The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion has so much wasted potential. The writing isn’t great, with clunky wording and comma-saturated sentences making it difficult to read at some points. The indifferent narration makes even scenes intended to be shocking feel boring.

The POV character, Danielle, really isn’t likeable. She is dismissive and patronising towards anyone optimistic or passionate about what they do. There was an excellent quote from another character about anarchism, power, and trust which I found quite evocative, but Danielle responds by (in her head) scoffing at his immaturity and his overenthusiastic tone. Though she claims to be an anarchist, all she does deride those she supposedly agrees with. Somebody eventually calls her out on this (“You act like a revolutionary, but you’re a fucking poser”) and the way Danielle reacts makes it sound as though she thinks “poser” is some kind of slur – the gravest insult imaginable – but the person calling her that is absolutely right.

Pacing was another major issue. The story is incredibly quick, with everything happening one thing after another. There’s no time for tension to build or for characters to process what they experience, which is a big let-down in a story that’s supposed to be dark and mysterious. Uliksi is revealed far too early – I think the story would have worked better if he had been kept secret by the townspeople, driving Danielle to grow suspicious as she tries to figure out what they’re hiding and why before a big reveal when she finally discovers the truth. Dwelling on what she’s witnessed and trying to come to terms with it would serve not only to break up the action, but also to inject some emotion into this otherwise very apathetic main character.

Without delving into spoiler territory, the ending is anticlimactic. I finished the book feeling kind of cheated.

There isn’t much to praise besides the compelling concept and the diverse cast of (albeit rather flat) characters, though I still think that’s enough to earn it three stars. I didn’t dislike the book, but I am frustrated because it could have been exceptional with a little reworking.