Poe Blythe has a familiar story: she fell in love, she went on what should have been an adventure, and the boy she loved was taken from her. Instead of running away (which would continue that familiar story) she becomes obsessed, driven entirely by a need for revenge. She has a brilliant mind but keeps her distance from other people, snatching power for herself when she's given the chance.
When she's told that everything is not as it seems, she doesn't try to change sides, not really. She is her own side - and I think that's what I like best about her. Poe was the anchor that made this story work and served fabulously to keep me from lingering on what was missing.
Namely, there was no worldbuilding. There was no sweeping history of the world, only a few little hints and the barest sense that some of these things should be familiar to us. But that didn't bother me nearly as much as I would have thought. The secondary characters were also rather vague, but I chalk that up to Poe's own inherent distrust and solitary nature. Because the story revolves around her and she doesn't seem to care that there's no worldbuilding or the characters around her aren't completely solid. She just wants her revenge.
When she's told that everything is not as it seems, she doesn't try to change sides, not really. She is her own side - and I think that's what I like best about her. Poe was the anchor that made this story work and served fabulously to keep me from lingering on what was missing.
Namely, there was no worldbuilding. There was no sweeping history of the world, only a few little hints and the barest sense that some of these things should be familiar to us. But that didn't bother me nearly as much as I would have thought. The secondary characters were also rather vague, but I chalk that up to Poe's own inherent distrust and solitary nature. Because the story revolves around her and she doesn't seem to care that there's no worldbuilding or the characters around her aren't completely solid. She just wants her revenge.