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A review by rosemarieshort
The Bride of Death by F.M. Aden
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 / 5
The Bride of Death is a retelling of the Persephone and Hades tale with some YA tropes woven in (although I was pleased to see the main character, Zerryn, was in her early 20s rather than 17 as is often the preference). I enjoyed the brief window we had into Zerryn’s childhood, which was haunted by loss and the shadow of death, and the transition into young woman grounded her for me. However after this the pacing began to rapidly descend into unevenness. Some evens came upon us in moments, others built up with painstaking slowness.
The central romance was a triangle but for the most part I found this fine (and I usually hate love triangles) - mostly because one point of the triangle is largely forgotten for most of the book. Erlik and Zerryn unfortunately have little chemistry - their tenuous connection and Erlik’s strange obsession with Zerryn never seemed to be based in anything substantial. They have some light hearted banter, some steamy kisses and suddenly are infatuated.
I enjoyed the trials and this was perhaps my favourite part of the book - the dynamic between Erlik’s suitors (in particular Beyza) was interesting and fun whilst also forwarding the plot.
The ending, for me, was deeply unsatisfying and is what brings this from a 3 to a 2.5 star read. If you’re looking for something based on Hades & Persephone and love YA (I’m thinking particularly if you’re after a one-shot, ACoTaR-esque read) you may enjoy The Bride of Death.
2.5 / 5
The Bride of Death is a retelling of the Persephone and Hades tale with some YA tropes woven in (although I was pleased to see the main character, Zerryn, was in her early 20s rather than 17 as is often the preference). I enjoyed the brief window we had into Zerryn’s childhood, which was haunted by loss and the shadow of death, and the transition into young woman grounded her for me. However after this the pacing began to rapidly descend into unevenness. Some evens came upon us in moments, others built up with painstaking slowness.
The central romance was a triangle but for the most part I found this fine (and I usually hate love triangles) - mostly because one point of the triangle is largely forgotten for most of the book. Erlik and Zerryn unfortunately have little chemistry - their tenuous connection and Erlik’s strange obsession with Zerryn never seemed to be based in anything substantial. They have some light hearted banter, some steamy kisses and suddenly are infatuated.
I enjoyed the trials and this was perhaps my favourite part of the book - the dynamic between Erlik’s suitors (in particular Beyza) was interesting and fun whilst also forwarding the plot.
The ending, for me, was deeply unsatisfying and is what brings this from a 3 to a 2.5 star read. If you’re looking for something based on Hades & Persephone and love YA (I’m thinking particularly if you’re after a one-shot, ACoTaR-esque read) you may enjoy The Bride of Death.