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A review by kayhush
Blood of Desiderium by Ali Stuebbe
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book has been on my TBR for quite some time, so when I saw it pop up on NetGalley I immediately requested it.
I found the pacing of the book to be a consistent pace, though a bit on the slower side. There is a considerable amount of internal dialogue. While there were times I did find it to slow down the pacing of conversations and battles, it did help to fully understand the character motivations.
One of my biggest complaints in many of the books in the fantasy romance subgenre is that the world-building is completely thrown out to make room for the romance. I found that the world-building in this is well done, I have a good understanding of the courts, the human vs fae world, and the politics. I would have liked a bit more development of the courts not specifically lived in/visited, to get a more well-rounded view of the world as a whole. Though the lack of world expansion beyond the immediate does lend itself to the POV of the FMC who has lived secluded and sheltered her whole life.
There were a few moments where specific word choices pulled me out of the story (guy, paperback, red carpet, thang) and broke my immersion. But beyond that, the tone of the writing was very consistent.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy the fantasy romance genre but are looking for something a bit more gritty and dark and less dramatic than the constant swooning found in many other books of this subgenre.
There were times that I did struggle to stay invested in the story, due to the slower pace and the large amount of internal dialogue. I started listening to it via text-to-speech while I did other tasks, and I found that to be greatly beneficial. The writing lends itself well to spoken word.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ali Steubbe. I have received a free digital copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I found the pacing of the book to be a consistent pace, though a bit on the slower side. There is a considerable amount of internal dialogue. While there were times I did find it to slow down the pacing of conversations and battles, it did help to fully understand the character motivations.
One of my biggest complaints in many of the books in the fantasy romance subgenre is that the world-building is completely thrown out to make room for the romance. I found that the world-building in this is well done, I have a good understanding of the courts, the human vs fae world, and the politics. I would have liked a bit more development of the courts not specifically lived in/visited, to get a more well-rounded view of the world as a whole. Though the lack of world expansion beyond the immediate does lend itself to the POV of the FMC who has lived secluded and sheltered her whole life.
There were a few moments where specific word choices pulled me out of the story (guy, paperback, red carpet, thang) and broke my immersion. But beyond that, the tone of the writing was very consistent.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy the fantasy romance genre but are looking for something a bit more gritty and dark and less dramatic than the constant swooning found in many other books of this subgenre.
There were times that I did struggle to stay invested in the story, due to the slower pace and the large amount of internal dialogue. I started listening to it via text-to-speech while I did other tasks, and I found that to be greatly beneficial. The writing lends itself well to spoken word.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ali Steubbe. I have received a free digital copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.