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A review by mkw1lson
Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Ok, I think I have to start this by saying that I did not love this book - it was long and dry, and it felt like a chore to finish it more than anything else. This is very much the first book in a complex series, and you can tell that so much of what you're reading is set up.
The biggest redeeming factor is that I liked Sasha a lot. She was a well-rounded and complex character; she faced a lot of challenges, and she didn't easily overcome each of them. She acted coldly and selfishly at times, she was driven by fear(shocker) often. She's ambitious, and that causes a lot of problems for her, which is compelling to read.
That said... I was still bored a lot. I wasn't deeply invested in her relationships with anyone (family, friends, love interest, professors) and it took a long time to grasp wtf was going on with her and what she was even learning/training to do. I think that's purposeful, but I didn't love just how long it took to understand any of it.
The writing was beautiful, and I could tell that a lot of thought went into the story. It did all eventually come together well too, and I suspect further books might be a bit more... interesting due to needing less buildup, but I don't know if this book was good enough for me to want to read the rest of the series. That said, I still think the quality of the writing, plot, and Sasha's character means I would feel wrong to rate it less than 3 stars.
Also, the warnings about body horror/vomiting are not a joke either, if you're sensitive to that even a little bit, just don't - this will be too much.
The biggest redeeming factor is that I liked Sasha a lot. She was a well-rounded and complex character; she faced a lot of challenges, and she didn't easily overcome each of them. She acted coldly and selfishly at times, she was driven by fear
That said... I was still bored a lot. I wasn't deeply invested in her relationships with anyone (family, friends, love interest, professors) and it took a long time to grasp wtf was going on with her and what she was even learning/training to do. I think that's purposeful, but I didn't love just how long it took to understand any of it.
The writing was beautiful, and I could tell that a lot of thought went into the story. It did all eventually come together well too, and I suspect further books might be a bit more... interesting due to needing less buildup, but I don't know if this book was good enough for me to want to read the rest of the series. That said, I still think the quality of the writing, plot, and Sasha's character means I would feel wrong to rate it less than 3 stars.
Also, the warnings about body horror/vomiting are not a joke either, if you're sensitive to that even a little bit, just don't - this will be too much.