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cleanlydaisy214 's review for:
A Restless Truth
by Freya Marske
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
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
Maud Blyth (Robin's sister) has volunteered to serve as a companion to an old woman traveling on an ocean liner from the US back to the UK after Robin becomes embroiled in the magical conspiracy from the first book. After the untimely death of her employer, she enlists magician and actress Violet Debenham to help her solve the mystery. Along the way they forge new alliances and learn to trust each other.
Admittedly, I was a bit nervous at the outset of this novel. Initially both Maud and Violet rubbed me the wrong way for different reasons. Maud is sheltered and determined to step up and prove herself to her brother, which makes her reckless. Violet is outgoing but keeps her true self tightly contained, which made her POV frustrating to read at times, especially in comparison to Maud. I grew to like them both, and they experienced significant growth over the course of this novel (and the following one), but I do feel the strength of this book was the supporting cast alongside the romance.
I love a locked room mystery, and the ship was perfect for that. The conspiracy was a bit convoluted, and it would have been a bit more confusing if I hadn't just read the first book earlier that day, but overall I really enjoyed how this book was able to remained contained in itself AND fit in well to the overarching narrative.
Admittedly, I was a bit nervous at the outset of this novel. Initially both Maud and Violet rubbed me the wrong way for different reasons. Maud is sheltered and determined to step up and prove herself to her brother, which makes her reckless. Violet is outgoing but keeps her true self tightly contained, which made her POV frustrating to read at times, especially in comparison to Maud. I grew to like them both, and they experienced significant growth over the course of this novel (and the following one), but I do feel the strength of this book was the supporting cast alongside the romance.
I love a locked room mystery, and the ship was perfect for that. The conspiracy was a bit convoluted, and it would have been a bit more confusing if I hadn't just read the first book earlier that day, but overall I really enjoyed how this book was able to remained contained in itself AND fit in well to the overarching narrative.