I received a copy of Rachel White‘s Glove of Satin, Glove of Bone from Netgalley.

Description from Goodreads:
Enne Datchery and Muriel vas Veldina, ex-lovers and witches with a shared apprentice, are tasked by the Citadel, to repair an old grimoire together, despite the fact their relationship is tense at best.

The situation is further complicated when the book is stolen, and tracking down the thief stirs even more of Muriel’s past. It swiftly becomes clear to the two that dealing with their fractured relationship is going to be the easy part of the assignment—if they can live long enough to complete it.

Review:
*Sigh* I am disappointed. It’s not that the book is bad. It just misses so many opportunities to be better. I mean, how did White take a book about missing Grimoires of destruction, wicked witches, lesbian book repairers, gay circle archivists, warlock councils and MAGIC and make it boring? She made all that stuff side items and focused on two bickering women who can’t communicate, that’s how. *Sigh*

The characters are interesting, if not particularly developed and not exceptionally likable. The world seems like a cool one, but it isn’t deeply developed. The writing is good and there is occasional humor in there. But despite all of that, I just didn’t enjoy it very much. The book feels very much like it starts in the middle of something, as all the action seems to have happened in the past and we’re picking up the aftermath. What little action there is is brief and anti-climatic. What romance there is is mired in guilt and angst we never learn the origins of.

So, while the book isn’t a hot mess or anything, it’s not a winner for me either.