I’ve always been fascinated by different types of myths and legends, and the legend of Bluebeard was always one that intrigued me from a very early age. When my sister told me about this book, that was effectively a gender-switched Bluebeard, I immediately wanted to read it.
I really liked the style of writing in this book. It read very much like a fairy tale brought into the modern world; but unlike the original story of Bluebeard, I liked the fact that Marcus was not only named in the book, he was also developed more as a character – which isn’t something that Bluebeard’s wife receives much of in the original legend.
I also really liked the use of technology in this book, rather than magic. I think it worked really well with the modern setting of the book. I did, however, feel that the scene between Nia and Markus at the end kind of contradicted the setup at the beginning, where Nia was preparing to get married to Markus. At the end, she seems to know a lot more about him than she actually knew at the beginning, and gives the impression that she deliberately chose him due to his history. I felt that wasn’t really foreshadowed too well.
I will say that, on the whole, I did enjoy this retelling of the Bluebeard legend. I liked the gradual reveal of the problems in the relationship between Nia and Markus, and even though I knew how the story would end (being very familiar with the original legend), I was engaged enough in the plot to keep reading and find out what was going to happen next.
I would say that this book is worth reading if you enjoy a different, more modern take on a familiar legend. It was a quick, easy and enjoyable read that I highly recommend.