Fantasy review: Dark and Deepest Red

I preordered Anna-Marie McLemore because everything I've read of hers I've adored. Her prose is so vivid that I could just fall in to it. Her characters are always so full of desire. They are a lesson in motivation and voice.

Despite that, I struggled with this book.

The dual-POV and dual-timeline was really hard to follow. It took me a few pages at each new chapter to remember which character we were living through and where we left them. It wasn't always clear at the start of the chapter what that character wanted, or why. Despite the way that McLemore's characters always hold their desires to their bones, it felt disconnected from the plot.

Overall, I didn't love this. The ending was full of sweetness and hope - but it was a challenge getting there. I left this one in the lending library down the street. I hope someone else will give it a better home.

In terms of writing, this was a reminder of the importance of grounding each new scene in who and where and why.

Comments

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