Suzi
I have not read Manacled, I do plan to but recency bias won and I read this pretty much as soon as it was released.
I think this is an important point because for those who have read Manacled and know where this story started, they already have a connection even though Alchemised is a complete rewrite. With Manacled, there is years of history behind the characters and I imagine this provides a lot more emotional resonance with people.
With me not reading it first, I did find a lack of emotional depth in the initial relationship between Helena and Kaine. Yes it's fairly slow burn between them as a whole, but once we get to the past timeline and they start interacting it felt as if we should already care when we weren't really shown much as to why.
I also think that given the length of this, it could have been split into a duology with a little more world building being fleshed out, especially early on.
All of that said I did really enjoy it and it's definitely worth a read but it is very dark and brutal so check out the content warnings.
This was an absolutely brilliant blend of historical fiction and horror. The characters, the setting and the plot were so engrossing and disturbing.
The only reason this isn't a 5 star is that it's simply way too long, at points it felt drawn out and lost a bit of tension and pace.
I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
After really enjoying Bury Our Bones, I thought I'd try Addie as I heard the writing and vibes were similar and I can definitely agree with that.
I've read the Shades of Magic trilogy by the same author and didn't end up loving it so I'm glad these books worked better for me.
I will say I found this way too long for what it was, it was good but felt like it was dragged out a bit too much.
This was definitely a case of right book, right time. It perfectly hit in terms of atmosphere, just as it turned to a cold and grey October. It was a great mix of darker witchy elements but with a slightly lighthearted tone. I really enjoyed this from start to finish.
It was my first T. Kingfisher and won't be my last.
I can't believe it's been over 7 years since I read the second book in this series, yet I was just able to pick up the story as if no time had passed.
This gives me some Karin Slaughter vibes, with the southern setting, the family relationships and the plot twists leading up to an explosive ending.
I really like the direction this book is taking the series - from Gwen and the kids being victims and on the run, to getting more settled and being involved in solving crimes themselves. The epilogue was great for setting up the next instalment and I'll be continuing soon.
Take a shot every time Margaret says "I am Queen Regent!"
Some people really don't get on with this instalment however I quite enjoyed the exploration of Margaret's character, who isn't that well known in comparison to others of the time, and also learning more about the Scottish court where the series has been based completely in the English court.
I do think it was a bit too long (as quite a lot of the books are) and it did feel a bit repetitive at times but I enjoyed it overall.
I saw a few reviews saying this was an ToG rip off/fan fic and whilst there are a few similar names/places there's definitely enough here to be viewed separately from SJM and it was a good start to the series.
It was a little predictable at times and I rolled my eyes at a few moments but there's a good story underneath and I'm interested enough to carry on.
I picked this up when I was sick for a few days and my brain needed something it didn't need to work hard for and was pleasant surprised.
Expected a run of the mill domestic thriller but was so into it I read the first half in a night. I thought I had it all figured out early on so smug me was actually shocked by the ending!
Definitely have to suspend your disbelief for this one, as some parts are just plan stupid, but it was entertaining for what it was.
I'd listen to the history of the teaspoon if it was written by Dan Jones, so it's safe to say I enjoyed it this a lot.
I tend to stick to post-Middle Ages history but I'm so glad I listened to this and got an amazing overview of a huge swathe of history before the 1500s. The Middle Ages covers so much more than I originally thought and it's absolutely fascinating.
This was mind blowing - I knew a tiny bit about this but the sheer amount of information and research it must have taken to produce this book is immense. It was long but it covered a lot of people and a lot of information so was worth it. I did listen to this one on audio (which is read by the author) which was a great choice, it was a hard listen content wise but it was well written, well presented and digestible. I'll definitely be looking at her other books.
I went into this not liking stories set on boats or seafaring related, I can safely say I feel exactly the same after finishing it as this was an absolute slog to get through.
If this wasn't a Hobb and part of the larger universe I would have DNFd in a heartbeat, but I persevered for the sake of reading the full series of the RotE.
As with the Farseer trilogy, Hobb's characters are well written but with this book I did find some parts about those characters just went on and on, like the chapters about Malta were mind numbing, not only is she an awful brat, it's tedious to read about her wanting a dress and going to a ball for so long and then the repetitive arguments about it all. A total snooze.
I had to switch to audio towards the end as it was just dragging so much, and I agree with others that the audio isn't the best. It took a little while to get used to the narrator but the worst part was the terrible editing, so many words and sentences were cut short so it was jarring and effected the pacing and flow. Not the author's fault, but worth a mention.
