A review by lakeblackett
The House of Frost and Feathers by Lauren Wiesebron

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really wanted to enjoy this book fully but it was a challenge. The story and characters were obviously thought out and rather loveable, even the villains and anti-hero’s. It’s a pretty slow read and 90% of the actual action is in the last few chapters but that isn’t an issue, with the first half of the book having wonderful worlds building and wonder. 

The thing that made it a rough read for me, was the writing style. In fact, it was the sole reason I found getting to the end tedious. We don’t need to be told the name of the person saying/doing something, Every. Single. Sentence. “Baba Zima sighed. Baba Zima sat down and drank her tea. Baba Zima gestured for Olena to come closer.” -not actual sentences but it’s exactly how the whole book is written. It made it feel incredibly childish in its writing, for what is a beautifully dark and adventurous story; with magical worlds, objects and beings that I have a special interest in myself. It was like the reader couldn’t be trusted to know who was doing or saying something if it wasn’t spelt out, letter by letter, every single time. 

In conclusion, I do recommend this book and I hope others enjoy it wholeheartedly, in the ways I couldn’t. It really is a hidden gem in its own right.