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bhelena's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
ultimately a gripping book i stayed up all night to finish, however there are a couple of things that stop me from rating it higher... i feel like i'm exactly the target audience of this novel, which is why found it so frustrating. i've read most of pulley's books. to be fair, a good editor would have helped most of these but it seems like publishers don't care about that anymore.
1. a common issue in this author's writing but here perhaps the most egregious – characters just fail to react to life shattering events. in a way that doesn't read like prim upper-class manners or depressed apathy or resignation in the face of war. it just seems like oversight to add it in later.
2. several severe cases of natasha pulley sociopathic female side character we're meant to find sympathetic. iykyk. agatha is the clear example but joe's rapist wife is not to be forgotten. her redeeming quality is supposed to be she's a career woman but i find that hard to sympathise with given how little she cares for her baby daughter, who she presumably wanted – given the aforementioned coercion. bad!
3. kite throwing a young boy overboard to keep a secret seems genuinely a step too far and it's never later explained and/or grappled with. i can see the black sails inspiration here (i'm sure we all do) however the writing isn't up to par with that, sorry. i don't mean to imply i'm against morally gray characters but this just seems lazy and like the author herself didn't care to question it – which is a shame, because not grappling with that versus his deep affections seems very out of character for joe.
4. the toddlers in the end. i'm sorry mrs pulley i support your ongoing gay parenting agenda HOWEVER i find it weird joe mourns lily so much but seemingly doesn't care that much for his brother and his wife ceasing to exist overnight. odd. also see previous point: personally i think him and missouri should remain childfree and help educate the war orphans on the ship. again sorry. but i find it odd how quickly joe adjusts to that given how loving and caring towards children he seems otherwise.
5. the representation here feels bridgertonesque.
apologies, may the next one be great!
1. a common issue in this author's writing but here perhaps the most egregious – characters just fail to react to life shattering events. in a way that doesn't read like prim upper-class manners or depressed apathy or resignation in the face of war. it just seems like oversight to add it in later.
2. several severe cases of natasha pulley sociopathic female side character we're meant to find sympathetic. iykyk.
3.
4.
5. the representation here feels bridgertonesque.
apologies, may the next one be great!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Body horror, Slavery, Child death, Colonisation, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual violence and Xenophobia
quirkilybookish's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
An excellent time travelling/alternate universe historical fiction that really sucked me in! It jumps between times and perspectives and has some epistolary writing as well, all of which was very fun to piece together. I picked up a copy in Edinburgh and the world-building was extra special having explored the city and castle it describes. And who doesn’t love some gay sailors/pirates?
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Racism, and Self harm
Minor: Murder, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Child death
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