OMG “Scythe & Sparrow” is like SO EXTRA but kinda GENIUS??
Okay so I just finished reading Brynne Weaver’s “Scythe & Sparrow” and I literally can’t even with this book!!! Like, my brain is totally broken rn and I had to tell SOMEONE about it so here goes my review (sorry if it’s all over the place, I’m still processing lol).
First off, this is book 3 in the Ruinous Love Trilogy which blew up on TikTok and tbh I was skeptical cause BookTok hypes up some pretty questionable stuff sometimes? But this series is actually legit insane in the best/worst way possible.
So the plot is basically: sad doctor guy (Fionn) escapes to small town Nebraska after his life falls apart, and then meets this circus performer girl (Rose) who casually MURDERS PEOPLE as a hobby?!?! Like… WHAT??? How does an author even come up with this stuff? It’s so ridiculously over-the-top that I was rolling my eyes at first, but then I couldn’t stop reading which is so annoying because I have finals next week and I’ve barely studied.
The spicy scenes are SPICY. Like, close-your-bedroom-door-and-maybe-put-on-headphones-even-though-its-a-book spicy. Weaver doesn’t hold back AT ALL and some parts made me actually blush which is embarrassing to admit but whatever. There’s this one scene with Rose’s motorcycle that is just… I can’t even type it out, you’ll know when you read it lol.
BUT here’s my main issue – are we supposed to be rooting for a literal MURDERER to find love??? The book tries really hard to make Rose sympathetic with her tragic backstory and everything, but she still kills people??? For fun??? And we’re supposed to be like “aww poor baby needs a hug from hot doctor man”??? It’s giving major problematic vibes and I’m not sure if Weaver is trying to make some deep point about morality or just being edgy for shock value.
Also Fionn is kinda annoying sometimes?? Like, dude, stop moping about your ex and maybe CALL THE POLICE when you find out the hot circus girl in your guest room has a body count?? Just a thought!!
The writing itself is actually super good tho, which makes the whole thing even more frustrating. Weaver has this way of describing small-town Nebraska that made me feel like I was actually there even tho I’ve never been anywhere near Nebraska. And the circus scenes are so vivid and atmospheric that I could practically smell the popcorn and hear the crowd.
The side characters are low-key more interesting than the main couple sometimes. There’s this one fortune teller lady who only has like three scenes but she’s somehow the most compelling person in the whole book?? And the ringmaster gives me major creepy-but-in-a-fascinating-way vibes. I’d honestly read a whole spinoff about just the circus people.
The pacing is kinda all over the place tbh. Like, the first third is super intense, then the middle part DRAGS with Fionn and Rose just dancing around each other being all “we’re just friends who sometimes hook up but definitely not catching feelings even though we obviously are” for what feels like 5000 pages. Then the last part goes from 0 to 100 real quick when people from their pasts show up and everything explodes (literally, there’s an actual explosion).
Also can we talk about how unrealistic it is that this small town doesn’t notice all the weird stuff happening?? Like, there’s a WHOLE CIRCUS camped out there for weeks, multiple suspicious deaths, and a mysterious hot doctor who appeared out of nowhere, but everyone’s just going about their business?? Make it make sense!!
The ending was… a lot. I won’t spoil it but I’m still not sure how I feel about it? Like, part of me is satisfied but part of me is like “that’s it??” after all the buildup. And there’s this epilogue that’s supposed to tie everything together with the other books in the trilogy but it felt kind of rushed and confusing if you haven’t read the previous books super recently.
Overall this book is a MESS but like… a mess I couldn’t stop thinking about?? It’s like when you see a car crash and you know you shouldn’t look but you CAN’T LOOK AWAY. Weaver is definitely doing something different from all the cookie-cutter romances out there, and I respect the audacity even if I’m questioning my own sanity for enjoying parts of it.
So yeah, 3.5/5 stars, would NOT recommend to my mom or anyone easily scandalized, but if you’re into dark romance with emphasis on the DARK and don’t mind some major moral questionable-ness, go for it I guess??? Just maybe don’t read it in public because your facial expressions while reading certain scenes will DEFINITELY give you away lololol.
P.S. The series title “Ruinous Love” is actually PERFECT because that’s exactly what reading these books feels like – being completely RUINED in ways both good and bad. Brynne Weaver, who hurt you and also can you write 10 more books please???
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