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lastblossom's reviews
217 reviews
Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Although billed tongue-in-cheek as "the holiday episode," still retains the same tight plotting and fun meta commentary of the rest of the series.
Thoughts
Even though this is a Christmas book, you should probably grab it before December if you want to read it "as intended." In theory it should be read one chapter a day, like an advent calendar. In practice? Yeah... I finished this a lot quicker. It's a much shorter installment than the prior two books in the series, clocking in at 175 pages. Our self-aware author Ernest explains to the readers that this is because it's a Christmas special, and like every Christmas special, it's should be fast-paced, and easy to skip. That being said, if you're a fan of the series, don't skip this!
Like the rest of the series, it's a tightly-plotted fair play mystery with plenty of drama and some really fun twists. There's also a brand new character introduced who I really hope will be a regular in the series, because he's terrible and hilarious. At this point in time, you know if this series is for you (unless this is your first encounter with Ernest Cunningham, in which case I heartily recommend starting at the beginning). This book features the usual meta commentary, self-effacing humor, and dry macabre sensibilities of the previous books, with the writing now honed even sharper than before.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Although billed tongue-in-cheek as "the holiday episode," still retains the same tight plotting and fun meta commentary of the rest of the series.
Thoughts
Even though this is a Christmas book, you should probably grab it before December if you want to read it "as intended." In theory it should be read one chapter a day, like an advent calendar. In practice? Yeah... I finished this a lot quicker. It's a much shorter installment than the prior two books in the series, clocking in at 175 pages. Our self-aware author Ernest explains to the readers that this is because it's a Christmas special, and like every Christmas special, it's should be fast-paced, and easy to skip. That being said, if you're a fan of the series, don't skip this!
Like the rest of the series, it's a tightly-plotted fair play mystery with plenty of drama and some really fun twists. There's also a brand new character introduced who I really hope will be a regular in the series, because he's terrible and hilarious. At this point in time, you know if this series is for you (unless this is your first encounter with Ernest Cunningham, in which case I heartily recommend starting at the beginning). This book features the usual meta commentary, self-effacing humor, and dry macabre sensibilities of the previous books, with the writing now honed even sharper than before.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Ableism, Violence, and Alcohol
The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-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
tl;dr
The literary equivalent of a good cup of coffee: A warm, comforting piece that goes by quickly with no complications.
Thoughts
This book is cozy AF. A magical coffee shop shows up once every full moon, revealing itself to weary adults who feel lost in life. Also, cats do horoscope readings. If that sounds like your cup of tea (or coffee, as it were), you can probably stop reading this review and just go read the book. If you're scanning the reviews wondering "Sure that's a premise, but what is this book ABOUT?" I am here to tell you that the premise is it. Full Moon Coffee Shop is a series of vignettes from various POVs that follow the same outline. An adult is struggling with their life. They find a coffee shop. A horoscope reading happens, and they decide to make changes in their life. Move on to the next adult. It's extremely charming and low stakes, without too many complications or plot twists. There is a narrow thread that stitches everyone's stories together, so we don't fully abandon characters after their chapter is over, but overall the book feels like it's designed to be a comfort read without any extra complications. There's a bittersweet nostalgia at play; you can practically hear the piano soundtrack set against a beautifully moonlit scene as characters consider the decisions that brought them to where they are. The prose dedicates space to enticing descriptions of food and magic. Seemingly mundane moments of human connection are the pillars of the story in a way that I found genuinely touching. The translation feels very straightforward, especially in the horoscope portions.
Overall, recommended for fans of astrology, magical cozy vibes, or anyone who has called themselves "literally Kiki" from Kiki's Delivery Service.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
The literary equivalent of a good cup of coffee: A warm, comforting piece that goes by quickly with no complications.
Thoughts
This book is cozy AF. A magical coffee shop shows up once every full moon, revealing itself to weary adults who feel lost in life. Also, cats do horoscope readings. If that sounds like your cup of tea (or coffee, as it were), you can probably stop reading this review and just go read the book. If you're scanning the reviews wondering "Sure that's a premise, but what is this book ABOUT?" I am here to tell you that the premise is it. Full Moon Coffee Shop is a series of vignettes from various POVs that follow the same outline. An adult is struggling with their life. They find a coffee shop. A horoscope reading happens, and they decide to make changes in their life. Move on to the next adult. It's extremely charming and low stakes, without too many complications or plot twists. There is a narrow thread that stitches everyone's stories together, so we don't fully abandon characters after their chapter is over, but overall the book feels like it's designed to be a comfort read without any extra complications. There's a bittersweet nostalgia at play; you can practically hear the piano soundtrack set against a beautifully moonlit scene as characters consider the decisions that brought them to where they are. The prose dedicates space to enticing descriptions of food and magic. Seemingly mundane moments of human connection are the pillars of the story in a way that I found genuinely touching. The translation feels very straightforward, especially in the horoscope portions.
Overall, recommended for fans of astrology, magical cozy vibes, or anyone who has called themselves "literally Kiki" from Kiki's Delivery Service.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Grief
Minor: Death and Fire/Fire injury
The Queen of Fives by Alex Hay
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A fast-paced con story set in Victorian times with a great twist on the usual formula. Main character lags behind everyone else in terms of character development.
Thoughts
Quinn le Blanc is the "Queen," a title reserved for the most talented con woman in London. The position of queen is typically supported by an entire household of fellow con artists, but times have been tough lately, and the once-thriving crew is down to Quinn and one final servant faithful to the house itself. Deep in debt and running out of time, Quinn needs a score - a BIG one - to fix everything. She sets her sights on the Kendals, the richest family in town, with a very eligible bachelor who is finally on the market. But the spate of bad luck that's plagued her might not be more intentional than she thinks.
And this is where things get rough for me. First off, I actually really love this wrinkle. A third party lurking in the shadows to add extra complications for an unwitting MC is a great addition to the expected con/heist plot, and I found said third party to be the most interesting part of the whole story. And that's my frustration. I wanted to care about Quinn more, but I just couldn't. Her history and motivations don't get much attention, leaving us to simply accept that she's here because the story demands it. I would have liked to see her wrapping up a con at the start just to prove her skills so we can see the chasm between her normal con and how badly this one goes. It would make the twists hit harder when things start falling apart. More flashbacks about her own training as she ascended to Queen would have also been really great for fleshing out who she is. As it is, Quinn is the character with the least development. She's so good at hiding her feelings from the other characters, but it's sad that she also manages to keep them from the reader. The author's notes suggest there might be a spinoff of this book based on the con woman training school that Quinn attended, but it kind of felt like this was the spinoff book about the school's most famous graduate, and the school would be the setting of a full series. And to be honest, I would absolutely read that series. There's a lot of world building here to mine, and the snippets we got about training up the next generation of con artists were very fun.
The rest of the cast come in much stronger. The Kendals are a proper messy rich family full of issues, and the other players all have their own complicated motivations. The plot moves quickly, with multiple POVs If you like your cons with a side of soapy drama, this will definitely land for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
A fast-paced con story set in Victorian times with a great twist on the usual formula. Main character lags behind everyone else in terms of character development.
Thoughts
Quinn le Blanc is the "Queen," a title reserved for the most talented con woman in London. The position of queen is typically supported by an entire household of fellow con artists, but times have been tough lately, and the once-thriving crew is down to Quinn and one final servant faithful to the house itself. Deep in debt and running out of time, Quinn needs a score - a BIG one - to fix everything. She sets her sights on the Kendals, the richest family in town, with a very eligible bachelor who is finally on the market. But the spate of bad luck that's plagued her might not be more intentional than she thinks.
And this is where things get rough for me. First off, I actually really love this wrinkle. A third party lurking in the shadows to add extra complications for an unwitting MC is a great addition to the expected con/heist plot, and I found said third party to be the most interesting part of the whole story. And that's my frustration. I wanted to care about Quinn more, but I just couldn't. Her history and motivations don't get much attention, leaving us to simply accept that she's here because the story demands it. I would have liked to see her wrapping up a con at the start just to prove her skills so we can see the chasm between her normal con and how badly this one goes. It would make the twists hit harder when things start falling apart. More flashbacks about her own training as she ascended to Queen would have also been really great for fleshing out who she is. As it is, Quinn is the character with the least development. She's so good at hiding her feelings from the other characters, but it's sad that she also manages to keep them from the reader. The author's notes suggest there might be a spinoff of this book based on the con woman training school that Quinn attended, but it kind of felt like this was the spinoff book about the school's most famous graduate, and the school would be the setting of a full series. And to be honest, I would absolutely read that series. There's a lot of world building here to mine, and the snippets we got about training up the next generation of con artists were very fun.
The rest of the cast come in much stronger. The Kendals are a proper messy rich family full of issues, and the other players all have their own complicated motivations. The plot moves quickly, with multiple POVs If you like your cons with a side of soapy drama, this will definitely land for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content and Violence
That Beauty is a Tramp V 1 by Hal Osaka
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
The art carries with beautifully illustrated characters and a rather lightweight plot.
Thoughts
For a book about a supermodel, the art definitely rises to the occasion. As expected, Aran is beautiful and sexy at every turn, but the other characters are also gorgeous, all rendered with clean, detailed lines and tones. The character designs are exceptionally appealing, with both leads leaning hard on androgyny. A handful of sexy scenes and moments of undress are appropriately salacious, but don't expect full spice on this one.
The plot itself is barely there: instant attraction paired with a series of coincidences push Nagi and Aran's lives together, allowing the reader to jump from one sexy scene to the next with very little friction. This is probably also where readers will find themselves split. Aran can be fairly possessive at times. He also moves in with Nagi without bothering to ask for permission. There's already enough discussion about these tropes that I don't need to weigh in on whether this is trashy guilty pleasure, or just trashy. You already know how you feel about this. There are a handful of discussions about gender expectations in society that might lead to more of a deconstruction of the tropes, but for now the story plays it straight.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
The art carries with beautifully illustrated characters and a rather lightweight plot.
Thoughts
For a book about a supermodel, the art definitely rises to the occasion. As expected, Aran is beautiful and sexy at every turn, but the other characters are also gorgeous, all rendered with clean, detailed lines and tones. The character designs are exceptionally appealing, with both leads leaning hard on androgyny. A handful of sexy scenes and moments of undress are appropriately salacious, but don't expect full spice on this one.
The plot itself is barely there: instant attraction paired with a series of coincidences push Nagi and Aran's lives together, allowing the reader to jump from one sexy scene to the next with very little friction. This is probably also where readers will find themselves split. Aran can be fairly possessive at times. He also moves in with Nagi without bothering to ask for permission. There's already enough discussion about these tropes that I don't need to weigh in on whether this is trashy guilty pleasure, or just trashy. You already know how you feel about this. There are a handful of discussions about gender expectations in society that might lead to more of a deconstruction of the tropes, but for now the story plays it straight.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment
If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Puzzle companies often use the same template to cut out the shapes of their puzzle pieces. Thus, there exist hundreds of puzzles that feature unique images, but are solved exactly the same way. Many puzzle fans take advantage of this, swapping out pieces between puzzles to create fun and interesting new looks that mesh together multiple images.
This book is a lot like that.
All the genre pieces snap together to form a whole. But if you take a step back, it's a little hard to see a consistent picture. You can see areas where the rest of the picture could be. There could be more history about the ghost and Pen's supposed connection to it. There could be more snappy back and forth between Pen and Neil before the make-outs begin. There could be a lot more digging into their shared history and struggles as authors. Heck, I'd even love to see more excerpts from their respective books. But there just isn't enough room for all of it, because we only have so many pieces to work with.
A review copy was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
This book is a lot like that.
All the genre pieces snap together to form a whole. But if you take a step back, it's a little hard to see a consistent picture. You can see areas where the rest of the picture could be. There could be more history about the ghost and Pen's supposed connection to it. There could be more snappy back and forth between Pen and Neil before the make-outs begin. There could be a lot more digging into their shared history and struggles as authors. Heck, I'd even love to see more excerpts from their respective books. But there just isn't enough room for all of it, because we only have so many pieces to work with.
A review copy was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Racism, and Blood
Minor: Child death, Violence, and Classism
Kusunoki's Flunking Her High School Glow-Up, Vol. 1 by Mitsuki Mii
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A cute slice of life for fans of the high school glow-up and sweet nerds finding each other. A classic mean girl character promises future drama, but this volume remains light.
Thoughts
The high school glow-up plot isn't new by any means, but there's a reason people keep returning to it. It's fun! In this case, we have two bookish children doing their best to reinvent themselves for high school. The twist here is that they both knew each other before the makeover. While they never interacted in middle school, they did spend their hours reading beside each other in the library. That tenuous shared history is enough for Kusunoki to seek out Keisuke's help. She may have picked a new look for herself, but getting the courage to speak to people is bigger hurdle, and one that only he can help with. Shockingly, he discovers that his own phobia of girls doesn't activate when he's around her. Maybe they'll both be good for each other? (Of course they will.) There are very few surprises to be had in here. Keisuke starts out with a predictably dim view on girls as a whole due how he's been hurt, but his time with Kusunoki makes him reevaluate his stance. Meanwhile, Kusunoki's reasons for changing are little more hidden, with some hints towards bullying, but she's warming up quite a bit around Keisuke. Attractive artwork with clean lines and some exceptionally cute expressions pulls the whole thing together making for a mostly endearing read. The only plot point that keeps this from being entirely saccharine sweet is the girl who hurt Keisuke is also here, and... well, that's about it so far. Her presence and almost cartoonishly villainous name promise complications in the future, but so far she's done very little beyond stand around ominously.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
A cute slice of life for fans of the high school glow-up and sweet nerds finding each other. A classic mean girl character promises future drama, but this volume remains light.
Thoughts
The high school glow-up plot isn't new by any means, but there's a reason people keep returning to it. It's fun! In this case, we have two bookish children doing their best to reinvent themselves for high school. The twist here is that they both knew each other before the makeover. While they never interacted in middle school, they did spend their hours reading beside each other in the library. That tenuous shared history is enough for Kusunoki to seek out Keisuke's help. She may have picked a new look for herself, but getting the courage to speak to people is bigger hurdle, and one that only he can help with. Shockingly, he discovers that his own phobia of girls doesn't activate when he's around her. Maybe they'll both be good for each other? (Of course they will.) There are very few surprises to be had in here. Keisuke starts out with a predictably dim view on girls as a whole due how he's been hurt, but his time with Kusunoki makes him reevaluate his stance. Meanwhile, Kusunoki's reasons for changing are little more hidden, with some hints towards bullying, but she's warming up quite a bit around Keisuke. Attractive artwork with clean lines and some exceptionally cute expressions pulls the whole thing together making for a mostly endearing read. The only plot point that keeps this from being entirely saccharine sweet is the girl who hurt Keisuke is also here, and... well, that's about it so far. Her presence and almost cartoonishly villainous name promise complications in the future, but so far she's done very little beyond stand around ominously.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying
Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Research and ingenuity once again prevail in a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy featuring more fae lore, and plenty of familiar faces from previous books.
Thoughts
I fell in love with the first book in the series, the second one brought me much delight, and now the third one has absolutely stuck the landing on the trilogy. I admit, I worry in a series when the final book is lined up to be "the big fight," because we tend to lose a lot of the joy and interpersonal little moments that made the previous books so much fun. Lost Tales neatly avoids this by having the characters skip the "epic battle" altogether. No sweeping armies racing down hilltops to clash, or bloodied fields strewn with corpses. The deposed queen plays a much more subtle game, and it's once again up to Emily's ingenuity and research skills to save the day. The series that started out as academia remains academia to the very end, and it is extremely effective. There's even more lore to dig into, and you can feel the pressure as the clock ticks down to the unknown.
Sadly, we still do lose some of the fun Emily/Wendell moments, as the two of them are separated much more often over the course of this story. It's largely made up for by the ever-growing supporting cast, with the return of characters from the first two books, and the introduction of several more new faces who are all interesting enough to get their own series. Emily's world has grown, and she has friends and colleagues who love and respect her for who she is. It's a touching contrast from her isolated lifestyle in the first book.
For those worried about Shadow,he does not die in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Research and ingenuity once again prevail in a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy featuring more fae lore, and plenty of familiar faces from previous books.
Thoughts
I fell in love with the first book in the series, the second one brought me much delight, and now the third one has absolutely stuck the landing on the trilogy. I admit, I worry in a series when the final book is lined up to be "the big fight," because we tend to lose a lot of the joy and interpersonal little moments that made the previous books so much fun. Lost Tales neatly avoids this by having the characters skip the "epic battle" altogether. No sweeping armies racing down hilltops to clash, or bloodied fields strewn with corpses. The deposed queen plays a much more subtle game, and it's once again up to Emily's ingenuity and research skills to save the day. The series that started out as academia remains academia to the very end, and it is extremely effective. There's even more lore to dig into, and you can feel the pressure as the clock ticks down to the unknown.
Sadly, we still do lose some of the fun Emily/Wendell moments, as the two of them are separated much more often over the course of this story. It's largely made up for by the ever-growing supporting cast, with the return of characters from the first two books, and the introduction of several more new faces who are all interesting enough to get their own series. Emily's world has grown, and she has friends and colleagues who love and respect her for who she is. It's a touching contrast from her isolated lifestyle in the first book.
For those worried about Shadow,
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Atelier Ryza: The Manga: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout by Gust
tl;dr
A video game adaptation that reads like a video game, punctuated with some truly beautiful artwork.
Thoughts
I didn't know this was a video game adaptation when I started reading it, but it only took two pages for me to figure it out. The main character introduces herself as a normal girl from a normal town, and then I turned the page and was greeted with a stunning JRPG heroine design, replete with accessories, extra belts, and cute thigh highs, all lovingly rendered in delicate inks and detailed tones. The rest of the book follows suit, with plenty of beautiful artwork and attractive character designs. Settings are also beautifully illustrated, making a book that feels very good to look at. The story in contrast moves like watching only the cutscenes from a video game. Plot points are doled out in spoonfuls, with missions and battles spacing them out evenly in such a way that you can practically see "New Mission!" alerts pop up on the screen. I think the biggest weakness here is that we miss out on the actual game portions. Alchemy is a core focus of the story, but it gets skipped over regularly because it's gameplay. Fights are handled very quickly, often in a few panels, to make way for the next cutscene. Overall, this largely feels like a book for fans of the game who'd like to relive the story in a more digestible form. As for me, I'm genuinely curious about the game now - so I guess the manga did its job after all!
Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
A video game adaptation that reads like a video game, punctuated with some truly beautiful artwork.
Thoughts
I didn't know this was a video game adaptation when I started reading it, but it only took two pages for me to figure it out. The main character introduces herself as a normal girl from a normal town, and then I turned the page and was greeted with a stunning JRPG heroine design, replete with accessories, extra belts, and cute thigh highs, all lovingly rendered in delicate inks and detailed tones. The rest of the book follows suit, with plenty of beautiful artwork and attractive character designs. Settings are also beautifully illustrated, making a book that feels very good to look at. The story in contrast moves like watching only the cutscenes from a video game. Plot points are doled out in spoonfuls, with missions and battles spacing them out evenly in such a way that you can practically see "New Mission!" alerts pop up on the screen. I think the biggest weakness here is that we miss out on the actual game portions. Alchemy is a core focus of the story, but it gets skipped over regularly because it's gameplay. Fights are handled very quickly, often in a few panels, to make way for the next cutscene. Overall, this largely feels like a book for fans of the game who'd like to relive the story in a more digestible form. As for me, I'm genuinely curious about the game now - so I guess the manga did its job after all!
Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, War, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
The House on Graveyard Lane by Martin Edwards
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
More thriller than mystery. A reasonably fun and twisty tale, but be advised that the description and the actual book aren't entirely in line.
Thoughts
This is fourth in a series, a thing I was entirely unaware of when I started it. Thankfully, there was enough catchup woven in that it wasn't a pain point for me to jump into the story. That being said, maybe I would have known better what to expect when the story took a sudden swerve from a very interesting hook to an entirely different plotline. There are two leads here - Rachel and Jacob - and despite the book description spending more time on Rachel, the book itself spends a lot more time on Jacob. The story begins with the death of Damaris Gethin (Rachel's case), but immediately takes a turn to follow the life of another woman, Kiki de Villiers (Jacob's case). Kiki is a person of interest for unspecified reasons. She's got history in this town, and there are a lot of different threads connected to her: the police, organized crime, a mysterious third party? Is Damaris also part of her story? Only somewhat. Jacob and Rachel intersect a few times, more out of coincidence than connection, but the lion's share of the story is about Kiki. There's plenty of cat and mouse in here leaning more into a thriller than a mystery, with a large amount of legwork in Rachel's case being done off the page. It's a shame, because she and the case are incredibly interesting, and I would have liked to follow that thread more. Still, if you want to follow the adventures of a crime reporter tracking down a woman with a mysterious past as she tangles with a crime organization, then this might be the book for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.
More thriller than mystery. A reasonably fun and twisty tale, but be advised that the description and the actual book aren't entirely in line.
Thoughts
This is fourth in a series, a thing I was entirely unaware of when I started it. Thankfully, there was enough catchup woven in that it wasn't a pain point for me to jump into the story. That being said, maybe I would have known better what to expect when the story took a sudden swerve from a very interesting hook to an entirely different plotline. There are two leads here - Rachel and Jacob - and despite the book description spending more time on Rachel, the book itself spends a lot more time on Jacob. The story begins with the death of Damaris Gethin (Rachel's case), but immediately takes a turn to follow the life of another woman, Kiki de Villiers (Jacob's case). Kiki is a person of interest for unspecified reasons. She's got history in this town, and there are a lot of different threads connected to her: the police, organized crime, a mysterious third party? Is Damaris also part of her story? Only somewhat. Jacob and Rachel intersect a few times, more out of coincidence than connection, but the lion's share of the story is about Kiki. There's plenty of cat and mouse in here leaning more into a thriller than a mystery, with a large amount of legwork in Rachel's case being done off the page. It's a shame, because she and the case are incredibly interesting, and I would have liked to follow that thread more. Still, if you want to follow the adventures of a crime reporter tracking down a woman with a mysterious past as she tangles with a crime organization, then this might be the book for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Abortion, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Fire/Fire injury
The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A fairy tale retelling with a truly magical world building and atmosphere. Some of the character relationships in the second half could use a little more time to develop.
Thoughts
Erin A. Craig is absolutely incredible at creating atmosphere. Creeping dread, shadowy mysteries, and what lurks in the dark? It's all here in delicious, immersive detail. There's also an indulgent amount of plant life, things that grow, and a touch of cottagecore that my heart loves. Magic and gods feel very real in this space, and the world building feels exactly like a fairy tale come to life. The relationship between Hazel and Death was also surprisingly tender, and I enjoyed all the moments between them. And yet through all of this, the pacing really threw me off. Other reviewers have mentioned that this feels like two books, and I would agree. The first half moves at an even pace, carefully building the world and all the people in it. The second half takes off at a pace that is great for the plot, but not necessarily great for the character relationships. A year passes between chapters, and now two characters are as close as sisters, but we have to take the narration's word for it, because we never get to see it happen. Romance in particular takes a hit with this, as a lot of the character development takes place off screen. It's a trade off to cover a huge amount of plot, and I see why it happened, but I wish we could've spent more time with the characters and their personal lives. And I guess if the worst thing I can say about a book is that I wish we got more, that's probably not a bad thing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
A fairy tale retelling with a truly magical world building and atmosphere. Some of the character relationships in the second half could use a little more time to develop.
Thoughts
Erin A. Craig is absolutely incredible at creating atmosphere. Creeping dread, shadowy mysteries, and what lurks in the dark? It's all here in delicious, immersive detail. There's also an indulgent amount of plant life, things that grow, and a touch of cottagecore that my heart loves. Magic and gods feel very real in this space, and the world building feels exactly like a fairy tale come to life. The relationship between Hazel and Death was also surprisingly tender, and I enjoyed all the moments between them. And yet through all of this, the pacing really threw me off. Other reviewers have mentioned that this feels like two books, and I would agree. The first half moves at an even pace, carefully building the world and all the people in it. The second half takes off at a pace that is great for the plot, but not necessarily great for the character relationships. A year passes between chapters, and now two characters are as close as sisters, but we have to take the narration's word for it, because we never get to see it happen. Romance in particular takes a hit with this, as a lot of the character development takes place off screen. It's a trade off to cover a huge amount of plot, and I see why it happened, but I wish we could've spent more time with the characters and their personal lives. And I guess if the worst thing I can say about a book is that I wish we got more, that's probably not a bad thing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol and War