'Lead Heart' by Jane Washington

Overall Rating: 4/10

FTC disclaimer: I was not sent this product. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own.

Plot Overview (written by myself):

To Do List of Seraph Black:

- Settle into college.

- Free one of my boyfriends from his father’s prison.

- Help two of my other boyfriends regain their memories.

- Discover the identity of my stalker.

- Avoid being kidnapped.

- Prevent my local dictator’s plans for world domination.

- Figure out what the HELL IS GOING ON!

Review:

The beginning half of ' Lead Heart' was one foot-dragging, uneventful chunk of pages. Washington did not give us much high-action. After this lull, however, the protagonist was at last allowed to untangle some of the big mysteries around her. Washington’s use of a big twist and well-written cliff-hanger just managed to elevate the plot of ‘Lead Heart’ from amateur to acceptable.

In regards to Seraph, her improvement arc only continued to get steeper; almost no wet sponge traits to be seen! The romantic developments were predictable, but well-transitioned. However, Washington’s attempts to write a PG reverse-harem novel (an oxymoron in itself) fell flat in ‘Lead Heart’. As did the interchangeability of Noah and Cabe’s dialogue –the two brothers required better distinguishing from each other.

Architectural descriptions did occasionally fall short ( particularly of the Komnata - a government's meeting place), as did, yet again, the cover. Also, there is no such thing as a “British accent”.

Finally, Washington’s explanation of the magic system was unique (small spoiler alert): all powers come from 5 core categories which originated from mutations in human genes.

Quotations:

· “It was becoming a pattern of sorts for my life to suddenly explode and then for the fallout to rain down on me in a shower of clandestine snowflakes for months and months while I waited for the next attack. Only… when the next attack finally came, I would discover that […] I had become buried to the neck, utterly helpless to fight my way free.”

· “I’m sorry I bailed on our date, it was only because I was drugged and dragged out of a nightclub by a bunch of high school girls […] after which I accidentally or deliberately blew up the car and everyone inside it. Including myself.”

· “The same way we organise our lives, we organise the deceased: we pack them up into fancy boxes and tip them into an allocated lot in the ground, where they will stay until we have forgotten about them.”

Review written on 27/07/2021 and 03/08/2021

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36271688-lead-heart

Buy: https://www.waterstones.com/book/lead-heart/jane-washington//9781976562587

Author: https://janewashington.com/