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asourceoffiction's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novel is brimming with atmosphere and mystery. The setting of the ship adds a sense of chaos and claustrophobia that drew me right in. If you read this and manage to guess the conclusion, you should write novels; I second-guessed every theory I had. I did struggle with all the new clues and minimal resolutions after a while, and it became so complex I worried that the end wouldn't be able to resolve everything. But on that front I was pleasantly surprised, I absolutely loved the end. It even managed to throw in a few extra curve balls!
I also have to commend the awesome feminist ideas the book perpetuates, even with the restrictions placed on noblewomen in the 17th century. One character laments that her dresses, laden as they are with complex detail, don't have any pockets. And boy, do I hear you sister! What I love is that the female characters recognise their limitations, and then repeatedly crash through them to continue on their own paths.
I also have to commend the awesome feminist ideas the book perpetuates, even with the restrictions placed on noblewomen in the 17th century. One character laments that her dresses, laden as they are with complex detail, don't have any pockets. And boy, do I hear you sister! What I love is that the female characters recognise their limitations, and then repeatedly crash through them to continue on their own paths.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Terminal illness, and Misogyny
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