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A review by speculativeshelves
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A little disappointed this wasn't the new favorite I hoped it would be. The beginning started out strong and the ending was great but I wasn't always engaged with the story in the middle.
Belladonna is a YA story with the vibes of what I would call "spooky Bridgerton" (though the setting is more Victorian inspired rather than Regency). I expected this to lean a bit more into the gothic elements (ghosts, possibly haunted manor, etc) than it actually did so I would classify this more as "gothic-lite" (and now looking at old reviews that's how I described Allison Saft's Down Comes the Night which this book reminded me of quite a bit!). I personally wanted more from the gothic elements but it's a story that's perfect for readers who want a spooky-leaning (but not horror) novel for fall. It's a YA historical fantasy with supernatural elements and a murder mystery subplot. If that's up your alley, I definitely recommend!
Signa and Death are obviously the standouts of this book and if you're wanting a well-done "death and the maiden" romance, this delivers. Outside of them I wasn't all that invested in the other characters (aside from Blythe, but mainly because I know she'll have a bigger role later in the trilogy).
The worldbuilding and magic of this story were both more vague than I would've liked. It never became fully clear if the setting was an original fantasy world that was Victorian-era inspired or if it was actually set in the Victorian era in our world but with magic (though I think it was the former). I also did not feel like I fully understood the "rules" of Death and Signa's magic, though I suspect that will be expanded upon in the next book.
The last thing that kept me from fully connecting to this book I think just comes down to the fact that this is YA and I'm not the target audience. I've read a lot of YA fantasy and stories dealing with these same tropes so I could see certain plot twists comingI saw the Sylas = Death twist coming from a mile away and it was frustrating when Signa wasn't putting the pieces together. That being said, there were some great twists at the end and I really enjoyed the set up for Foxglove.
While I personally didn't connect with this story as much as I hoped, I do think this is would work well for the upper YA audience it's geared toward. I can see why it's quite popular - especially among readers who enjoy supernatural love interests and reading spooky non-horror books in the fall.
Belladonna is a YA story with the vibes of what I would call "spooky Bridgerton" (though the setting is more Victorian inspired rather than Regency). I expected this to lean a bit more into the gothic elements (ghosts, possibly haunted manor, etc) than it actually did so I would classify this more as "gothic-lite" (and now looking at old reviews that's how I described Allison Saft's Down Comes the Night which this book reminded me of quite a bit!). I personally wanted more from the gothic elements but it's a story that's perfect for readers who want a spooky-leaning (but not horror) novel for fall. It's a YA historical fantasy with supernatural elements and a murder mystery subplot. If that's up your alley, I definitely recommend!
Signa and Death are obviously the standouts of this book and if you're wanting a well-done "death and the maiden" romance, this delivers. Outside of them I wasn't all that invested in the other characters (aside from Blythe, but mainly because I know she'll have a bigger role later in the trilogy).
The worldbuilding and magic of this story were both more vague than I would've liked. It never became fully clear if the setting was an original fantasy world that was Victorian-era inspired or if it was actually set in the Victorian era in our world but with magic (though I think it was the former). I also did not feel like I fully understood the "rules" of Death and Signa's magic, though I suspect that will be expanded upon in the next book.
The last thing that kept me from fully connecting to this book I think just comes down to the fact that this is YA and I'm not the target audience. I've read a lot of YA fantasy and stories dealing with these same tropes so I could see certain plot twists coming
While I personally didn't connect with this story as much as I hoped, I do think this is would work well for the upper YA audience it's geared toward. I can see why it's quite popular - especially among readers who enjoy supernatural love interests and reading spooky non-horror books in the fall.