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booksblabbering 's review for:
Snowblooded
by Emma Sterner-Radley
Valour and Petrichor are two of the highest-ranking assassins in the city, brought up together in the Order of Axsten. However, their abrasive and opposite personalities has caused a feud between them as the youngest assassins in the Order.
They are set a a job together to kill the sly, unknown cut-throat who's been leader of the 'ness smugglers for decades. ‘Ness being illegal magic tinctures: shrewdness tonics, brawniness tonics, wellness tonics, etc.
Valour is also babysitting the sociable, socialite hotel heiress, Ingrid who is too curious for her own good.
Valour lives up to her name, and is one of the only assassins to occasionally refuse jobs if she feels they are wrong. However, the punishment for that is branding. She’s queer, quiet, analytical, and lonely. Oh, and she loves food and tea.
Petrichor is methodical and disciplined and I think he definitely represents neurodivergence and perhaps a sexuality. The way his mind works is reflected in this matter-of-fact, blunt perspective and interactions.
”Maybe we're both trapped, Valour. And the only way to survive is to pretend that you relish your cage."
Interestingly, this also has a Norse backdrop with allusions to the gods. In some sense, this almost felt contemporary but set in an alternative world.
Occasionally, the writing and dialogue felt stilted and forced, and certain observations too cut and dry and telling instead of showing.
It became frustrating how many wide tangents there were that didn’t add anything to the story - conversations, entire chapters. Also, the repetition of certain jokes - Petrichor having a stick up his arse is something Valour reminds him of in nearly every interaction. And Valour thinking with her bodily lust.
Overall, this could have been about half the length and do with a lot less back-and-forth.
Thank you to Solaris for providing an arc in exchange for a review!
They are set a a job together to kill the sly, unknown cut-throat who's been leader of the 'ness smugglers for decades. ‘Ness being illegal magic tinctures: shrewdness tonics, brawniness tonics, wellness tonics, etc.
Valour is also babysitting the sociable, socialite hotel heiress, Ingrid who is too curious for her own good.
Valour lives up to her name, and is one of the only assassins to occasionally refuse jobs if she feels they are wrong. However, the punishment for that is branding. She’s queer, quiet, analytical, and lonely. Oh, and she loves food and tea.
Petrichor is methodical and disciplined and I think he definitely represents neurodivergence and perhaps a sexuality. The way his mind works is reflected in this matter-of-fact, blunt perspective and interactions.
”Maybe we're both trapped, Valour. And the only way to survive is to pretend that you relish your cage."
Interestingly, this also has a Norse backdrop with allusions to the gods. In some sense, this almost felt contemporary but set in an alternative world.
Occasionally, the writing and dialogue felt stilted and forced, and certain observations too cut and dry and telling instead of showing.
It became frustrating how many wide tangents there were that didn’t add anything to the story - conversations, entire chapters. Also, the repetition of certain jokes - Petrichor having a stick up his arse is something Valour reminds him of in nearly every interaction. And Valour thinking with her bodily lust.
Overall, this could have been about half the length and do with a lot less back-and-forth.
Thank you to Solaris for providing an arc in exchange for a review!