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A review by virgilsaeneid
Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
If you want time travelling gay husbands who fall under the friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope in a grounded, easy-to-read fantasy book, Shoestring Theory is for you. I enjoyed Shoestring Theory with its flowing prose and simple worldbuilding. It's definitely a good start for people looking to get into fantasy without getting bogged down by pages and pages of worldbuilding exposition. Mariana Costa's book is quick, easy, and intriguing.
That being said, however, I don't think Shoestring Theory should be getting marketed as a cozy fantasy due to its simplicity. It is entirely an epic fantasy, targeted at audiences not familiar with the landscape of fantasy fiction. Shoestring Theory is in fact quite dark and deals with some surprisingly heavy topics for a book with Legends and Lattes as a comp title. The stakes were exceedingly high with Costa not shying away from grittier topics- something that doesn't quite fit the cozy fantasy's low-stakes, lighthearted nature.
All-in-all, Shoestring Theory was a good read, but be aware that you will not get a conventional "cozy fantasy." 4/5 stars.
If you want time travelling gay husbands who fall under the friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope in a grounded, easy-to-read fantasy book, Shoestring Theory is for you. I enjoyed Shoestring Theory with its flowing prose and simple worldbuilding. It's definitely a good start for people looking to get into fantasy without getting bogged down by pages and pages of worldbuilding exposition. Mariana Costa's book is quick, easy, and intriguing.
That being said, however, I don't think Shoestring Theory should be getting marketed as a cozy fantasy due to its simplicity. It is entirely an epic fantasy, targeted at audiences not familiar with the landscape of fantasy fiction. Shoestring Theory is in fact quite dark and deals with some surprisingly heavy topics for a book with Legends and Lattes as a comp title. The stakes were exceedingly high with Costa not shying away from grittier topics- something that doesn't quite fit the cozy fantasy's low-stakes, lighthearted nature.
All-in-all, Shoestring Theory was a good read, but be aware that you will not get a conventional "cozy fantasy." 4/5 stars.