A Heart Full of Hatred by Derek Landy

4.13 AVERAGE

panofsauce's profile picture

panofsauce's review against another edition

3.75
adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
When I said I wanted vampires back in the series I didn't mean like this 😃
ornithology's profile picture

ornithology's review against another edition

3.25
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Anything post-Dying of the Light is capped at a 4 for me because I fundamentally believe that it does not need to exist, but this - unlike most of Phase 2 - is a welcome addition to the canon in my book. It's not quite as attention-capturing as Mind Full of Murder was, and it fails to follow up on some of the more intriguing threads the latter introduced, especially regarding Ghastly's shady government dealings...? (I think everyone in the main cast should get a turn to be evil, except maybe Fletcher), but it's saved by the emotional throughline and especially the climax. Could have done without the first few chapters, which would have put me off the book had I not been in this hole since I was 7, and I'm still not especially compelled by Militsa, whose most endearing moment is still "accidentally murdering a guy in Dead or Alive". 

Highlights:
  • Myosotis' death scene? Horrific. I'm going to be thinking about that one for a while - what a fantastically twisted use of a character's discipline. Anyone else want to bet on how long she's going to be there, now that Fletcher is also dead?
  • Speaking of - oh my god, Fletcher, baby boy, I'm so sorry. Out like a light, as well - he didn't even get a death speech, and we don't get a final POV like we did with Ghastly's demise. Poor Valkyrie.
  • Cadaver is incredibly entertaining in this book, and I enjoy his developing relationship with Winter. Actually, Winter is also much better in this book than she was in AMFoM. They're both characters I've found to be a hard sell, but I'm always a sucker for narrative foils, and I'm intrigued by the potential of this relationship for Winter's arc - Cadaver is doing the same thing that Skulduggery did for Valkyrie, re: giving her a space to break away from her family, but he's also, you know, Skulduggery, and he has existing baggage with both Valkyrie AND Malice. Interested to see how this will develop - weird, toxic-but-emotionally-compelling relationships are Landy's primary strength as a writer, imo.
  • The climax? The reveal? Immaculate. Knocked my socks off. What a way to torture your protagonists, and a way to retroactively make all of Winter's pseduo-fascist behaviour make far, far more sense than it did. Bravo!
  • Valkyrie gradually morphing into a butch bisexual is beautiful to me. Cut more of your hair off, girl.

ep_reads's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jamie_knights's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

danc94's review against another edition

4.75
adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
kizzybianca's profile picture

kizzybianca's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
TW: animal injury
Xena is hurt badly with a machete, but she recovers thank goodness ❤️
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imogen362's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kelly_olivia_11's review against another edition

5.0
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
edgarallennope's profile picture

edgarallennope's review against another edition

4.25
challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT E
WHAT


I love you Derek Landy and thank you for not killing my favourite scottish lesbian but i do need 365 working days to process this. Fletcher Renn I'll love you forever and ever. This new trilogy has been such a brilliant adrenaline rush, and through all the Timeline Nonsense (affectionate) and returning characters and questionable motives, I'm having a blast. I adore this dark and troublesome world post the Reset, a world which has slowly crept up on these characters we've followed for almost twenty years, risen up around them at high tide. Building a new world is complicated, and nobody is coming out of it smelling like roses. Justice is complicated, and a punch to the mouth doesn't stretch as far as it used to. I know opinions are mixed on the post Phase 2 world, but I'm thoroughly strapped in for the ride, however far it takes me. The ending hit like a freight train and I'm still processing it. Derek I hope I can hear you typing over there, please and thank you.
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stitchbooks22's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes