Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If I'm being honest, this is more of a 3.5 for me, not having all that much to do as a Fantasy except with changed names and places hiding the fact this may as well be Casablanca. What? Nazis, spy work, sharp, sometimes witty, dialogue? Yep.

I also enjoyed (and sometimes didn't) the deep immersion in the acting scene. For me, it was best when it was scathing quips and a bit boring when it seemed to drag the slow burn of this plot to rather nowhere places.

The fact is, this novel sinks or swims on your enjoyment of the characters. The gradual dissolution of people's lives here in Amberlough, whether straight or gay, rich or poor, will only mean something if you're deeply attached. The actual plot direction doesn't pick up until nearly the end when the losses stack up too high.

As I was reading this, I was somewhat reminded of Swordspoint. Any fans of that novel will definitely enjoy this. :)

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