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katieluvs2read'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
Moderate: Child death, Death, Animal death, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
macknificent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
The story drags, the characters are one dimensional, and it felt like the author was trying to tell about 8 different stories. I will give them kudos for the world building but it couldn't save the book for me.
I cannot believe there are still 2 more books in this series, I will not be reading them.
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship
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
saintyeehaw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, and Vomit
sauvageloup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
pros:
- stunning, lyrical, fairytale writing. simple style but really lovely in originality of description and poignant turns of phrase. the story is carried along beautifully, smoothing over time skips.
- the character development was also so good, with Konstantin descending into worse evils, Anna's rise and fall, Vasya growing into her strength while still being fallible, and my favourite, Morozko, of sleep and death. he was cold but fair, human but other, real and not, and i just loved how Arden wrote him.
- i also enjoyed the setting so much, and the historical details too. the afternotes show how much effort Arden put into historical accuracy.
cons:
- maybe a bit slow, which didn't help my lack of reading focus
looking forward to reading book 2, and glad i won't have to leave the characters :)
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gore, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Child death, Religious bigotry, and Body horror
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Blood, Violence, Murder, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
warning for eating disorder is really for starvation and struggling to get enough to eat, descriptions of extreme weight loss.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
yoonreanne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
sfoerster'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? No
5.0
Female lead
Magic in real world
Complicated family dynamics
Mildly challenges religious views
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
totallyshelfaware's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault