A review by guardyourhonor
The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I liked it, but I almost loved it. What held me back was a lack of emotional depth; it never fully connected with me, and though the characters had interesting backstories, it always felt like the story was just skimming the surface of them. I also don't care for villain perspectives in general, but they also felt emotionally shallow. I will probably read the next one, because I like Nina and do think there's potential for very rich character development.