way to find the person they're looking for?  As opposed to, I don't know, following the runner kid or the attempted abductor back to the place where they SAID they knew the operation was based?  Why this plan which basically set them up to be noticed/attacked/ripe for their "product" to be stolen?
  I mean, I'm not saying that Delly wouldn't come up with that plan (though see below, I have doubts), but why no one else said, "um...why not this less ethically fraught and simpler way instead?" is utterly beyond me.  That just really broke my interest in the book.  Additionally, not only did they follow what I thought was a boneheaded plan, but they apparently didn't think at all about what I thought were the obvious repercussions of that plan. 
  They didn't think that just sending a sample, with no further information, wouldn't open them up to being attacked or pressured by the Companions?  They didn't think that gaining attention in that way might lead to danger for themselves or the people they are supposedly trying to protect?  Or that they'd be under surveillance at all?  They didn't think that they'd obviously need a TEST SUBJECT FOR A DANGEROUS AND ADDICTIVE DRUG THAT THEY WERE MAKING, and that maybe that in itself was a deep, deep moral issue?  Also, the use of Delly's mom as that test subject just really, really made me make horrified faces.  So many horrified faces.  I mean...ASIDE from the issues with drug addiction and Delly's feelings about it, it could have been dangerous, but hey, why worry about THAT?


Also, the romance?  I just...it was there.  It was nice to see a lesbian romance be the focus, but Winn's characterization was a bit too one-note and never progressed past "cheerful and nice".   I never really GOT
the way she was suddenly ready to freaking propose after what...a few weeks?
  It didn't really click with me.  
Expand filter menu Content Warnings