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robinwalter's Reviews (1.87k)
Having absolutely LOVED Raza Mir's The Taste of Words: An Introduction to Urdu Poetry I really, REALLY wanted to like this book. The concept sounded fun, with the legendary Mirza Ghalib as a sleuth. Sadly, it din't quite work for me. The history worked into the story as background and context was very interesting, albeit also very disturbing. Being set in the week before the Rebellion sprang into full life made reading the historical tidbits and the historically accurate interpolations very difficult to read.
But the reason I gave up was simply that the mystery didn't work. The investigative bits read far too modern, I got no sense of time and place from them. In the end, this killed my interest in the story.
But the reason I gave up was simply that the mystery didn't work. The investigative bits read far too modern, I got no sense of time and place from them. In the end, this killed my interest in the story.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A very good wrap up for the corruption arc. All the pieces came together nicely, but not TOO neatly, and most importantly, the storyline was not dragged into yet another book.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fast and fun, a sweet short story done very well
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Not bad, scored up for throwing me well of the track early on
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A fine addition to the series, scored up for surprisingly straightforward answer to the whodunnit
informative
medium-paced
A good overview for complete layperson like me.
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An entertaining mystery, which I came very close to solving quite early on, but the highlight of this story was definitely the mother and child reunion
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A sweet, lovable treat. The solution to the core mystery was transparently obvious VERY early on, but the journey to the solution and the happy ending made it very enjoyable
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like my stories to have at least one likeable protagonist and apart from Lord Julian and crew, this story had none. Banter in particular came across as spectacularly odious and unlikeable.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For me, the best yet. Real emotion, a very personal mystery, and a gratifying solution - even if the identity of one key character was obvious from their first appearance