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A review by wanderonwards
What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to Macmillan/St. Martin’s Griffin for sending me an ARC of this title. I received this copy for free and this review contains my honest opinions.
What Became of Magic blends a paranormal story with a hint of romance and prose that is wonderfully atmospheric for fall. There were quite a few elements that didn’t work for me in this story, but I found it so atmospheric I was willing to give the story longer than I otherwise might have. Even though my ARC was advertised as a romance first and paranormal second, I thought the romance was more of a subplot and didn’t really meet the expectations set for that genre. I know romance is a huge range, and there will probably be a lot of readers who will enjoy this type of story, but the main characters’ relationship really takes a back seat to the rest of the plot.
I also felt the pacing wasn’t the right choice for this story: the first four chapters are basically an extended prologue as we get to experience Aline growing up and some of the events that shaped her while the rest of the book (19 chapters in my copy) takes place over a couple of days. Perhaps these 4 introductory chapters would have worked more cohesively with the rest of the story if they were integrated throughout the book, like with the shifts in POV and backstory for some of the other characters. Thank you again to the publisher for sending me a free ARC.
I also felt the pacing wasn’t the right choice for this story: the first four chapters are basically an extended prologue as we get to experience Aline growing up and some of the events that shaped her while the rest of the book (19 chapters in my copy) takes place over a couple of days. Perhaps these 4 introductory chapters would have worked more cohesively with the rest of the story if they were integrated throughout the book, like with the shifts in POV and backstory for some of the other characters. Thank you again to the publisher for sending me a free ARC.