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A review by fatimareadsbooks
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova
3.0
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This in no way impacted my views and opinions below.*
Alright, so I went into this book with no prior knowledge of anything except for what I gleaned from the synopsis. Imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I discover that not only is there f/f representation, but also a WHOLE POC CAST. Um, have I died and gone to heaven?? It also really helped that the story makes you want to keep flipping pages by sucking you into this highly original fantasy world. So, you might be wondering.... Despite the above, why did I choose to give this 3 stars?
My main issue with this book lies with the execution of the story. You know that feeling when you're starting a new book and you know nothing about the world? You're still getting used to it as the author slowly immerses you into it page by page, and eventually, your confusion fades until your familiar with the book. Well, in the case of Labyrinth Lost, I was still stuck in that confused phase for the majority of the book. You've got all these ideal elements like an amazing premise, a wonderful setting, and an even better background, but... they just weren't executed properly. The story lacked a certain order to it; it was like a mishmash of plot ideas. This greatly dulled it's 'spark', leaving me very disenchanted.
Furthermore, I had a teeny issue with the Rishi + Alex pairing. You see, Rishi and Alex were supposed to be this AMAZING couple. We should have been more invested in them, since they already had an established friendship, but sadly I didn't feel anything. No chemistry at all. I'm all for LGBT+ representation, but there should have been more work put into Rishi and Alex's relationship. However, a relationship that was actually focused on was Nova and Alex. We actually have a clear progression of their relationship from the moment they meet. I found myself rooting for Nova most of the time; he's very intriguing. I just hope Rishi's character is developed as well in the next book.
OH, and was it just me or did this read like an MG book at times? It kinda had this whimsical feel to it. Still, the world was great and so original & unique. Kudos!
In short, this book has tons of potential. With a highly original premise and inventive world, it's bound to keep you reading 'till the very end. Seriously, the momentum's great. Bonus points for the LGBT+ and POC rep! However, the story just lacked this sense of clarity because of the execution. There are a lot of relationships and characterizations that could've been done in a better way. Due to that, I felt like it was teeming with plot holes. This was good read, but here's to hoping that the next book will be even better! I believe in you!
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
Alright, so I went into this book with no prior knowledge of anything except for what I gleaned from the synopsis. Imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I discover that not only is there f/f representation, but also a WHOLE POC CAST. Um, have I died and gone to heaven?? It also really helped that the story makes you want to keep flipping pages by sucking you into this highly original fantasy world. So, you might be wondering.... Despite the above, why did I choose to give this 3 stars?
My main issue with this book lies with the execution of the story. You know that feeling when you're starting a new book and you know nothing about the world? You're still getting used to it as the author slowly immerses you into it page by page, and eventually, your confusion fades until your familiar with the book. Well, in the case of Labyrinth Lost, I was still stuck in that confused phase for the majority of the book. You've got all these ideal elements like an amazing premise, a wonderful setting, and an even better background, but... they just weren't executed properly. The story lacked a certain order to it; it was like a mishmash of plot ideas. This greatly dulled it's 'spark', leaving me very disenchanted.
Furthermore, I had a teeny issue with the Rishi + Alex pairing. You see, Rishi and Alex were supposed to be this AMAZING couple. We should have been more invested in them, since they already had an established friendship, but sadly I didn't feel anything. No chemistry at all. I'm all for LGBT+ representation, but there should have been more work put into Rishi and Alex's relationship. However, a relationship that was actually focused on was Nova and Alex. We actually have a clear progression of their relationship from the moment they meet. I found myself rooting for Nova most of the time; he's very intriguing. I just hope Rishi's character is developed as well in the next book.
OH, and was it just me or did this read like an MG book at times? It kinda had this whimsical feel to it. Still, the world was great and so original & unique. Kudos!
In short, this book has tons of potential. With a highly original premise and inventive world, it's bound to keep you reading 'till the very end. Seriously, the momentum's great. Bonus points for the LGBT+ and POC rep! However, the story just lacked this sense of clarity because of the execution. There are a lot of relationships and characterizations that could've been done in a better way. Due to that, I felt like it was teeming with plot holes. This was good read, but here's to hoping that the next book will be even better! I believe in you!
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter