Flu Review - Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy

Posted on Dec 31, 2020 by Anna Jackson  | Comments (0)

If you're looking for an atmospheric read, Murphy once again delivers in Splinters of Scarlet. Just like her debut novel,The Disappearances, this book has a real life setting with several fantasy/sci-fi elements thrown in to keep things interesting. Unlike The Disappearances, however, Splinters of Scarlet feels like it is missing something.

Honestly, I really liked the idea behind the plot. I think that Murphy once again hits just the right balance between magical realism and fantasy. A world with unpredictable magic and nods to Hans Christian Anderson? This sounds great! But the characters were just poorly drawn and then some of the plot points were just too convenient.

Despite the poor characterizations, this book had a lot to offer! Murphy has so much talent as a writer - her style is gorgeous, and the atmospheres she creates are second to none. This book could have benefited from better editing and/or more time to polish the plot and characters; however I'm hopeful for this author’s future, because I see Murphy going places!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

By Anna