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anna_the_literasaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Slavery, Rape, Blood, Gore, and Child abuse
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
3.75
I will say there are a lot of slow spots for me and I didn't have the same intense emotions reading it as the authors previous book, and those are big reasons it wasn't a 5star read like The Witch's Heart for me. I will still totally look forward to any books or work this author does in the future!
Check trigger/content warnings although nothing was super graphic stuff was still detailed and mentioned.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Vomit
mzgeee53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Animal death, Blood, War, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Slavery, Death, Physical abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Murder, Child abuse, Alcohol, Transphobia, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, Medical content, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, and Medical trauma
reclusivebookslug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
In this book, Gornichec handles beautifully the complicated relationships between three women -- two sisters and their friend, all "sworn sisters" -- who have very different personalities, goals, and struggles, which sometimes come into conflict with each other. She also portrays the female antagonists with surprising depth and empathy. It is not "the duality of women: good and evil," it's just different women in different circumstances doing what they can to protect their own interests within the framework of both society and their own individual sense of the world. This is an excellent example of writing female villains and interpersonal conflict between women without encroaching into misogynistic tropes/undertones and instead using all these various female narratives to tell a story of women's strength.
With that in mind, I'd posit that the three things that separate the three sworn sister protagonists from the three witches who are trying to separate them are: genuine care/respect for their allies, acting upon their free will rather than trying to conform to or escape from a prescribed reality (AKA not basing their actions on a prophecy), and an ongoing self-reflection of their actions and allegiances. While I love historical fantasy and I think this book does an excellent job of it, what really stood out to me was the emotional intelligence, growth, and complexity of all the major characters.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Misogyny, Child abuse, and Transphobia
brookesinfinitebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Slavery and Trafficking
Minor: Child abuse
martine3's review against another edition
Moderate: Child abuse