Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Ballad of Never After

Most of the book was mediocre and cliché (not like the previous book where tropes are used to inhence the story but in the lazy sense, like the fourth season of a tv show that should have ended already.) Some scenes were good and some dialogue lines get my attention but generally I just kept asking myself why Jacks personality was so inconsistent and

why every character just ignored that Evangeline was cheating on her husband.

From the middle to the end the writting started to improve but just at the very end that I actually felt like I wanted to read this book. But I did love the end.

I tend to not like stories where vampires are too predominant but in this book I understand their role and why they were nescessary. I loved the detail of the chapter numbers repeating after Jacks went back in time, the little moment where Evangeline explained normal communication to Jack and the revelation of what was in the other side of the arch. The very final scene was amazingly written, horrifyingly symbolic, I loved it.

To be transparent, I'm reading the next book mostly because the cover is beautiful and I did really like the first one.
Ps:

I didn't like what the author did with Luc in this book. He is absent of any motivation, personality or brain cells, and not like a classic himbo, but like the most offesive definition of a non-character.

Content Warnings

anni_swanilda's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

claire_fitzgibbon13's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

That ending broke me

Content Warnings

tourmaline1703's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I very much enjoyed revisiting this world as it has been a while since I read Once Upon a Broken Heart. I loved the setting of the book and getting to explore more of the North and delving deeper into the magic system and noble houses. The worldbuilding felt very intricate and it was nice to explore more corners of it.
The writing is simple yet elegant and it's so easy to get lost in I find. I loved the descriptions of the various settings and outfits which make you wish you could be a part of the glamorous balls. I also loved the structure of the chapters towards the end of the novel, I feel it really accentuated the plot and helped underline certain characters' choices.
I felt the book was well paced and very interesting to read. I love a classic 'go on a quest' in fantasy and this book did it very well, whilst adding some twists and turns. There were a few twists I did not see coming and I certainly did not see the ending coming. The ending has confused me slightly and I think once I've read the sequel, I will understand it better but for now, the confusion is what has stopped this being a 5 star read. Whilst the story was brilliant, I don't know why parts of the ending happened as they did and exactly how it's all going to work.
I loved meeting new characters and spending more time with Evangeline, who I like a lot more than I did at first. Jacks I think I will forever have mixed feelings on. I think he is an amazingly written character and I love reading about him but I don't think I feel as much sympathy for him as others do. I think that's probably the best way I can explain it.
All this said, I absolutely adored reading this book and I have devoured about 60% in the past two days so it is a definite page-turner.

Content Warnings