Reviews with content warning for Murder - Labyrinth Lost

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Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

3 reviews

aceofsphades_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

Content Warnings

oddduck's review

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

4.0

Things I Liked:

There was super cool world building in this book. I loved the magic system, how it fit into the modern day, and how it affected every part of the character's lives. The epigraphs tied into the chapters/overall story well, and provided some really interesting insight into the world. I'm not always a big fan of epigraphs, but these were definitely well utilized. I'm looking forward to seeing how the world expands in the next two books.

Los Lagos was also super cool and it was nice to spend so much time there. The inhabitants were all so different and interesting. Even the landscape was cool, and as a person with aphantasia, I'm not usually super into setting. I would not be opposed to coming back here to see how it's been transformed.

I really loved Alex's reason for not wanting her magic. Like, it actually made sense and didn't feel contrived. And since the main plot hinged on Alex not wanting her magic, her motivation needed to be strong and believable and relatable. So having Alex focus on the harm it has caused her family (her dad leaving, the thing with her cat, seeing how healing magic affects her mom and sister) was a really smart decision. Alex wasn't my favorite character (see below) but I did like this part of her. And seeing her attitude toward her magic change once it becomes a tool to save her family? Amazing.

This is kind of dumb, but I was so pleased when I realized I'd accurately interpreted Alex and Rishi's relationship. I was pretty much waiting for the gal pals treatment, convinced that I'd read too much into it, especially after Nova is introduced, but then I was RIGHT. Absolutely thrilled for the both of them, as well as Lady and her wife. Also loved how it wasn't even a thing for Alex's mom. She was literally just like, "Oh you're dating her? That's cool, we'll invite her to your Deathday." That's the kind of acceptance I love to see.

I do love me a good story about healing family wounds. Alex mentions once that for her, family means her mom and her sisters. But for her mom, family is anyone she's related to by blood or marriage. By the end it seems like Alex is starting to see her mom's view a little more, which was some great growth. And everything that happened with Aunt Ro? Loved it. Also loved the scene where Alex accepts her blessing in Los Lagos. It's all about the unconditional love for family.

Things I Did Not Like:

Alex is not my favorite protagonist. She had several moments that felt borderline "not like other girls" which I am not on board with. I don't really know how to describe what else put me off about her, especially at the beginning, but there was something that I just wasn't vibing with. I did like Alex by the end of the book, but she definitely needed to go on this journey for me to get there.

Also didn't really care for Nova. His whole "bad boy" thing was not doing it for me. And his portion of the love triangle was just. Irritating. Like, it's been a long time since I read a love triangle and had this strong an opinion on the potential outcomes. I Do Not Like Nova as a romantic partner for Alex, at all. This dude has some shit to figure out and he should get on that, pronto.

That said, I did respect his motivation. I don't like him as a person, but I do think he's a well written character.

I felt like the pacing could have been a little faster at times. It wasn't too bad, but I did find myself losing interest a little every once in a while. Ironically, the end has the opposite problem and could have been maybe another chapter or two longer. Things moved very, very fast after they got back from Los Lagos and having a little more time for the wrap up would have been nice. The end felt a little rushed, unfortunately.

Conclusion:

I enjoyed the plot and the themes of this book, and there was enough that I liked to get me through the parts I didn't, and with a cliffhanger like that, how can I not finish the series? Overall good and I hope the things I don't like about the characters get left behind as they keep growing.

Content Warnings

karcitis's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

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