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readwithria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’m not gonna lie, I considered DNFing this book for most of Part 1 and about 2/3 of Part 2. I didn’t because of all of the amazing reviews that I’d seen, and I did enjoy the last 60-100 pages a lot more than the first 200, but they didn’t make up for the slow beginning.
One of the people I was buddy reading this with said this book felt like a prequel, and I could t agree more. There doesn’t seem to be much of a plot until Part 3 of the book, and that’s also when we get a better understanding of the magic system and truly meet one of the most important characters in the book. The pacing was slow, and while it felt deliberate I didn’t enjoy it.
I also, controversially, didn’t like how much this book was tied to a real-world religion. If I’d know that one of the main antoginistic characters was a literal Christian Orthodox priest I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up. I really hate having real, contemporary religions in my books of any genre, it’s one of my biggest icks. That’s definitely not a fault of the book, but if I had know I never would have read it in the first place. Give me all the ancient religions, fake religions with real world analogues, or mythology retellings!
Anyway, I think that’s also part of why o kept reading. I knew that aspect of the book was a me issue, so I was hoping something else would make up for it. Unfortunately, while I really enjoyed the ending it wasn’t enough for me to continue the trilogy. 3 stars.
Graphic: Death and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death of parent and Blood
jelliestars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death and Animal death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Physical abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Child death, Colonisation, Medical content, War, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
emfass's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Kathleen Gati does a beautiful job as narrator, capturing the characters, the dialects, the world of medieval Rus.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Animal death, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cannibalism, Child death, Sexual assault, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Self harm
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Rape
reddeddy's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Child abuse, Gore, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Blood, and Animal death
Minor: Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Body shaming
sarahaf712's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Self harm, and Misogyny
Moderate: Mental illness, Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit
peachani's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Violence, and War
Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Self harm
katreadswaytoomuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
At first glance, I assumed this was a cross between Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast. It’s so much more than that though. There’s definitely elements of both, but it doesn’t follow a predictable plot.
I listened to this on audio. First, great choice in narrator. Kathleen Gati really puts the reader in the story. Second, it felt like an oral tradition — a story being told on a cold winter night in front of the fire just waiting for spring to come. Just beautiful
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Child death, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Death, and Physical abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Violence, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Fire/Fire injury
beccam22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The family is so full of love and a great story for younger girls finding their place in life. It is a story most of us know, either Greek names or European names, Russian or Spanish, there is a version of it in most languages. But the writing is so beautiful and if its not winter where you are you will feel the cold while reading it.
Below my original review:
It took me two tries to get into this book, yes it is a slow start but I would have been more willing to push through the first time if I knew it was so similar to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Any fans of her writing and that story will LOVE this one.
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Moderate: Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Pregnancy, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Sexual harassment, Animal death, and Blood
sarahsbooklife's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Misogyny
Minor: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
maryellen'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? It's complicated
5.0
Loved it even more the second time.
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Confinement and Fire/Fire injury