A review by sommer22
Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

For Killing Eve fans, this book roughly follows the plot of season 1. There are large details and plot and character aspects that were changed upon adaptation, in my opinion for the better. Whereas Codename Villanelle reads like James Bond fitted with a fresh, unique and murderous protagonist that is much more plot-driven, Killing Eve is a lot more introspective, especially when concerning Eve's subplot and her reactions and emotions concerning Villanelle. The relationship between them is the key difference between the source material and the adaptation, and I would say the thing I missed most from this. I kind of missed out on Villanelle's motivation to mess with Eve besides protecting herself, and I miss the complexity in her character beyond a sociopathic, opulent killer as well. However, Codename is still a very satisfying and enthralling spy thriller. I usually judge mysteries/thrillers by if they motivate me to read the rest of the series, and in this case, I definitely do (both the Codename series and Killing Eve) 
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