>> Buddy read with Meeghan!

Hm. I constantly felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, the plot to pick up, but despite the a distinct climax (and resolution) it never really seemed to happen. Not totally unpleasant, of course — I stand by my high rating — but this certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea. (It's been so long since I read the first book that I honestly can't even say how they compare.)

The characters are fine: weird and unsettling, though quite a few of them are actually somewhat forgettable. (Possibly largely due to the relatively minor roles they play in the narrative; it revolves around Alice and Finch, and arguably a handful of others.) Their relationships felt more developed, which partially made up for it.

Honestly, I'm on the fence with regards to the writing itself. While the abundance of figurative language works pretty well with the fantasy basis, and Albert puts down some really lovely lyrical lines, there were quite a few passages that I felt like were a bit much. But I think I liked it overall?

So yeah, there were things I really liked and things I didn't, but more of the former.

content warnings:

blood, minor gore, bodily mutilation, major character death(s)

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CONVERSION: 13.4 / 15 = 4.5 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 7 / 10
Development / Flow: 7 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5