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A review by justabean_reads
Romanitas by Sophia McDougall
3.0
I liked a lot of things about this book. The descriptions and characterisation were clear and sharp, and the general tone, the feeling of anxiety and desperation, a sort of looming hopelessness came through very clearly. The characters were intensely drawn and compelling. I've never run into a better writer for showing people uncomfortable in their own skin.
The world building felt a little underplayed though. The author seemed to have done the work to make this massive alternate history, but then we spend the whole book so focused on small parts of people's lives that we don't see the scope of it. It seems like a pity not to show off such a grand creation.
It took me forever to finish because it felt like the plot wasn't moving at all for the middle two thirds or so of the book. I know it was, but the book could have easily been much shorter. I hope the next book will be more politics and less French countryside.
The world building felt a little underplayed though. The author seemed to have done the work to make this massive alternate history, but then we spend the whole book so focused on small parts of people's lives that we don't see the scope of it. It seems like a pity not to show off such a grand creation.
It took me forever to finish because it felt like the plot wasn't moving at all for the middle two thirds or so of the book. I know it was, but the book could have easily been much shorter. I hope the next book will be more politics and less French countryside.