Gravemaidens (Gravemaidens, #1)

by Kelly Coon

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book, in exchange for an honest review. This will be available to purchase on October 29th.

I found this book really enjoyable. The setup wasn’t all that original- girl having to provide for her sibling , sacrificing her innocence in the process. Relationship drama with monetary, as well as class, obstacles to overcome. However, this was still a fun read.

Kammani is a healer, which I always find interesting in fantasy books, where the main character is often a fighter of some sort. It allows for a different character development and a sense of compassion, which adds something I think. I liked Kammani quite a bit, although every now and again I wanted to shake her. Her sister, on the other hand…wow, she was a selfish idiot. I really hated any part of the book with her in it. Of course, there’s also ye random hunky dude. I thought he was rather one-dimensional, but it didn’t detract from the rest of the story all that much.

There’s a whole “who’s the villain?” thing happening during part of the book. I felt that it was rather obvious but, again, this also didn’t detract from the book. Oddly enough, as I write this, I start noticing that there were several tropes that usually bug me. The writing just flowed well enough that it covered up most faults. Sometimes a book is just the right one at a specific time…I think this was one of those situations. I really needed a fun read that didn’t wring me out too much emotionally.

This was engaging, and I like that it’s a duology instead of a long-running series. I think the second book will be better than the first, now that the setup and the world have been established. I’d suggest this as a perfect read on a day when you just need a break from the usual routine.