A review by jewishpadme
The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

this was a debut book and part one of a fantasy trilogy, which may account for most of my issues with it. the character's were good, and i liked them a lot. i especially loved tristan's character arc, and aziza's general energy. every thing else is a bit of a mess. it seems as thought all three plots for the trilogy are laid out in this books which made it feel confusing and messy, with only one being tied up by the end of the novel. like why did we spend so much time on leo's families curse and find out the origin when nothing happens as a result??? it felt like a weird choice to put so much of that plot into this book if there are plans to really dig into in a separate one? it just felt like a distraction from the main villain and i would get annoyed every time leo's pov started. otherwise there were some plot holes, less than stellar world building, and hardly any explanation of the magic system which make this book entertaining but largely frustrating to read.