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A review by wilt
Stitching Palms by B.L. Brown
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
I will concede that my rating is purely based on a disconnect of taste, rather than any big shortcomings of the writing itself. There are some things that worked for me extremely well, and other parts that absolutely did not.
What I liked:
The setting. I am not an urban fantasy guy, but the setting (the Florida Keys) piqued my curiosity and I really enjoyed everything it had to offer. The way the writing kept things colorful and magical and special really complimented the place and made even the pesky chickens seem endearing. It always felt sweaty and bright and vibrant, and it sparked my appetite in the loveliest ways. I also loved the way the writing described magic, and the different ways it worked with different people. The witch systems themselves were fascinating and creative and clearly have a lot of lore behind them, but everything was introduced naturally and it never felt overwhelming. There was just the right balance to leave me wanting more and enjoying every morsel offered. I also loved Diego - his history, his present, and the links between both. His Way of being a witch was totally unique and it was really cool to see the way his talent was utilized for the plot. I enjoyed most of the other characters too, and was never bored by them.
What I disliked:
The sex scenes did not work for me, at all. I typically don't have any issue with lengthy or frequent sex scenes, but for this book I found myself wanting to blur past them to get right back to the plot, every time. And I'm not quite sure why that is. Maybe there wasn't enough build up from the start, or maybe it was Trav himself, who I couldn't get a solid grip on, personality-wise (which worked great for the plot, but not for convincing passionate romance). The constant inclusion of alcohol as a lead up to the sex also did not help matters. The writing for the scenes themselves was not bad, but they really brought down my overall experience.
That being said, this is a fascinating book. The writing and concepts were fun, the plot interesting, and I definitely want to check out more from this author and series (as this is my first entry to it!)
*I received an advance review copy of Stitching Palms for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What I liked:
The setting. I am not an urban fantasy guy, but the setting (the Florida Keys) piqued my curiosity and I really enjoyed everything it had to offer. The way the writing kept things colorful and magical and special really complimented the place and made even the pesky chickens seem endearing. It always felt sweaty and bright and vibrant, and it sparked my appetite in the loveliest ways. I also loved the way the writing described magic, and the different ways it worked with different people. The witch systems themselves were fascinating and creative and clearly have a lot of lore behind them, but everything was introduced naturally and it never felt overwhelming. There was just the right balance to leave me wanting more and enjoying every morsel offered. I also loved Diego - his history, his present, and the links between both. His Way of being a witch was totally unique and it was really cool to see the way his talent was utilized for the plot. I enjoyed most of the other characters too, and was never bored by them.
What I disliked:
The sex scenes did not work for me, at all. I typically don't have any issue with lengthy or frequent sex scenes, but for this book I found myself wanting to blur past them to get right back to the plot, every time. And I'm not quite sure why that is. Maybe there wasn't enough build up from the start, or maybe it was Trav himself, who I couldn't get a solid grip on, personality-wise (which worked great for the plot, but not for convincing passionate romance). The constant inclusion of alcohol as a lead up to the sex also did not help matters. The writing for the scenes themselves was not bad, but they really brought down my overall experience.
That being said, this is a fascinating book. The writing and concepts were fun, the plot interesting, and I definitely want to check out more from this author and series (as this is my first entry to it!)
*I received an advance review copy of Stitching Palms for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.