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irenetrexqueen's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I love twists on classics, fantasy IRL, and Russian culture, so one would think this was perfect for me and boy would they be wrong.
I like the Atlas series so I though give this one a try and honestly if not for my reading goal for the month this would have been a DNF 20% in. I dislike the explanation of the characters at the beginning, the way it is likened to a play, but lacks that structure. Almost no world building as one has to keep up with the 25 (exaggeration) characters and their 2 to 4 names. If the story was good I could get past that, but really it was the definition of meh.
I like the Atlas series so I though give this one a try and honestly if not for my reading goal for the month this would have been a DNF 20% in. I dislike the explanation of the characters at the beginning, the way it is likened to a play, but lacks that structure. Almost no world building as one has to keep up with the 25 (exaggeration) characters and their 2 to 4 names. If the story was good I could get past that, but really it was the definition of meh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, and Bullying
Minor: Sexism
karenreadsbooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Olivie Blake, what have you done to me? You took me on a roller coaster ride and broke my heart and pieced it together and broke it again. Over and over.
The foundation of this story was Romeo and Juliet, but this is a story completely on its own, though it is enhanced by the comparisons with the play.
Back stabbing and betrayal, loyalty and family, and love. So much contained within these pages. I cried. I underlined and annotated so many pages.
The foundation of this story was Romeo and Juliet, but this is a story completely on its own, though it is enhanced by the comparisons with the play.
Back stabbing and betrayal, loyalty and family, and love. So much contained within these pages. I cried. I underlined and annotated so many pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Drug use, Murder, and Toxic relationship
_heytamsin's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Murder
dani_reis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
This felt like it could have been at least a third shorter. The drug war seemed unnecessary. The magic even seemed like a back burner since the world building was fairly mediocre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Suicide, Drug use, and Grief
Minor: War and Sexual content
Sexual content is closed door. Griefaysha_blake's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Suicide, Blood, Drug abuse, Death, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Cursing
taylorthewitch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Murder, and Blood
novel_nibbles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Like the Shakespeare tragedy it is inspired by, One For My Enemy is not a romantic tale. That’s not to say that it doesn’t feature love. But the love it features in multiple forms- parental, sibling, unrequited, unrealised, companionable- is messy, complicated and flawed.
Despite the drama and the inevitable messy ending you can’t help rooting for the lovers torn apart by family circumstance.
I loved the play references in the structure and design of the book, with the story divided in to acts and the chapters renamed scenes.
I am officially OBSESSED by Olivie Blake and will read anything she publishes
Despite the drama and the inevitable messy ending you can’t help rooting for the lovers torn apart by family circumstance.
I loved the play references in the structure and design of the book, with the story divided in to acts and the chapters renamed scenes.
I am officially OBSESSED by Olivie Blake and will read anything she publishes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Murder
heidi_grey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Grief, and Suicide
Minor: Drug use
filipateodoro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book was a huge disappointment for me.
In the first chapters, I thought the stylistic choice to introduce the sets and characters like a play were very interesting. That also suited the very theatrical and borderline melodramatic writing, as well as the fact that there was a lot of "telling" and not much "showing". However, what I thought were stylistic choices became either non existent or unbearable.
At around 50% of the book, when the first shocking moment happens, the plot went so ballistic it felt like I was reading a parody. At a certain point, I just stopped reading and jokingly told my husband "There's so manypeople dying and coming back to life that it feels like I'm reading Naruto." I realise that this is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but I feel like there's a limit to how much you can use this specific plot device. I felt like it completely removed any stakes the story had, especially since the magic isn't explained all that much. I'm ok with soft magic systems, I just don't think that meshed well with these plot choices, it kind of "broke" the world.
Anyway, it all got very convoluted, to be honest. At a certain point, there's so much going onwith magical contracts that you could make a drinking game out of it. It was impossible for me to follow along what was going on in that office! I felt like I needed a cork board and string, but in a bad way not in a fun "let's play detective" sort of way!
The prose is undeniably beautiful at times, but again there's a lot of being told about things and almost nothing is shown to you, and this gets progressively worse as the book goes on. You're never left alone as a reader to make your own conclusions about the characters, the author's hand is always there.
By the time the characters I wanted to end up together got together, I didn't care anymore.
I can see how this book could be enjoyable to some people and why this author is popular. Unfortunately, in the end it just wasn't for me.
In the first chapters, I thought the stylistic choice to introduce the sets and characters like a play were very interesting. That also suited the very theatrical and borderline melodramatic writing, as well as the fact that there was a lot of "telling" and not much "showing". However, what I thought were stylistic choices became either non existent or unbearable.
At around 50% of the book, when the first shocking moment happens, the plot went so ballistic it felt like I was reading a parody. At a certain point, I just stopped reading and jokingly told my husband "There's so many
Anyway, it all got very convoluted, to be honest. At a certain point, there's so much going on
The prose is undeniably beautiful at times, but again there's a lot of being told about things and almost nothing is shown to you, and this gets progressively worse as the book goes on. You're never left alone as a reader to make your own conclusions about the characters, the author's hand is always there.
By the time the characters I wanted to end up together got together, I didn't care anymore.
I can see how this book could be enjoyable to some people and why this author is popular. Unfortunately, in the end it just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Murder
angel__'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- 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
4.5
It was pretty good, however 'Masters o Death' was better.
Again a book with vibes>plot.
Sometimes confusingand many deaths. The end is a little bit unsatisfying 'cause you don't know about all characters what the future brings.
Again a book with vibes>plot.
Sometimes confusing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Blood, Drug use, and Death