Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed parts of the book. So. Parts seemed to slog onward. I wanted to connect more with the character because I loved the premise but it didn't quite happen. Maybe in the next 2 books. I enjoyed the exploration of Lorel's trams identity and relationships. I just wish there was more fleshing out the characters, magic, and world as well.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Ive loved Margaret Killjoy's short stories and her novel is just as good!! Absolutely delightful
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this was a great start to a series
its a coming of age story good for middle schoolers , YA or even adult readers.
this book was a great start introducing a world, magic system and cast of characters.
great representation, i look forward to reading the next
its a coming of age story good for middle schoolers , YA or even adult readers.
this book was a great start introducing a world, magic system and cast of characters.
great representation, i look forward to reading the next
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was really nice to read a book this queer. I think the message is good. Lorel goes through a lot of the experiences (TW) and self-doubt that I feel many trans people do at one point in their life. That was probably my favorite part of the book. I also really liked the eventual bonds that are formed (love me some friendships) with the rest of the coven, however, it was tough (and brutal) getting there (things got Dark). I do think certain parts could have been developed a bit better, like the pacing, which felt slow at points, then too fast. But overall, it was a decent read.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A solid read, I think I would have enjoyed it more if there was a bit more character depth/world exploration rather thanthe amount of travelling described. I began to get disengaged as it repeated I enjoyed the dynamic within the coven, but would have appreciated some more casual conversations to ground the book into its world a bit more. I know that the book following Lorel who was learning but it was a bit unsatisfying reading and feeling the story build knowing I only had so few pages left, it left me wary of how many strings would be left undone, rather than being excited for the climax. I don't feel like I have a grasp on the magic system or even how the world is organized in general. I realize (now) that it is intended to be a trilogy, but honestly am unsure if I will remember this book enough to come back for the sequels a cute queer read with a strong coming of age narrative.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed the trans representation, but I had a hard time connecting with the world that was created. I liked the characters, and how they related to each other, but that just wasn’t enough for me. Not sure I’d read the other books in the series.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
trans literature > all other literature. i know i can't make that statement objectively, but right now that's the vibe. i loved the conversations about womanhood and transness and being an outsider of community in this book. the world was super fascinating and the characters were really fun to get to know, even if it was mostly surface level. but even that surface level-ness had an explanation - lorel was scared of getting too close to people because she was worried they'd find out she's trans.(idk if that's considered a spoiler but i figured it's better to be safe than sorry) i'd really love to read more books in this series/world, get to know some of the characters better, and explore the world a little more than we got to, but it's supposed to be a series so i'm not too worried.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Physical abuse, Torture, Outing, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Transphobia
there is a lot of bigotry towards witches akin to xenophobia/racism but i didn't think that fit either of those