My Five Word TL:DR Review: Six out of Five Stars

Seriously, if I could give this book more than five stars – I would.

This is my favourite so far, which is saying something considering I’ve loved everything I’ve read by this author to date.  I’ve not read everything in the Sourdough Universe but this is my fourth story and it just grabbed my attention from the get go and held it for the duration.  I couldn’t be more enamoured with this book even if I tried.

It’s almost like I had a cunning plan because characters from the last three books I read by AG Slatter (All The Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns and The Briar Book of the Dead, which were coincidentally all great reads) all conspired to put in appearances in The Crimson Road, and in fact played key roles.  I loved the way these books all fed into each other, it was an absolute treat – BUT – I think that all the books by this author work as standalones so if you haven’t read the other books I mention here I really don’t think you’d struggle picking up The Crimson Road and enjoying it immensely.

The Crimson Road brings to us another winning character in the form of Violent Zennor.  Violet has been in training from a very young age, her father has ensured that she has been honed into a deadly weapon to fulfil his long awaited wishes.  Violet’s father passes away almost as the story begins so we don’t witness his cruel deeds but Violet shares some of her past as the story progresses and it’s easy to see that her’s was an unhappy childhood.  Even with the death of her father she is still being held tight within the snare of his desires and although she hopes to escape from his final ultimatum, in the end, it doesn’t prove possible.  And, so Violet sets forth on a, without doubt, impossible task.

What did I love about this book.  Everything.

It’s beautifully written with chillingly delicious gothic vibes.  This is a story that will finally take us into the lands where the Leech Lords reign (vampires by another name but with their own twisted lore and strange beginnings).  Violet has a difficult path and in that respect the title of the book is very appropriate indeed.  This is a darker story than the others but I still loved the fairytale feel spun throughout.

Slatter manages to conjure characters that you can easily form attachments to.  Violet is a great character in her own right and I loved revisiting three of the women from past stories but we also have Freddie, a street urchin and pickpocket who shadows Violet at every turn.  There are fae and ogres, assassins, witches and shapeshifters, twists and treachery and a thimble full of love.  I simply adore this world.  It’s so well explored and it just works.

I think my only problem with The Crimson Road is that it has an ‘end of’ feel to it.  I sincerely hope that isn’t the case because I desperately need some more Sourdough in my life.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating: An absolutely resounding 5 of 5 stars