A review by _vanessa
The Flames by Sophie Haydock

emotional sad fast-paced

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

2.0

The prose is rudimentary and a little clumsy, and the interiority of each woman is reduced to a desperate, jealous competition for Egon’s affection, which leads to the same story beats in multiple parts of the novel, and flattens the women into jealous schemers. Egon is not a sympathetic or romantic figure either. I can’t help but feel that the characters are all thinned out, rather than rounded out and made real with a depth of compassion and research.