a great concept that was just executed in an okay way
This is going to be a very different review for me. I have very strong mixed feelings about this book, and I don’t know how to pinpoint it exactly. The book has extremely odd pacing. I want to call it action packed, but it wasn’t exactly action packed. The first like 90 pages are world building and background story, which is fine, but in a stand alone, with this much world building, it felt like a lot. And there were a lot of details we got in odd moments. Let’s dive into it
Wins:
-it was very unique. I liked the world. I appreciate just how different it is from every other story being told. I guess my big thing is that it’s very... unrealistic, but the explanation made sense in the context.
-Lor was a great main character. There was an air of mystery and some good foreshadowing in his point of view that I really liked. He was interesting. I liked Raylan as well, but at the end of the book I had to sit there and question him as a character because he ended up being quite the selfish character . Ely was cute. I wish we could’ve had her point of view throughout it
-the plot was cool. The fact that you could revive a family member for 24 hours, and where it went from there is something I haven’t read before, so I was curious the entire time where it was going
-it was very good detailing, I could see very everything and picture every detail, so props to Astrid for that.
Opportunities: (there are a lot)
-insta love. From literally the first time these two characters met they were instantly all in for each other in a way other characters interactions made it seem like too much. In YA novels, I’m just over the insta love side of it, that may be a me problem.
-again, the pacing. It went from very slow world building right into the action, and then would randomly let up to give the insta love time to show. I didn’t enjoy that.
-theres a scene with a character, who yeah she is slightly relevant to the plot, but her reveal isn’t relevant at all, it’s just kind of thrown in there, and then some of the world building that isn’t mentioned previously has to be explained. It threw off the whole story, and overall she was just a very... weird character with a weird reveal.
-BIG reveals. All throughout the novel. The first time it’s interesting, the next time it’s good, not so much after the 9th big reveal at the end of a 420 page standalone novel.
-the random Remorans. Another thing that wasn’t explained until they were just a big reveal. And then randomly showed up again to give the book conflict. I’m literally cringing just thinking about them.
-the ending. The ending was so rushed. It felt like she was just trying to get there really quick. It wasn’t my favorite, and it’s probably closer to my least favorite endings. It left something wanted.
To recap, I think my chief complaint is that this is a standalone, and it felt like a standalone that should’ve been a duology. The ending leaves something to be wanted, it doesn’t feel complete, and the characters interactions and relationships felt forced in the worst show don’t tell type of writing. I’m not going to sit here and slam Astrid Scholte, but it felt like a Disney novel that wanted more depth to it. I didn’t finish Four Dead Queens by her, but I do plan on giving her one last chance. Hopefully with time her writing gets the depth she’s trying to give her. Her concepts and world building are great, as is her detailing. This was a great concept that was executed in a just okay type of way.
Wins:
-it was very unique. I liked the world. I appreciate just how different it is from every other story being told. I guess my big thing is that it’s very... unrealistic, but the explanation made sense in the context.
-Lor was a great main character. There was an air of mystery and some good foreshadowing in his point of view that I really liked. He was interesting. I liked Raylan as well, but at the end of the book I had to sit there and question him as a character because he ended up being quite the selfish character . Ely was cute. I wish we could’ve had her point of view throughout it
-the plot was cool. The fact that you could revive a family member for 24 hours, and where it went from there is something I haven’t read before, so I was curious the entire time where it was going
-it was very good detailing, I could see very everything and picture every detail, so props to Astrid for that.
Opportunities: (there are a lot)
-insta love. From literally the first time these two characters met they were instantly all in for each other in a way other characters interactions made it seem like too much. In YA novels, I’m just over the insta love side of it, that may be a me problem.
-again, the pacing. It went from very slow world building right into the action, and then would randomly let up to give the insta love time to show. I didn’t enjoy that.
-theres a scene with a character, who yeah she is slightly relevant to the plot, but her reveal isn’t relevant at all, it’s just kind of thrown in there, and then some of the world building that isn’t mentioned previously has to be explained. It threw off the whole story, and overall she was just a very... weird character with a weird reveal.
-BIG reveals. All throughout the novel. The first time it’s interesting, the next time it’s good, not so much after the 9th big reveal at the end of a 420 page standalone novel.
-the random Remorans. Another thing that wasn’t explained until they were just a big reveal. And then randomly showed up again to give the book conflict. I’m literally cringing just thinking about them.
-the ending. The ending was so rushed. It felt like she was just trying to get there really quick. It wasn’t my favorite, and it’s probably closer to my least favorite endings. It left something wanted.
To recap, I think my chief complaint is that this is a standalone, and it felt like a standalone that should’ve been a duology. The ending leaves something to be wanted, it doesn’t feel complete, and the characters interactions and relationships felt forced in the worst show don’t tell type of writing. I’m not going to sit here and slam Astrid Scholte, but it felt like a Disney novel that wanted more depth to it. I didn’t finish Four Dead Queens by her, but I do plan on giving her one last chance. Hopefully with time her writing gets the depth she’s trying to give her. Her concepts and world building are great, as is her detailing. This was a great concept that was executed in a just okay type of way.