Scan barcode
A review by tabithaecw
Equinox by David Towsey
3.0
3/5
Trigger Warnings:
Gore
Graphic Descriptions of violence (including against children)
Ritual Violence
Review:
This fantasy novel pays homage to Jekyll and Hyde in a very interesting conceptual hook. In the kingdom of Reikova, people have a day version and a night version of themselves. Two entirely different minds and souls share one body. The novel opens with our protagonist, night-brother Christophor, who is sent by the King to the small town of Drekenford after it is revealed a ritual of witchcraft is being performed. Christophor's day-brother, the musician Aleksander, dislikes his night-brother's occupation but proves to be a very valuable asset in the end.
I loved the concept, a twist on Jekyll and Hyde had me hooked. But I must say that I thought the second half of the novel was far stronger than the first, this could be due to personal taste as the first half is narrated by Christophor, and the second half by Aleksander. I found Aleksander's narration to be more intriguing, but also the action in the latter half of the novel had a great rhythm to it. The first half was a push to get through, I was continually intrigued by the events of witchcraft, but I found Christophor's character rather tedious.
Towsey masterfully shows you both Christophor's version of Aleksander's events and vice versa, these unreliable narrators add another layer of intrigue to the mystery that encouraged me to continue on. I thought the descriptions and lore in the second half of the novel were very beautiful, and I really enjoyed Christophor's interactions with Victor and Julia, two young children who perform plenty of 'experiments' that help uncover the culprit of these crimes. The fantastical nature of the magic was also wonderful, especially the letter scene which I could picture so clearly in my head.
Unfortunately, I found the first half chose style over substance, which made it difficult to press through. Overall, I thought the world-building was strong but the plot was lacking depth, as the concluding pages of the novel provided me with an unsatisfying conclusion.
For anyone who is interested in a Jekyll and Hyde/V.E. Schwab cross-over, I would recommend this book. You will love the dark magic and secondary/tertiary characters, who really sprung off the page to me.
(A huge thank you to NetGalley, Head of Zeus, and Ad Astra for the eARC)
Trigger Warnings:
Gore
Graphic Descriptions of violence (including against children)
Ritual Violence
Review:
This fantasy novel pays homage to Jekyll and Hyde in a very interesting conceptual hook. In the kingdom of Reikova, people have a day version and a night version of themselves. Two entirely different minds and souls share one body. The novel opens with our protagonist, night-brother Christophor, who is sent by the King to the small town of Drekenford after it is revealed a ritual of witchcraft is being performed. Christophor's day-brother, the musician Aleksander, dislikes his night-brother's occupation but proves to be a very valuable asset in the end.
I loved the concept, a twist on Jekyll and Hyde had me hooked. But I must say that I thought the second half of the novel was far stronger than the first, this could be due to personal taste as the first half is narrated by Christophor, and the second half by Aleksander. I found Aleksander's narration to be more intriguing, but also the action in the latter half of the novel had a great rhythm to it. The first half was a push to get through, I was continually intrigued by the events of witchcraft, but I found Christophor's character rather tedious.
Towsey masterfully shows you both Christophor's version of Aleksander's events and vice versa, these unreliable narrators add another layer of intrigue to the mystery that encouraged me to continue on. I thought the descriptions and lore in the second half of the novel were very beautiful, and I really enjoyed Christophor's interactions with Victor and Julia, two young children who perform plenty of 'experiments' that help uncover the culprit of these crimes. The fantastical nature of the magic was also wonderful, especially the letter scene which I could picture so clearly in my head.
Unfortunately, I found the first half chose style over substance, which made it difficult to press through. Overall, I thought the world-building was strong but the plot was lacking depth, as the concluding pages of the novel provided me with an unsatisfying conclusion.
For anyone who is interested in a Jekyll and Hyde/V.E. Schwab cross-over, I would recommend this book. You will love the dark magic and secondary/tertiary characters, who really sprung off the page to me.
(A huge thank you to NetGalley, Head of Zeus, and Ad Astra for the eARC)