A review by priscilla
Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I didn't like this book as much as I hoped I would. A SoC-like setup in an interesting world sounded like a great idea, and while the world is interesting and the characters have potential, the writing let me down a bit. I feel like a lot of things were overwritten and telling instead of showing. On top of that, it felt like the author read SoC themselves as well, got inspired, and then insisted on pointing out differences at random moments. Example: Tavia is, in so many ways, the same as Inej. Strong moral compass, tragic back story about losing family, being tied up into a contract that makes her do things she doesn't want - which is fine, I don't mind that - but the moment a page and a half is spent explaining how Tavia is definitely NOT athletic and has a BAD fear of heights (a fact which is, after that point, never relevant or mentioned again) feels very much like the author saying "see? She's soooo different from Inej!"

All in all, a really intriguing and fascinating world and magic system, but it didn't fully reach its potential for me.