Reviews with content warning for War - Thistlefoot

this was such an enjoyable book to read- much like the house Thistlefoot, the book of the same name has a life of its own and a story that surely won’t fade

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bellesunbridled's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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hobbithopeful's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

A dark and and gripping retelling of the Baba Yaga tale, one that follows the results and causing of generational trauma but with silver lining of hope and determination.
This was such an incredible read, I was sucked in from the very first page, it has been a hot minute since I have had the pleasure to read such an amazing book. The writing, the prose, the seamless change in narrator from each character, and how the writing style subtly but effectively switches to reflect that was perfectly done. I surprised myself by how much I came to love and enjoy the perspective of Thistle the most, it was like little threads that began to weave together the mystery of the past.
You guys I almost forgot to mention but we get a truly sweet and delightful queer romance between Bellatine and a very lovely lady. This was such a welcome respite, a breath air of happiness in a darker overall story. I don't think I was truly prepared for how dark this story got, my only real complaint is that there were no content warnings. (You guys it gets really dark a few times, especially when referencing pogroms and other events of that nature)
The concept of fear/bigotry being used to turn people into a weapon is always such an interesting trope that really makes me think about the book long after I finish reading it. I think this stems from the fact that this issue is so extremely prevalent in our culture and society today. There are so many people who have become so twisted and blinded by fear that they will attempt to justify their morally reprehensible actions as logical and sound. (And they believe that they are in fact, morally logical and sound)
Generational trauma is a relatively new concept to many people and the way it was shown in Thistlefoot was both beautifully and tragically depicted. Even if the mind forgets, or never knows, there is something in the body, in the dna, that effect's how a person will act and grow. "Generations pass, and suddenly, we forget. Our descendants are born yearning and they do not know why, for they have forgotten. Their hands are full of fire. Their legs are trembling to flee. The body remembers."

Bellatine and Isaac each represent different aspects of this trauma and how it has shaped their entire personalities. One, afraid to touch and grow to close to someone, and the other afraid to stop running. I didn't even realize until halfway through the book maybe that Isaac wasn't a complete asshat, and in fact was struggling just as Tiny was.

If you are a fan of houses that are alive, a chameleon who can't stop running, and a girl with magic in her hands then this is perfect for you. (Even if you aren't, you should read this anyway! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)

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18soft_green's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4/5

This is a good book, unfortunately.

I say it this way because a lot of the time it felt like the author was being pretentious in her flowery style and drama. The POV switches were painful and Isaac is my least favorite type of character and Bellatine is so fucking annoying! And her statue love interest is worse! Baba Yaga herself was very interesting but her great, great, great, great grandkids are the worst! In fact, it's as if Nethercotte took my least favorite types of characters, added some quirks, and dumped them into a story.

But the story is good! The grief is real, the magic is weird, the contradictions are mysterious, the walking house is fantastic! The angst, my friends! It's such good angst! Not the relationship angst, that shit was boring as hell and annoying, but the life angst, the way the characters felt about themselves, that was the true sauce.

It also felt so fucking weird that Nethercotte constantly acknowledged the atrocities of the land. Maybe that's just my privilege talking but it felt so out of place and character for the Yaga siblings. Like, this book isn't addressing those topics so why is it bringing them up. I care very much about those issues but it felt like the story was only bringing them up out of obligation and personal responsibility rather than because it was important to the story. It was awkward for me.

4/5 I would not recommend unless the situation truly called on THIS particular book

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