A review by jessicaludden
That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I wanted to like this book but it fell kind of flat for me. I love the premise of a religion-based magic system set in Shakespearean London with POC and queer main and side characters. I really liked Joan and her brother’s relationship, but the side characters didn’t do a lot for me. The romance also felt very instant and I couldn’t really see the chemistry with either of her love interests. As far as the plot goes, I feel like things kept happening but nothing connected or flowed well. We never circled back to the overarching theme or goal. Overall, I liked the idea of this but the execution wasn’t what I hoped it would be. I wish we had gotten more world building and explored the magic system more.
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