>> May 2020 BOTM for Old Books, New Readers.

content warnings:

Spoiler

major character death(s), descriptions of gruesome execution/body mutilation, ableist language, racist language, domestic abuse, death of a child

★ 3.5 stars ★

Once I got through the confusion of Book One, I could see why people (actual people, not just Tessa Gray) like this one. The story is dynamic, with some action and some emotion and some romance; the characters are reasonably complex, though I didn't find them totally compelling if I'm being honest — most of them are a little more than plot devices, but just a little.

Not sure if it was a state of mind thing or not being able to engage with the prose or what, but I didn't really get emotionally invested until pretty much the end. And that might've been because I accidentally spoiled the ending for myself when I googled why Sydney Carton is called a jackal, so I knew what he was planning and what to look out for, and I got to watch it all unfold. Funnily enough, I don't generally like spoilers (because you can never reread something for the first time with no certain knowledge of what happens), it did enhance my reading experience.

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CONVERSION: 10.1 / 15 = 3.5 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 8 / 10

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