>> Buddy read with Haley!

3.5 stars

"It's a viper's nest, child, I'll not deny it. See that you have the strongest venom."

The opening and first 2/3 totally drew me in; I couldn't put the book down for hours as we were drawn into the lush worldbuilding and intriguing characters. I silently cheered as tropes were totally subverted, held my breath at charged moments, and was pleasantly surprised to find myself actually interested in the politics at play.

But the pacing of the last 1/3 felt awkward — not necessarily rushed, but maybe uneven? I felt disoriented within the narrative, and some of the plot developments started to border on cliched. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing how the sequel develops!

content warnings:

Spoiler

non-graphic sexual content

rep:

Spoiler

Latinx-coded society, WLW Latina MCs, F/F main romance

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CONVERSION: 10.1 / 15 = 3.5 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 7 / 10
Emotional Impact: 5 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 3 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5