reviewdiaries's review
3.0
This review was written for The Review Diaries
You can read the full review here
Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
‘Treason’ is one of three novellas featuring strong LGBTQIA women being published by Less Than Three Press and I was so excited to get stuck into it. Unfortunately ‘Treason’ falls into the trap of many novellas where the idea is so intriguing that there simply isn’t enough space to cover everything and you end up with a very cropper view of the story as only one real element is brought to the fore. I could have quite happily read a full novel set in this world.
The world itself is intriguing and there is so much set up, so many names and places and intrigues and not enough time devoted to them. I wanted more, I wanted detail, but instead the sheer volume of information being thrown into these pages made me feel overwhelmed and I found it really hard to keep up with all the different houses and plots.
I also found the start of the relationship a little bit too rushed. There was a big surge of attraction and then everything simmered down to almost non-existent before another surge out of nowhere at the end of the story. It felt too random and the relationship itself too forced. It suffered from the same problem as the world – it needed more time to develop.
You can read the full review here
Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
‘Treason’ is one of three novellas featuring strong LGBTQIA women being published by Less Than Three Press and I was so excited to get stuck into it. Unfortunately ‘Treason’ falls into the trap of many novellas where the idea is so intriguing that there simply isn’t enough space to cover everything and you end up with a very cropper view of the story as only one real element is brought to the fore. I could have quite happily read a full novel set in this world.
The world itself is intriguing and there is so much set up, so many names and places and intrigues and not enough time devoted to them. I wanted more, I wanted detail, but instead the sheer volume of information being thrown into these pages made me feel overwhelmed and I found it really hard to keep up with all the different houses and plots.
I also found the start of the relationship a little bit too rushed. There was a big surge of attraction and then everything simmered down to almost non-existent before another surge out of nowhere at the end of the story. It felt too random and the relationship itself too forced. It suffered from the same problem as the world – it needed more time to develop.
melaniebopp's review
3.0
Lady spy? Yes, please! Even if the spy is pretending to be a housemaid! I really loved this whole concept from the get-go. And while the world was great, the characters are just "not bad" - really, the whole thing was too short for me to really get into. Now, that being said, I really liked the actual plot. I loved the turn around for Elunet's character - it was a pretty well-developed storyline - and I really liked her interactions with Tavia.
But if it wasn't a novella, we'd have more time to go into the world created here, along with some of the more interesting characters. Instead, we are left with what felt like an overview, and such a brief look at supporting characters that they might as well have been wallpaper. And while we get a bit of Elunet, it is surprisingly shallow since the story is told from her perspective. I felt like I knew Tavia more, and we never get to live inside her head.
I'm interested in the plot, and in the world, but there wasn't enough here for a complete story. I'd be interested in looking at a full-length work set in this world, though, and hope that we will be getting more of it.
3 1/2 stars, plus a somewhat explicit scene or two.
But if it wasn't a novella, we'd have more time to go into the world created here, along with some of the more interesting characters. Instead, we are left with what felt like an overview, and such a brief look at supporting characters that they might as well have been wallpaper. And while we get a bit of Elunet, it is surprisingly shallow since the story is told from her perspective. I felt like I knew Tavia more, and we never get to live inside her head.
I'm interested in the plot, and in the world, but there wasn't enough here for a complete story. I'd be interested in looking at a full-length work set in this world, though, and hope that we will be getting more of it.
3 1/2 stars, plus a somewhat explicit scene or two.
ithiliens's review
4.0
3.5 rounded to 4. This was enjoyable but ultimately too short for me. I would love to see a longer version (or sequel) to this to really flesh out the world. The chemistry between the leads was perfect.
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