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A review by mikaylay
Infinity: a Crown of Golden Leaves by Coralina DuBois
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
The illustrations weaved throughout the novel are magnificent and fantastic supplements to the book, providing useful visual aids to assist readers in visualizing the people and setting of the story while improving the descriptions in the accompanying text. I admire how the author seamlessly weaves Greek and Roman mythology characters like Princess Andromeda and Perseus into the novel without disrupting the broader plot. I appreciate the author's use of italics to distinguish between the characters' thoughts and spoken words. The writing was so vivid and imaginative that I was able to visualize the actions and people in great detail. In addition to the characters, the author's work elicited emotions in me. The author does an excellent job of addressing a variety of issues, including classism, slavery, abuse of authority, and rape. Titus, the story's villain, has a heartbreaking backstory that not only explains some of his behavior and actions but may also explain why this once good man is now a ruthless leader and father who believes he has no hope, remorse, or emotions to bring him back to the side of good. I liked and appreciated how the romances in the novel progressed throughout and how we got the backstories of how the various couples met, got to know each other, and even started developing love for each other. I admired how Medusa, renowned as an awful, villainous snake-haired character in many Greek mythology stories, is a lovely queen who engages in the dark arts of the serpentine witch covens in this novel. The distinct approach to the character of Medusa was refreshing and intriguing, providing insight into why she is regarded as a villain beyond her appearance. The plot and character development throughout the novel were well-planned, detailed, innovative, and outstanding. This book is far more than a historical romance. It is adventurous, intriguing, mythological, and even magical at moments, as well as a lovely story about the eternal power of love, friendship, and generosity.
One confusion I had was that it appears Perseus's friend Felix has died at the beginning, but he is subsequently revealed to be alive and well. So, I would propose that the author adjust the implication to let readers know right away that he survives despite being on the verge of death. Due to the pace being slower in the beginning, it was difficult to get into the tale at first. The only negative was that readers were not shown how Matthaios devised his plan for him and Sara to leave Rome, nor were they shown what happened to Felix and Perseus immediately after they were freed from slavery. I believe these sequences would enrich the story by providing readers with a thorough description of what happened to all the characters before they were reunited, completing the entire storyline finale.
One confusion I had was that it appears Perseus's friend Felix has died at the beginning, but he is subsequently revealed to be alive and well. So, I would propose that the author adjust the implication to let readers know right away that he survives despite being on the verge of death. Due to the pace being slower in the beginning, it was difficult to get into the tale at first. The only negative was that readers were not shown how Matthaios devised his plan for him and Sara to leave Rome, nor were they shown what happened to Felix and Perseus immediately after they were freed from slavery. I believe these sequences would enrich the story by providing readers with a thorough description of what happened to all the characters before they were reunited, completing the entire storyline finale.