DNF December Review Blitz — Day #2: I’m sharing my thoughts on some book series that I have marked as incomplete as I have never finished the first novel in the series. Find out why these weren’t for me:
Synopsis for The Sins on Their Bones (from Goodreads):
Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good.
But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen.
Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love.
Author: Laura R Samotin
Series: The Cursed Crown
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: No
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: Third Person, Multiple
Publication Dates: May 2024 – ongoing
Source & Format: Netgalley–eARC
Disclaimer: I stopped reading The Sins on Their Bones at 43%. Find out why below…
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I actually found out about The Sins on Their Bones on Twitter. The ARC was available on Netgalley and I quickly requested it. I am a sucker for books set in Imperial Russia and I loved the diversity and themes this book promised to explore. Add to that the espionage and politics of someone trying to get back their throne and I was very exited to dive in!
What I Liked:
–Exploring The Aftermath of Domestic Violence–
I loved the humanity of the characters. While there is a supernatural force at work, the emotions, motivations and the reactions of the characters to the situations are hand were so real and genuine. And I think it has one of the best representations of partners (how they feel, the stages of recovery, etc) in a domestic abuse situation I’ve ever read in a novel.
–The World–
I adored the blend of the occult science and realism and politics–it’s why I adore novels with an Imperial Russia or -esque setting. I could easily see this world being an alternate reality to ours.
What I Didn’t Like:
–The Pacing–
I struggled with the pacing of the novel. While I understand Dimitri’s state of mind completely, it’s a hard place to be in as a reader. You truly feel his pain and torment throughout his narration.
And I just felt like the plot wasn’t moving fast enough for me to get the shift of attention I needed mentally to keep going with this story. I stopped just shy of the halfway mark and
Will I Finish It?
I didn’t know that this was going to be a series when I picked up The Sins on Their Bones which might explain why things were more drawn out to setup the sequel. Maybe one day I’ll return but I haven’t been eager to know the conclusion either…
Series Rating: DNF
The Sins on Their Bones DNF | The Lure of Their Graves N/A
The writing itself has great flow and the words are incredibly easy to follow. The world is fascinating as well. It really just came down to a pacing issue for me.
Read if You Like: slowly building stories, focus on characters
Avoid if You: want a faster plot
- Romanov by Nadine Brandes
- The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye (The Crown’s Game Series #1)
Have you read this? Should I return to this series? Leave a comment!
