ARC Review: Chrysalis and Requiem
When I received the NetGalley notification that I had been approved for and ARC (advanced reader copy) of Chrysalis and Requiem, an upcoming novel by Quinton Li, I was THRILLED. I enjoyed their debut book, Tell Me How It Ends, and have been eagerly awaiting more of Li’s work.
Chrysalis and Requiem is a dark academia, psychological thriller with lots of speculative elements, like angels and magic. The two main characters, Elise Excava and Veaer Rosell, are lesbians and the entire cast is queer. Here’s the synopsis, as described on NetGalley:
At Adraredon Academy, fervent passion, contemporary companionship, and forbidden desires intertwine with tall gothic spires, ancient halls, and centuries of history. Veaer Rosell can't imagine a better place to satiate her craving for beauty, knowledge, and art.
Yet senior year shatters her illusion of tranquillity and civil intellect when she witnesses the headmaster's daughter murder another student and is confronted by an unthinkable choice: avenging her fallen peer or taking this secret to the grave, one way or another.
But fate laughs at Veaer's expense when the headmaster's daughter requests her aid. Driven by an all-consuming thirst for answers, Veaer becomes an untimely partner in solving a murder they both know the answer to, unaware of the intricacies that come with learning the bigger picture and playing with death.
I have many (mostly positive) thoughts about this novel, so without further ado, let’s get into it!
The Plot (Contains Spoilers)
The beginning of this story was slow-moving, but not in a way that bored me. Rather, many of the plot points were subtle, and it wasn’t clear how some details were related to the story’s end. After finishing the novel, I see how each interaction led to the climax of the story—from Elise handing Veaer a handkerchief to the murder of Veaer’s childhood best friend, Kitt Thawan. It was tied together brilliantly.
Ultimately, Chrysalis and Requiem is character driven. Their motivations, mindsets, and relationships with each other are at the heart of this novel.
The Characters and Their Relationships
Veaer and Elise…oh boy. Their relationship is somewhere between lovers, enemies, and a disciple worshiping a God (the latter became EXTREMELY prevalent at the end of the novel). Throughout my reading, I referenced a set of infographics that described characters in C&R via codependency prompts. Here’s a few for Elise and Veaer:
Despite their obvious romance, Veaer compromised a lot of herself for Elise, and I don’t think it benefitted her in the long run. Elise was a terrible lover, but an interesting person. And their relationship continues to haunt me.
Veaer and Adair are soulmates (with benefits). They would do anything for each other, and they (along with Haiwrin, Adair’s twin) are my favorite relationship in the entire book.
Elise has a complicated relationship with her brother, Izot. Izot is far more popular than Elise, which has interfered with her relationships. Thus, Tychon was one of her only friends at Adraredon. I do think the relationship between these siblings could’ve been expanded on more. It took a backseat to all of the other relationships.
And then there’s Tychon and Elise. I still don’t fully understand their relationship, other than the fact that they were extremely close. Elise’s reasoning for murdering him is strange. From what I’ve noticed, the secrets that they kept from each other led to their demise.
Tychon haunts Veaer. That is their relationship. I appreciate that Tychon haunted Veaer, the bystander, rather than his former best friend. It forced Veaer to question her involvement in his murder, and it brought her closer to Elise. If Tychon hadn’t decided to haunt Veaer, she wouldn’t be so driven to find answers.
Themes (Mild Spoilers)
One of the strongest themes present in the book is death and rebirth. I noticed this the most with Adair’s character arc (they came out as nonbinary). Another way this theme manifested was through The Ascension Order, which was a secret society. A lot of their goals are related to the idea of angels.
Another theme I picked up on was change. Every single character, especially Elise and Veaer, changed over the course of Chrysalis and Requiem. Change was often symbolized through butterfly imagery.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed this book, and my final rating is 4/5 stars. Chrysalis and Requiem comes out on March 16, 2024, and it’s an interesting read. You can find the preorder link here.
Well, that concludes my very first ARC review! I’ll see you all next month, on the third Wednesday in February.