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A review by aseaoftomes
Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Normally, I don't get along with magical realism/fabulism as a genre, but this one worked for me. It's hard for me to pinpoint why, but I definitely enjoyed it.
This book is told in a dual timeline, one in 1815, and the other in present day, or some equivalent. It follows a cast of characters both past and present as they deal with an outbreak of a plague (the Dancing Plague to be specific) and how the events of the past are intertwined in the present. And I think that's all I'll say to avoid spoilers.
The writing was absolutely gorgeous. I loved it a lot. It's captures the atmosphere of the book and the emotions and it was just some of the most gorgeous prose I've read in a long time. I normally don't pay attention to the writing in detail, but this time it was hard to avoid. Definitely a highlight for me.
The plot is pretty much what I mentioned above, and is hard to fully describe because it's a quieter book. There's a good mix of plot and character work but it's a bit more character focused. Pretty much all you need to know though is there's a plague and we follow certain characters from different backgrounds who are involved in it all in a specific way.
The setting was also lovely. The 1815 portion primarily takes place in Strasbourg and the Alsace region in Germany and it's slightly unclear where the present day portion took place. But both settings played an interesting role, and while it wasn't the main focus, I enjoyed it regardless.
Finally, the characters. I really enjoyed all of them - Lala, Alifair, Emil, Rosella...they were all great characters. The first two characters were back in 1815 and I loved their portions the most. I loved the exploration of groups of people we normally don't see at the forefront of novels like the Romani for example. That was a huge part of the novel and I adored it for a variety of reasons. Rosella and her background was also interesting and added an extra layer as well. It was absolutely fantastic. I loved the romances as well and the relationships in general. And the themes that were explored as well like identity, love, friendships, how the past matters for our present...all of it was just so good.
All in all, a pleasant surprise and one that I plan on revisiting in the future.
This book is told in a dual timeline, one in 1815, and the other in present day, or some equivalent. It follows a cast of characters both past and present as they deal with an outbreak of a plague (the Dancing Plague to be specific) and how the events of the past are intertwined in the present. And I think that's all I'll say to avoid spoilers.
The writing was absolutely gorgeous. I loved it a lot. It's captures the atmosphere of the book and the emotions and it was just some of the most gorgeous prose I've read in a long time. I normally don't pay attention to the writing in detail, but this time it was hard to avoid. Definitely a highlight for me.
The plot is pretty much what I mentioned above, and is hard to fully describe because it's a quieter book. There's a good mix of plot and character work but it's a bit more character focused. Pretty much all you need to know though is there's a plague and we follow certain characters from different backgrounds who are involved in it all in a specific way.
The setting was also lovely. The 1815 portion primarily takes place in Strasbourg and the Alsace region in Germany and it's slightly unclear where the present day portion took place. But both settings played an interesting role, and while it wasn't the main focus, I enjoyed it regardless.
Finally, the characters. I really enjoyed all of them - Lala, Alifair, Emil, Rosella...they were all great characters. The first two characters were back in 1815 and I loved their portions the most. I loved the exploration of groups of people we normally don't see at the forefront of novels like the Romani for example. That was a huge part of the novel and I adored it for a variety of reasons. Rosella and her background was also interesting and added an extra layer as well. It was absolutely fantastic. I loved the romances as well and the relationships in general. And the themes that were explored as well like identity, love, friendships, how the past matters for our present...all of it was just so good.
All in all, a pleasant surprise and one that I plan on revisiting in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Racism, Transphobia, Xenophobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content