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funktious's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A really mixed read for me!
The good: an excellent, weird, eerie Faerie that never feels twee or predictable. Loved the moon fish and the sea whales and the Queen's court. And the gothic just drips off the page, with the fog on the moors and the mysterious, changeable house. I also really admired the theology - I didn't follow a lot of it and had to look up a lot in wikipedia, but you could see how cleverly Ng wound it into the world.
The meh: I just didn't like any of the characters really, which on reflection is probably because I don't like missionaries, and there wasn't enough about either Cathy or Laon beyond their mission to make me care about either of them. The pacing was also dreadfully slow in the first half which is probably fine if the Gothic build up works for you, but it didn't for me.
The Twist: I really didn't enjoy the incest BUT at the end, I can see why Ng went there. It works in the context of the plot and the genre. However just because it's clever and makes sense, doesn't make it enjoyable to read.
The good: an excellent, weird, eerie Faerie that never feels twee or predictable. Loved the moon fish and the sea whales and the Queen's court. And the gothic just drips off the page, with the fog on the moors and the mysterious, changeable house. I also really admired the theology - I didn't follow a lot of it and had to look up a lot in wikipedia, but you could see how cleverly Ng wound it into the world.
The meh: I just didn't like any of the characters really, which on reflection is probably because I don't like missionaries, and there wasn't enough about either Cathy or Laon beyond their mission to make me care about either of them. The pacing was also dreadfully slow in the first half which is probably fine if the Gothic build up works for you, but it didn't for me.
The Twist:
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
aliendaydreamer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
2.5
Cool concept but why the Incest
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest
katiecakes034's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.75
I really really enjoyed this book. It was dark, gothic, and filled with moral ambiguity. This book had the complexity I was craving in a fae-themed fantasy and was excellently written. I loved all of the research and lore that went into crafting this novel. The fae are the ultimate tricksters and when I say dark, I mean it. I wish it had been a little faster paced, but otherwise, I think it’s brilliant. An excellent debut I will be thinking about for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
almadenell's review against another edition
It started to get weirdly incest-y.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
It started to get weirdly incest-y.jijirich's review against another edition
Spoilers:
Got the sense that it would be an incest plot and read reviews to confirm. It is and apparently tried to make it palatable by making them not bio siblings, as an adopted person I find that trope disgusting.
Got the sense that it would be an incest plot and read reviews to confirm. It is and apparently tried to make it palatable by making them not bio siblings, as an adopted person I find that trope disgusting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
violinknitter's review against another edition
dark
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I… um… well. That ended up in a very strange place. A+ for creepy dangerous Fae. B+ for inclusion of biblical & missionary motifs. D- for, well, that Spoiler
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
Moderate: Incest
bzedan's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
teri_b's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is gothic, full of horror, mirrors and mirages and takes you into chases between theology and the fae world, in a strange & weird mix of realities.
Very well done.
Very well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Incest
book_snail's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
If you like cosmic horror with a massive heaping of biblical allusions and a gothic romance vibe, this book is probably for you :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Colonisation
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt
The forced institutionalisation isn't so in the normal sense; it's