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not_another_ana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
"That's the problem with summoning demons, you see. Sooner or later somebody else raises them against you"
Batavia, 1634. Samuel Pipps, the greatest detective in the world, is on his way to his execution in Amsterdam. His crime? Unknown, even to him and his closest friend and companion Arent Hayes. As if that weren't enough, while boarding the ship the passengers and crew receive a warning from a leper and witness a horrifying death. Soon, while sailing on the Saardam, strange voices plague the ship and shocking events confuse and scare everyone on board. Could this be the work of a demon just like they were warned on shore? Or is something more human afoot? With Sammy Pipps out of comission, and trapped in a dark cell, only Arent might be able to save the ship, but is he up to the task or will the dark waters take them all?
This was such a ride. I started this book filled with optimism as I love a good mystery and this had all the initial makings of one. A closed room, well ship, murder with a may or may not be supernatural twist. Add to that an interesting subversion on the classic detective story, by taking out the genius investigator out of the equation, and I was sold. Good writing (if a bit too descriptive), short exciting chapters, well constructed characters, lot of questions, this was shaping up to be a 4 stars. Until the crime was solved in the most ludicrous, senseless way. After everything that I read the solution to the mystery was something out of an episode of Scooby-Doo
I am genuinely so disappointed and upset by this book, I feel quite cheated. When reading a crime novel I enjoy trying to solve the puzzle. I take notes, check the evidence, come up with theories, etc. This is why if I get to the end of a book and find out that there was no way to solve it because the author was lying or pulling stuff out of nowhere I feel quite tricked and deceived. The road might have been enjoyable but if the destination is a sham? That will make me flip my opinion immediately. And this book didn't even have the guts to just go for it, the conclusion committed the crime of not only being impossible to reach as a reader, but also being lame.
Rant incoming:
And who were the masterminds behind this? Well, Sammy and Creesjie, obviously 🙄 I think that making Sammy the criminal would have been so different and interesting, but you have to make it work. Their plans relayed too much on chance and very clearly went wrong. This solution left me with too many questions and the answers 1) don't exist or 2) are unconvincing. Plus the way this was revealed was all tell and zero show. Just pages and pages of dull and senseless explanations.
Oh and the reactions from the other characters!! Sara and Arent were both very upstanding and moral characters, even to the point of going against the expected beliefs of the time period. The murders on the ship and all the violence inflicted on the people really affected them and pushed them to find the guilty party. And yet they're cool with their besties being liars and murderers. Sammy and Creesjie's attitude to the whole debacle is dismissive and that it was ok because they just killed bad people, never mind everyone caught in the crossfire. Arent has been haunted the whole book by a mistake he made that almost sent an innocent man to his death only for Sammy to reveal that no, Arent was actually right all along. If that were my so called best friend who I defended with my life I would throw his lying ass out of that ship SO FAST. But it's fine cause they're all going to make it right somehow and be good? We'll never know cause this isn't a series 🤷🏼♀️
BOO TOMATO TOMATO 🍅🍅
Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Pregnancy
mentions of rape but nothing happensrkpaulson96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
rochelleisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Physical abuse and Alcohol
nuthatch428's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Rape, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, and Pregnancy
heini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal cruelty, Rape, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and War
singalana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Kirjassa seurataan seitsemän laivan saattuetta, joka lähtee Bataviasta kohti Amsterdamia mukanaan maustelasti. Pian alkaa tapahtua pelottavia asioita, ja herää epäilys siitä seilaako paholainen heidän mukanaan?
Kirja piti hyvin otteessaan alusta loppuun saakka. Pidin kirjoitustyylistä, ja lyhyet luvut koukuttivat lukemaan aina seuraavan. Myös henkilöhahmot olivat mielenkiintoisia, ja heistä paljastui koko ajan lisää. Kirja oli jännittävä, eikä loppuratkaisua ole helppo arvata.
Loppuratkaisusta puheen ollen, Drechtin miesten suunnitelmat kirjan lopussa olivat vastenmielisiä, ja mietin olisiko ollut parempi jättää se kohta lukijan mielikuvituksen varaan. Koska kirjassa on leikitelty yliluonnollisen mahdollisuudella, loppuratkaisu tuntuu lässähtää hieman. Lisäksi syyllisen paljastuttua hahmojen tulevaisuudensuunnitelmat tuntuvat ehkä hieman liiankin näppärältä.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Rape, Excrement, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
paperquilt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Religious bigotry
pkc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
esme_may's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
satsumaorange's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Rape and Sexism
Moderate: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Excrement, Vomit, and Colonisation