A review by livtinja
This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 
I thoroughly enjoyed Rebecca Thorne's Tomes & Tea cozy fantasy series and was incredibly excited to receive an ARC for her new book. While I'm not typically a horror fan, the warnings that accompanied this book made me apprehensive as I started each new chapter. It felt as if I were walking through a haunted house, anticipating something to jump out of the closet. And indeed, it did happen in the second part of the book. I lost count of how many times things went from bad to worse for our characters. However, overall, the level of concern for the characters was manageable without causing any nightmares.


Rebecca's exceptional writing makes you genuinely care about all the characters, including the main characters who are strong, lovable, and perfectly flawed, as well as the villains in the story. Their motivations are solid, and you can truly see things from their perspective.


The world-building and the central mystery are incredibly well-executed. There is some foreshadowing, but you have no idea how deep the rabbit hole will go.


There was only one spicy scene in the book, but it was exceptionally well-done. I mean, really good. It left me yearning for a prequel that delves into all the fun Nix and Kess had when they first met, focusing solely on their seduction and passion.


For now, I eagerly await the second book. I cannot wait to see where the overall story will take us and look forward to encountering new villains. 
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