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silver_ethereal's Reviews (205)
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a very impactful read. It was wonderfully balanced between a soft, gentle love story and feral grotesqueness. I appreciate the questions of sin vs divinity that this brought up. What do they actually mean? Who decides? Can you be purely sinful or purely divine?
Areas I would have loved to be expanded on were the world building as well as specifically Stolas' background. Sometimes the phrases used seemed like very human references/metaphors, which made me question how much exposure they have to everyday human life.
It was eluded to that Amitiel would recognize or have heard about Stolas' angel name/history - this was a thread that I was hoping would be revisited and revealed, and was a little disappointed it wasn't!
Overall really thought provoking and evocative. I love the depth the author was able to convey in the relationship in so few words.
Areas I would have loved to be expanded on were the world building as well as specifically Stolas' background. Sometimes the phrases used seemed like very human references/metaphors, which made me question how much exposure they have to everyday human life.
Overall really thought provoking and evocative. I love the depth the author was able to convey in the relationship in so few words.
I received an ARC of An Education in Malice from NetGalley and Orbit US in exchange for an honest review.
An Education in Malice will be released on February 13, 2024.
This is a captivating read that excels in setting up a moody dark academia atmosphere. It is vivid and beautifully written.
I was entirely captured by the setting, characters, and energy up until about the 70% mark - then something shifted and it felt like the tension and intrigue disappeared. After that point, it no longer felt like dark academia, or even rivals to lovers. The drama/conflict(namely the subplot with Isis hunting/killing students) felt sort of inconsequential and bland. There didn't feel like there was any real threat or danger or mystery or intrigue anymore. This dullness carried on for me until the end, and I finished the book feeling...blah.
Pros:
× impeccable Vibes™ and aesthetic
× interesting main characters and fascinating tension between them (at least in the first 75%)
× author obviously drew from a lot of classic literature/poetry and well researched both that & the time period (1960s)
× beautiful, immersive prose/storytelling
× sapphic romance/rep
Cons:
× somehow not enough poetry (the dark academia vibes drop off significantly in the second half)
× Laura's character (and other MCs too) had so many interesting things introduced that I wish the author would have leaned into more (for example: Laura wants to become a priest and has spent a lot of time studying the bible, but she doesn't really mention this or put any of that knowledge to use, which seems like a big missed opportunity IMO)
× the last 30% of the book felt like an afterthought
Overall I think this is definitely worth a read if you're into dark academia and sapphic romance. I really do like the author's writing and can see improvement since A Dowry of Blood. I'll continue reading their work and am looking forward to Evocation later this year!
An Education in Malice will be released on February 13, 2024.
This is a captivating read that excels in setting up a moody dark academia atmosphere. It is vivid and beautifully written.
I was entirely captured by the setting, characters, and energy up until about the 70% mark - then something shifted and it felt like the tension and intrigue disappeared. After that point, it no longer felt like dark academia, or even rivals to lovers. The drama/conflict
Pros:
× impeccable Vibes™ and aesthetic
× interesting main characters and fascinating tension between them (at least in the first 75%)
× author obviously drew from a lot of classic literature/poetry and well researched both that & the time period (1960s)
× beautiful, immersive prose/storytelling
× sapphic romance/rep
Cons:
× somehow not enough poetry (the dark academia vibes drop off significantly in the second half)
× Laura's character (and other MCs too) had so many interesting things introduced that I wish the author would have leaned into more (for example: Laura wants to become a priest and has spent a lot of time studying the bible, but she doesn't really mention this or put any of that knowledge to use, which seems like a big missed opportunity IMO)
× the last 30% of the book felt like an afterthought
Overall I think this is definitely worth a read if you're into dark academia and sapphic romance. I really do like the author's writing and can see improvement since A Dowry of Blood. I'll continue reading their work and am looking forward to Evocation later this year!
