Today I have a review of BRITTLE by Beth Overmyer. Unfortunately, I did not finish this ARC. I debated whether to post this DNF review, but ultimately decided to because, as I said earlier, reviews are for readers.

Author: Beth Overmyer
Series: Blade and Bone #1
Age Category: New Adult
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Publish Date: August 15, 2023
Print Length: 304

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Official Synopsis

Readers of Carissa Broadbent will love this thrilling new series, from the author of The Goblets Immortal, weaving an intriguing world of fantasy and folklore.

After the murder of her father – which no one but her believes happened – Verve just wants to hold her family together and take on the role of provider. Unfortunately, a cruel fae lord believes she knows the location of an ancient magical weapon and steals her away to Letorheas, realm of the fairies. The fae lord seems to want something from Verve that goes beyond the weapon, something that many doubt she can provide. Verve must find a way to navigate the strangeness of Letorheas and embrace a destiny more intertwined with the fae than she would like to believe.

My Review

I received a free, digital, advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is my own and reflects my honest opinion about this book.

Though I prefer to start and finish the ARCs I’m approved for, once in a blue moon I just cannot push through. Unfortunately, BRITTLE by Beth Overmyer is one of those books. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. And the premise sounds perfect for readers like me who seek fae-focused fantasy romances, forever chasing that ACOTAR high. However, BRITTLE just didn’t work for me and I DNF at 21%.

The writing, while not bad, is clunky and contains odd phrasing. The telling dominates over the showing, which when paired with the passive writing, made my mind wander. Furthermore, Verve, the female main character, is a passive participant. She has a few acts of proactiveness, but once she ends up in Faerie it’s game over for her personality. I get that she doesn’t have any idea about what’s going on. So it’s in her best interest to remain quiet and malleable. But it makes for a boring read, in my opinion.

For these reasons, paired with paragraphs of stiff dialogue and flat characters, I decided not to continue and complete BRITTLE by Beth Overmyer. I’m sure this book has an audience with some people and I hope those readers find and enjoy it.

Rating: —
Content warnings: parental death, abduction
Reading format: Kindle e-book