A Compelling Beginning to a New Duology!
I've been a fan of this author's work since I read her debut trilogy so, naturally, I wanted to pick this one up as well. Though I wasn't sure at first if it was going to work for me or not, I think the second half of the book really picked up the pace and confirmed a 3.5 star rating.
The worldbuilding aspect of this novel was fascinating and I would have loved to have seen more of it throughout (maybe in book two??) –– I have lots of questions about the nature of spells and hexes, how to make them, how they work, etc. While I'm glad the author didn't infodump this information (because then it makes it a slog to read), there are times I wish I had gotten more elaboration.
I also wasn't entirely sure about Marlow's character to begin with but she grew on me toward the end. I think that, in the beginning, she had a bit of "pick me girl" syndrome and her dialogue was a bit cringy at times (trying to hit those "witty one-liners" and not really hitting the mark), I came around to her in the end. Hopefully, that development lasts and continues into the next book.
Finally, I think the "mystery" aspect of this novel was well done. I sort of saw the ending coming but there were plenty of twists that I didn't catch. I am definitely intrigued enough to pick up the sequel when it comes out!
The worldbuilding aspect of this novel was fascinating and I would have loved to have seen more of it throughout (maybe in book two??) –– I have lots of questions about the nature of spells and hexes, how to make them, how they work, etc. While I'm glad the author didn't infodump this information (because then it makes it a slog to read), there are times I wish I had gotten more elaboration.
I also wasn't entirely sure about Marlow's character to begin with but she grew on me toward the end. I think that, in the beginning, she had a bit of "pick me girl" syndrome and her dialogue was a bit cringy at times (trying to hit those "witty one-liners" and not really hitting the mark), I came around to her in the end. Hopefully, that development lasts and continues into the next book.
Finally, I think the "mystery" aspect of this novel was well done. I sort of saw the ending coming but there were plenty of twists that I didn't catch. I am definitely intrigued enough to pick up the sequel when it comes out!