This is an eARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
Hello all. Today I’m going to review another amazing book, titled, My Brother’s Spare written by Shira Behore.
Summary:
The book is about a Noble named Valeria Anson teaming up with an assassin named Rowan Marrow to find her mother’s murderer. Despite her family’s objections, particularly from her father and her twin brother’s loving concern- she sets out to pursue that killer.
Writing:
The writing itself was good, it flows well and it weaves in descriptions smoothly with the narrative so it does not feel over-dumpy at certain points of the book and a description-less white-room on other parts.
Reading feels very immersive as I experience the Kingdom of Nieve through Val’s eyes.
Who was your favourite character, and why?
My favourite character selection if I had to pick one, would be Valeria herself. Valeria is shown to be a dutiful person
Did the characters feel real to you?
Yes, especially how the characters exhibited their trauma and grief in their different ways that feel so heart-breakingly real. The ways they think, the ways they act…it’s hard not to empathize with them even if you don’t agree with their thinking. (looking at Rowan Marrow)
Did the story keep you guessing?
Yes, it did, all the way. Not only did it keep me guessing, it kept reminding me- showed me- why does it matter so much to Val that she MUST find her mother’s killer and bring them to justice.
At some point of the story, it was as if the answers presented themselves on a silver platter to us the reader- but being a frequent reader of dark thrillers, I instinctively knew that it cannot be that simple, can it?
And everytime I find myself asking this question, the answer I was given turns out to be even more satisfying than I could ever hope for.
What was your favourite part of the book, and why?
My favourite part of the book was the relationship dynamic between Valeria and Rowan Marrow. Especially how their relationship developed along with the plot and the mystery unfolds. I found the character dynamic between Rowan and Val to be the most interesting out of all of them. It is a special kind of relationship- not really the romantic type, but rather, a special platonic type that cannot be defined by simply one thing- it’s so much more than that.
I also liked how closely the character arcs and development is tied with the plot progression.
Did the book make you laugh or cry?
The book was a heart-wrenching read as well as an intense action read, especially around the end where all the climax starts to unfold. So I felt mostly excitement and adrenaline, along with a lot of sadness.
Did the story grip you and keep you turning the pages?
It did. Throughout the story, I kept getting reminded of how important Valeria views her family and how it ties to her sense of mission- which compels her to pursue her own personal investigation.
What do you wish could be done better?
This could be just my personal preferences at play but I think that:
-The ending honestly felt a bit rushed.
-As the story was Val and Rowan focused, I didn’t really have a reason to care about the rest of the cast.
Other than that, overall this is a pretty solid book and I would give it 4.5 stars over 5.
As the book comes out on 24th August 2021, which is tomorrow- do keep a lookout for this amazing debut novel by Lost Island Press.
Links:
You can check out Shira Behore’s social media here:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNu6L_gPuxWxFITjTidDVjg
Instagram: @_shi_writes
Lost Island Press:
Website: https://www.lostislandpress.com/
Varrick Kwang 