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thecriticalreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Murder
sxndaze'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
catherinedsharp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Death
vas_17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Alcohol, Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
myinvinciblesummer's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, and Death of parent
artstitute'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? It's complicated
4.0
Are you looking for something character driven, in which the protagonists behave as three-dimensional human beings with fleshed out inner worlds? Skip this. Are you looking for something plot-driven, that ties up every loose string and delivers a fleshed-out hard magic system? Pass. Do you want a story full of love, whimsy, magic, beautiful ekphrasis and vivid phantasmagorical imagery that conjures a world of magic in your mind? Then this is the book for you!
This isn't my first time reading this book, but it is my first time since high school, and I found the ending more satisfying this time around.
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death
Minor: Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
The first solid chunk of this book is just a detailed description of child abuse and neglect.rosenau'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death, and Murder
Minor: Body horror
moonchild_cos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Gaslighting, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Suicide
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Undeniably beautiful writing in a turn of the century fairytale that is groundedly gritty and soaringly ethereal. I don't care for circuses, but it was the exact right venue for this story. This one didn't knock me off my feet quite as much as The Starless Sea, which I read first and with no expectations. Partly, I think, because I wasn't as enamored with Marco as I maybe was supposed to be and I wasn't as satisfied with the ending here, but mostly because:
"The finest of pleasure are always the unexpected ones."
Definitely recommend for fans of The Starless Sea and Alix Harrow's Ten Thousand Doors of January.
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol and Abandonment
Abuse of magic/violation of personal agency: stealing memories, advancing by magically enhanced charm and lookstomoonarmy'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? N/A
3.75
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, and Death