Reviews

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

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rebeccabadger's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

yevolem's review against another edition

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3.0

...and so continued the further adventures of a gay melancholic elf who witnessed for the dead. This is a steampunk fantasy and gaslamp mystery. That's to say that it's almost all aesthetic, which is nice, and may suffice on its own for many readers, but it isn't enough for me. From the beginning that's been a problem for me because although the characters are elves and goblins there's almost nothing that distinguishes them or their society from humans and that bothers me.

I read this and the prior book primarily for its voice and the imagery it evokes for me. Both of those contrast with its content. Many seem able to put aside its darkness and still find it entirely comforting, cozy, and maybe even uplifting. That's confused me since the first book, since I haven't been able to do that at all.

There's murder and suicide aplenty. Within can also be found unwanted sex leading to pregnancy and then suicide, stillbirths, bereavement, ancient undead, and dozens of orphans forced into the production of child pornography. For this particular book I found myself wanting there to have been less depressing matters, if only because I felt it contrasted with much else of the book and made it more potent. Maybe I dislike such a mix even more than I already knew.

I was less taken with this book compared to the previous and I'll have to consider whether I'll read the next one or not. The ending sets up another book so it's certainly possible that there will be a sequel. At the end of the book the author thanks her Patreon supporters. As it notes, she has a day job, is an author, and has a Patreon. Certainly it's onerous to make a living depending on the circumstances, especially with a lot of personal difficulties. Prestige alone can't keep one alive.

Rating: 2.5/5

jasbah's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

wizardfenrir's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

freesiaelect's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

carrot_khan's review against another edition

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4.0

It felt like it changed direction suddenly and without warning at some point - the plot you thought you were following doubled. It wasn't bad, just really unexpected with no foreshadowing or anything.

I admit I read all of these due to my fervent love of "The Goblin Emperor" and wish there were more stories about him than the spin off.

The hardest part of reading any of these books is the naming conventions. There's a logic behind them - they're not just letters thrown together - but they're hard to keep track of due to their similarities and difficult in pronouncing.