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lana_karas's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Minor: Rape
livetgjennomb_ker's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This book had a lot of promise, to tell you the truth. I can see a younger me having loved it. I really enjoyed the fairytale aspect of it, and would have loved to see more of that.
That being said… the story fell a bit flat for me, the characters were bland and uninteresting, nothing about them really made them stand out and feel real. Lonan is a Gary Stu if ever there was one tbh. Then there’s the unnecessary labelling of pretty much all the women in the book as only wives or mothers, and of the three (or four? I forget if Lonan’s mum gets a name) named adult women, two of them are raped regularly. The sexism is palpable from the first chapter, when Lonan essentially goes “oh, Branwen used to like me, but now hates me, it is only her EVIIIIL husband keeping us apart!” Gross. This book came out in 2016, and honestly I expect more.That’s not to mention that our hero has spent eight years pining after a woman who despises him, and trying to convince her that she loves him, and guess what folks! The second her husband dies she loves him! If time had been allotted to show how Lonan feeling entitled to Branwen is bad that would have at least made it slightly more bearable.
Also the queen? A potentially powerful ally and cool character? Nah. She kills herself because she’s only useful in one chapter. To tell our “hero” about her husbands horrible deeds. Basically the women in this book feel like plot devices rather than characters. Gimme a break, we deserve better.
That being said… the story fell a bit flat for me, the characters were bland and uninteresting, nothing about them really made them stand out and feel real. Lonan is a Gary Stu if ever there was one tbh. Then there’s the unnecessary labelling of pretty much all the women in the book as only wives or mothers, and of the three (or four? I forget if Lonan’s mum gets a name) named adult women, two of them are raped regularly. The sexism is palpable from the first chapter, when Lonan essentially goes “oh, Branwen used to like me, but now hates me, it is only her EVIIIIL husband keeping us apart!” Gross. This book came out in 2016, and honestly I expect more.
Also the queen? A potentially powerful ally and cool character? Nah. She kills herself because she’s only useful in one chapter. To tell our “hero” about her husbands horrible deeds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Murder
Minor: Rape
So. Much. Sexism.
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