The quick cut: A Count of Monte Cristo retelling featuring a female seeking revenge for her family.
A real review:
Revenge is an understandable response when you feel cheated. It never feels good to be betrayed and the emotion of that betrayal can bring out the worst response in anyone. That's the reality for Dania.
Dania has been in jail for 364 days for a crime she never committed. Even worse, she was put there by the person she trusted most, a boy named Mazin. A person she very much loved. Escaping with a fellow inmate and armed with djinn magic, she begins searching for a way to get her justice. Will her plan work out? Or will she instead get what she never wanted?
I've read the Count of Monte Cristo, but it's quite a heavy read. This book brings a classic story to a newer audience in this retelling. Adding a fantastical twist also brings in an audience that prefers this genre of story. Of all the retellings published in recent years, this is certainly one of the most unique without losing the classic story's purpose.
Dania is very much motivated for revenge and willing to do anything to get it. Like any good story though, she doesn't have the full story of what happened a year ago and the more she learns, the harder her decisions will be.
The action is good and plot itself is well paced. My issue though is that the chemistry between Dania and Mazin feels inauthentic. Their moments together don't have the spark you would expect. Without that, the ending falls flat and doesn't give that overarching satisfying feeling.
A fantasy retelling that doesn't reach its full potential.
My rating: 3.75 out of 5
Comentarios