Reviews with content warning for Blood - As Vidas dos Santos

I don't know how else to describe this other than luscious - it felt just like reading a book of fairy tales and for that reason was very nostalgic too. The illustrations were absolutely incredible. I also loved seeing more world-building, especially of Shu Han!
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Content Warnings

valyn_grebe's review against another edition

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dark hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

thenovelmaura's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Were the illustrations beautiful? Yes. Were the stories haunting and sometimes gruesome, in true Bargdugo fashion? Of course. Was this book worth $26? Absolutely NOT.

They sold it to me because I am an obsessive Grishaverse fan, an easy mark, a true pigeon (and also, it was a gift). But there are 27 Saints in here, and they each have a full page illustration, and many of the chapters are separated by a fake gilded page so that the illustration is on the left-hand side. So of the 121 pages, maybe 80 of those pages contain writing? I mean, add it to your collection if you must, but try to wait and see if they release it in paperback or something.

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laurenleigh's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Alina is given a book in Shadow and Bone called The Lives of Saints, which turns out to be very important in the trilogy and beyond. Bardugo recently published this little story collection, so it’s a must read for anyone like me who’s completely taken with the Grishaverse! The Saints in this text are often magical Grisha who are persecuted for being different, even if they are trying to help. It’s an interesting phenomenon that we see in our own world’s stories (Jesus and Joan of Arc come to mind). The stories themselves were super short, but overall the collection is making me consider the grander scale and implications of storytelling, especially when telling the story of someone’s life. Who tells their story? For what purpose? How does that story change and adapt over time, and how does the storyteller influence the story itself?

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whatevertheysay's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Strong character development? No

3.0

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thedambookshelf's review against another edition

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emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

elliekg's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

fraboo's review against another edition

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dark hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

I really enjoyed reading this, especially during Christmastime, as all the Saint's stories sound and read like fireside ones. The illustration is beautiful and the book in itself is a stunning collector's piece. In fact, it is placed face out on my shelves. If you're really a fan of the Grishaverse and want to learn more about its lore, pick it up! :)

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