A review by readabilitea
Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I have never read a book that has suffered from second book syndrome so much. I was looking forward to reading this sequel because Serpent and Dove really took me by surprise in how balanced between plot and character it was, how I really felt I got to know the characters and how time was dedicated to develop the relationship between Lou and Reid. I thought it ended on a good note - not a cliffhanger but intriguing enough for me to want to continue. I fear that Blood and Honey will be the last instalment I read in this series.
Firstly, so many pages and so little plot. Very little happens in the whole book, what little does happen is primarily told through speech, and we end up pretty much exactly where we started. Pacing-wise it was incredibly confusing - sometimes it would move so slow and you would feel like nothing was happening and then suddenly something would happen and it would be over in the blink of the eye.
I also found it incredibly difficult to remain interested in the plights of Lou and Reid, because I was being told so much and not shown. I've never really understood this distinction before but boy do I understand it now. As some other people have mentioned in their reviews, their relationship completely 180s, which, given the circumstances (), is kind of understandable, but their complex emotions and thoughts were too often reduced to simple actions/dialogue and it makes no sense given the development in their relationship throughout the whole first book.
The wider cast of characters should have been interesting to read about but the time wasn't taken to introduce them fully - again, the telling rather than showing mentioned earlier - and integrate them into the narrative.
I regret not DNFing this, because it clearly wasn't doing it for me and I carried on anyway hoping it would get better and because I had spent more money on the ebook than I usually would so it felt like my financial investment should be honoured, and I needed to be reading something on my ereader before bed. Lesson learnt (again) on that one, back to ruthlessly DNFing no matter what!
Firstly, so many pages and so little plot. Very little happens in the whole book, what little does happen is primarily told through speech, and we end up pretty much exactly where we started
Spoiler
a stand off with Morgane that ultimately results in them getting away but the promise of a bigger battle? How original.I also found it incredibly difficult to remain interested in the plights of Lou and Reid, because I was being told so much and not shown. I've never really understood this distinction before but boy do I understand it now. As some other people have mentioned in their reviews, their relationship completely 180s, which, given the circumstances (
Spoiler
Reid is dealing with murdering his father-figure after all, and Lou did have a near death experience, againThe wider cast of characters should have been interesting to read about but the time wasn't taken to introduce them fully - again, the telling rather than showing mentioned earlier - and integrate them into the narrative.
I regret not DNFing this, because it clearly wasn't doing it for me and I carried on anyway hoping it would get better and because I had spent more money on the ebook than I usually would so it felt like my financial investment should be honoured, and I needed to be reading something on my ereader before bed. Lesson learnt (again) on that one, back to ruthlessly DNFing no matter what!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm