A review by mattiedancer
A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin

adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Writing: 3.5⭐️/5 
I’m torn on this one. Some of the passages were beautifully crafted, little snippets of perfectly crafted prose. Then, at other times, the writing (and grammar) was jilted and murky, their disjointedness making it hard to follow the simplest of moments. Lin also has a tendency to use sentence fragments and, while that can add to certain scenes, it often read more like a mistake, and less like an intentional choice. This jarringness really marred the otherwise lovely writing. So, if you’re picking up this novel, expect both fine and poor prose to appear. 

Characters: 4.5⭐️/5
The characters were the highlight of the novel, along with several poetic passages that I thoroughly enjoyed. Like the first novel in this series, the characters were loveable and believable, helping to keep me engaged when the plot and writing were pulling me out of the story.

Plot: 3.75⭐️/5 
The second half of the plot was infinitely stronger than the first portion of the book. While the first book ended with a great amount of tension and intrigue, the second book felt like it was actively working to slow down the momentum of the plot. It became a bit of a chore to read through the first 150 or so pages, but once the story got going it was an easy read. 

Who Should Read This Book? 
  • Those who read the first

Content Warnings? 
War, blood, poison, death

Post-Reading Rating:  5⭐️/5

Final Rating: 3.75⭐️/5
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