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A review by amybraunauthor
Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon
4.0
I've been looking forward to this book for a while, and this was definitely a strong debut. The world and concept are fantastically realized, and the writing style is lovely. I had no trouble falling into the world and its lore. The backstory for the main characters led to the main plot of the story, which I truly adored. For the main story however, I picked out the twist fairly early and it was a little obvious.
As far as the characters, I found many of them to be complex and layered. They seemed like "real" people. I have soft spots in my heart for Nasu and Nin Amira, and Dagan is one of the sweetest book boyfriends I've ever encountered. However, I had a couple gripes with the main ladies. I found Nanaea to be quite selfish (her motives are later revealed and understood, however), Ilanti to be far too abrasive and reckless, then passing it off as no big deal when it was a storyline that REALLY needed to be explored and not forgiven. As for Kammani... I'm a little torn. When she wasn't speaking, I found her thoughts to be compelling. But whenever she spoke, I found her to be cold and cruel and aggressive against her friends. I also was not a fan of how she treated Dagan, who adores her. Still, there is a chance for a great arc, and I hope her behaviour is rectified in the second book. Also, as with her sister, her motives stem from pain and inner turmoil, but it was too much for me.
Gripes aside, I truly did enjoy this story and world, and would love to see it continued. With its beautiful writing, this is a stellar debut that promises a fantastic career.
As far as the characters, I found many of them to be complex and layered. They seemed like "real" people. I have soft spots in my heart for Nasu and Nin Amira, and Dagan is one of the sweetest book boyfriends I've ever encountered. However, I had a couple gripes with the main ladies. I found Nanaea to be quite selfish (her motives are later revealed and understood, however), Ilanti to be far too abrasive and reckless, then passing it off as no big deal when it was a storyline that REALLY needed to be explored and not forgiven. As for Kammani... I'm a little torn. When she wasn't speaking, I found her thoughts to be compelling. But whenever she spoke, I found her to be cold and cruel and aggressive against her friends. I also was not a fan of how she treated Dagan, who adores her. Still, there is a chance for a great arc, and I hope her behaviour is rectified in the second book. Also, as with her sister, her motives stem from pain and inner turmoil, but it was too much for me.
Gripes aside, I truly did enjoy this story and world, and would love to see it continued. With its beautiful writing, this is a stellar debut that promises a fantastic career.