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gretareadsromance's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book to be a bit confusing although I did enjoy it. I do like series books however understand I should have read the first book in order to understand this one better.
thenaptimewriter's review against another edition
3.0
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.
I really admire when an author really goes for it—when she’s not afraid to take plot or character risks—and that’s what Sharon Wray does in One Dark Wish. There are parts of the book that really work for me, like the intriguing plot and complex characters, and also parts, like the actual execution of those risks, that don't.
Wray’s book opens with heroine-historian Dr. Sarah Munro witnessing the murder of her assistant after Sarah saw a man bow. Then the hero Nate Walker kisses her before leaving the police department in a hurry. Two weeks afterward, Sarah’s wandering a historic cemetery without the owner’s permission, looking for the grave of Rebecca, a teenager who was hanged for being a witch in the 17th century and whose diary she’s currently asking to study. She’s met by a man who bows, and she immediately recognizes him as a Fianna warrior (it’s not explained how she recognizes him as such now, and not earlier, at the police department after witnessing her assistant’s murder).
The warrior threatens her if she persists with the diary, but Nate interrupts their meeting, protecting Sarah and ushering her off before demanding that she meet with him later…where he can also demand that she walk away.
It turns out that there’s a pirate cipher related to the diary-writer Rebecca, one that the Fianna warriors do not want decoded and one that another dangerous party, does.
Sarah really can’t win, and that’s where the book’s drama and high stakes come in.
All of this action happens shortly after the book opens, and it was pretty confusing for me at times to follow. This is the second book in the series, so perhaps Wray sets up most of this in the first book. Either way, some additional explanation here and there would have been helpful.
There are also plot-points that feel like they aren’t tied up. Like the assistant who died. She’s mentioned at the beginning of the book and then she’s not addressed to my satisfaction later, although I suspect she could have been related to this book’s plot in some kind of way. Also the matter of who sent Nate to a military mental hospital in the first place feels abbreviated, particularly in terms of the emotional response.
I eventually felt like I had a handle on the main conflict, the primary foes, and how Sarah and Nate fit into everything, but I would have appreciated a gentler introduction to it all.
But despite my moments of confusion and frustration, I kept reading because I saw potential in One Dark Wish and the kind of story Wray tells. The premise is interesting, with cool world-building and compelling villains, heroes, and heroines. Sarah and Nate are smart, determined, and brave, and their dynamic together is enjoyable to watch unfold. Their passion is searing. And finally, the plot’s sometimes too complicated, but I love how well thought-out and ambitious it is, even if it could have been tighter and smoother in execution.
In the end, my response to this book feels as complicated as the plot itself. There are what feel like big problems with this book for me, but there’s also quite a lot to commend it. I’m going to read Wray at least once again because I want to see where she goes—and how she goes—next.
I really admire when an author really goes for it—when she’s not afraid to take plot or character risks—and that’s what Sharon Wray does in One Dark Wish. There are parts of the book that really work for me, like the intriguing plot and complex characters, and also parts, like the actual execution of those risks, that don't.
Wray’s book opens with heroine-historian Dr. Sarah Munro witnessing the murder of her assistant after Sarah saw a man bow. Then the hero Nate Walker kisses her before leaving the police department in a hurry. Two weeks afterward, Sarah’s wandering a historic cemetery without the owner’s permission, looking for the grave of Rebecca, a teenager who was hanged for being a witch in the 17th century and whose diary she’s currently asking to study. She’s met by a man who bows, and she immediately recognizes him as a Fianna warrior (it’s not explained how she recognizes him as such now, and not earlier, at the police department after witnessing her assistant’s murder).
The warrior threatens her if she persists with the diary, but Nate interrupts their meeting, protecting Sarah and ushering her off before demanding that she meet with him later…where he can also demand that she walk away.
It turns out that there’s a pirate cipher related to the diary-writer Rebecca, one that the Fianna warriors do not want decoded and one that another dangerous party, does.
Sarah really can’t win, and that’s where the book’s drama and high stakes come in.
All of this action happens shortly after the book opens, and it was pretty confusing for me at times to follow. This is the second book in the series, so perhaps Wray sets up most of this in the first book. Either way, some additional explanation here and there would have been helpful.
There are also plot-points that feel like they aren’t tied up. Like the assistant who died. She’s mentioned at the beginning of the book and then she’s not addressed to my satisfaction later, although I suspect she could have been related to this book’s plot in some kind of way. Also the matter of who sent Nate to a military mental hospital in the first place feels abbreviated, particularly in terms of the emotional response.
I eventually felt like I had a handle on the main conflict, the primary foes, and how Sarah and Nate fit into everything, but I would have appreciated a gentler introduction to it all.
But despite my moments of confusion and frustration, I kept reading because I saw potential in One Dark Wish and the kind of story Wray tells. The premise is interesting, with cool world-building and compelling villains, heroes, and heroines. Sarah and Nate are smart, determined, and brave, and their dynamic together is enjoyable to watch unfold. Their passion is searing. And finally, the plot’s sometimes too complicated, but I love how well thought-out and ambitious it is, even if it could have been tighter and smoother in execution.
In the end, my response to this book feels as complicated as the plot itself. There are what feel like big problems with this book for me, but there’s also quite a lot to commend it. I’m going to read Wray at least once again because I want to see where she goes—and how she goes—next.
annarella's review against another edition
3.0
I was attracted by the blurb as it contained a lot of elements I usually liked in a novel.
Unfortunately I found the book confusing, too many subplots and characters, and it didn't keep my attention.
It's well written but its' not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Unfortunately I found the book confusing, too many subplots and characters, and it didn't keep my attention.
It's well written but its' not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
annarella's review
3.0
I was attracted by the blurb as it contained a lot of elements I usually liked in a novel.
Unfortunately I found the book confusing, too many subplots and characters, and it didn't keep my attention.
It's well written but its' not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Unfortunately I found the book confusing, too many subplots and characters, and it didn't keep my attention.
It's well written but its' not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
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