Author: A. M. Strickland
Publication Date: 18 May 2021
Publisher: Imprint
Page Count: 400
Reading Method: Physical Book
Dates Read: September 26 – 29
Synopsis:
In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them―and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit and thrust into a world of palace intrigue and deception.
Desperate to escape, Rovan finds herself falling for two people she can’t fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling, rebellious princess; and Ivrilos, the handsome spirit with the ability to control Rovan, body and soul.
Together, they uncover a secret that will destroy Thanopolis. To save them all, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld, and find a way to trust the princess and spirit battling for her heart―if she doesn’t betray them first.
Review:
This was a total cover buy for me. Well that, and everyone on Bookstagram raving about it when it first came out. Then Fiction Bath Co made a Rovan scent and it solidified my need to figure out if the contents were are beautiful as the cover.
I am happy to report, I enjoyed In The Ravenous Dark quite a bit, but maybe not as much as everyone else seemed to? Let’s discuss…
There is soooo much to love about this story. The plot itself is quite engaging, but then you throw in a ton of characters who know who they are and continually remain true to themselves through any and all adversity, lots of open discussion about sex and gender and relationships which was all very healthy. And there is a ton of interesting world building, magic, and politics. But it felt like all the action was saved for the last third of the book and it was a bit of a slog to get to it. Not so much so that I completely lost interest, but it took me longer to get through than I had originally anticipated.
I think what I struggled with most was Rovan. She is so incredibly selfish throughout the story and there were so many times I wanted to shake her and ask what the heck she was doing. She’s got this huge task ahead of her and she just kept making one bad decision after the other. I mean, I kinda get it. Her life is actively falling to pieces around her and she is struggling with all of the sudden changes before her. But I just… sigh.
The other characters were wonderful, and some of my favorites! All the relationships between the characters though… felt a bit superficial and under-explored. One minute they’re kissing and the next they’re in love. Blegh. Not a fan. As for the death magic/blood magic, I would like to have seen that explored a bit more. We get a little bit of the history of how it came to be and the interactions between blood/death magic, but we don’t get to see much of Rovan learning how to wield her powers. We get a tiny little clip of training, but I wanted more, if only so I could understand it all a bit better.
The last third of the book was definitely my favorite. Things really start to pick up and we get to see some of the characters completely snap. I love an unhinged protagonist. The last little bit redeemed some of my issues with the first 2/3 of the story and I did enjoy how it all wrapped up, even if it felt a bit hasty.
I don’t know y’all… it was an okay read, but definitely not getting added to my list of favorites. There are many excellent aspects of the book, but I’m not sure it quite makes up for all the things I wish had been just a touch different. So… decent, but not great. Though lots of people are in love this story, so maybe it’s just me. Guess you’ll have to read it to see how you feel!
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