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ninetalevixen 's review for:
The Vine Witch
by Luanne G. Smith
Buddy read with Kat, Aurelia & Spira! ❤
3.5 stars
Wine, after all, was a living, breathing thing. Each wine its own entity, each vintage as unique as the heart and mind of the witch who crafted it.
I love the premise, and altogether I'm not disappointed in the worldbuilding as far as vine witches and vineyards and winemaking. (Though at the same time, we're introduced to so many different magic systems,, which leave the reader with curiosity and create so much room for the series to expand.)
But the prose tripped me up almost from the very beginning — there are some lovely and/or profound-sounding quotes, but just as many overly descriptive passages — and it felt like there was just too much going on at once. The plot hits all the expected notes, hook-rising action-climax-resolution-climax-resolution-etc, but the pacing was cramped and it felt like the different storylines were just coexisting on the page rather than coming together. The characters make poor decisions, judge each other mercilessly, and fail to connect what I thought were pretty obvious (and well-established / trope-based) dots; I didn't find their relationships or personal development particularly compelling, either. There's also quite a bit of (internalized and societal) misogyny and heteronormativity, as well as elitism, that aren't really challenged and left me uncomfortable.
All in all, some simplification would have benefited both plot and prose, leaving room for the characters and world to really shine. The execution wasn't bad but I think it could've been better.
content warnings:
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CONVERSION: 9.05 → 9.1 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 7 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 5 / 10
Emotional Impact: 7 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 2 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 2 / 5
3.5 stars
Wine, after all, was a living, breathing thing. Each wine its own entity, each vintage as unique as the heart and mind of the witch who crafted it.
I love the premise, and altogether I'm not disappointed in the worldbuilding as far as vine witches and vineyards and winemaking. (Though at the same time, we're introduced to so many different magic systems,
Spoiler
from bierhexen to jinni to a magical bakeryBut the prose tripped me up almost from the very beginning — there are some lovely and/or profound-sounding quotes, but just as many overly descriptive passages — and it felt like there was just too much going on at once. The plot hits all the expected notes, hook-rising action-climax-resolution-climax-resolution-etc, but the pacing was cramped and it felt like the different storylines were just coexisting on the page rather than coming together. The characters make poor decisions, judge each other mercilessly, and fail to connect what I thought were pretty obvious (and well-established / trope-based) dots; I didn't find their relationships or personal development particularly compelling, either. There's also quite a bit of (internalized and societal) misogyny and heteronormativity, as well as elitism, that aren't really challenged and left me uncomfortable.
All in all, some simplification would have benefited both plot and prose, leaving room for the characters and world to really shine. The execution wasn't bad but I think it could've been better.
content warnings:
Spoiler
animal abuse + ritual sacrifice, slut-shaming, on-page and mentions of torture, internalized misogyny, homophobia (brief), on-page major character death(s), suicide (poison)-----------
CONVERSION: 9.05 → 9.1 / 15 = 3.5 stars
Prose: 7 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 5 / 10
Emotional Impact: 7 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 2 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 2 / 5