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wilybooklover's review against another edition
4.0
The writing in this was absolutely gorgeous. So lyrical — poetic, almost — and atmospheric. I highly recommend reading this in autumn because it has perfect spooky, gothic vibes. Margaret and Wes's slow-burn romance was so romantic and tender and full of pining. They both felt like fully fleshed-out characters with realistic flaws and issues. I also enjoyed that they were both poor; usually fantasy romances will have at least one of the pair be royalty or aristocratic or blindingly rich, and that was refreshingly not the case here.
This is a very character-driven and introspective book, and while I loved that aspect, I do wish there had been a little bit more focus on the hala and the hunt. It's mostly squashed into the last 10% and it felt a bit anticlimactic and rushed given the build-up of the previous 90% of the book.
The worldbuilding was also a little bit shaky for me. It's very clearly based on 1920s New England with direct parallels in terms of religion, ethnicity, real-world events and tensions, etc. but then there are some more modern concepts and theories mentioned as well. I know it's fantasy but I think it was too close to the real world to work in terms of cohesion. I think it would have flowed better for me if the world had been a bit more distinctly its own thing or if there were a few more magical/fantastical elements outside of the alchemy and the hala.
Overall, though, this was a lovely heartfelt fantasy romance with some deftly explored themes of loneliness, persecution, trauma, and religion.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
ka_ke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
It’s got good alchemy lore but oddly a significant amount of walmart brand christianity? I guess maybe it’s the authors way of recovering from some religious trauma.
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship
miseryb32's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Death of parent, and Abandonment
fieldsofcow's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
acogna's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal death and Abandonment
rachelditty's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Some quotes I liked:
"Sometimes, it's hard to believe this house ever held more than one person," (1:33:38).
"Her hand, warm and roughened from work, fits into his like a gramophone needle in the grooves of a record," (8:54:50).
"Or did you always love the memory of him more than you loved the reality of me?" (14:14:54).
"Growing up with you, it felt like starving," (14:15:12).
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bellebeaumont95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Xenophobia and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Gore
ciwanski'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
3.0
Slow burn enemies to lovers, and the writing of them falling in love with each other was so sweet it actually made my stomach hurt.
Unfortunately the third act fell a little flat to me. There was so much hype throughout the book about the hunt that when we actually got to that point it felt anticlimactic. I just wish there was more of a lesson learned instead of just a point reiterated? If that makes sense? Like I craved a moment of wonder and clarity for the characters, but instead it all felt a little rushed and vague and more focused on the romance than the plot of anything else to be honest.
I was also kind of confused on the world building? Very obvious Christian vs Jewish bigotry (just under different names) but then I was so confused on how modern of a world it was? Like there were cars and radios and 1920s style and ways of life but more modern language and behaviors? Definitely Irish/English vibes in there too. Interesting choices.
A fun and easy read though!
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
massivepizzacrust'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? No
3.5
There were a couple of weird plot choices. It was hard to care about the characters' emotional conversations when they were happening while an injured animal was lying on the ground next to them - which somehow happens more than once. The characters' religions and ethnic backgrounds were a weird rebranding of Catholicism and Judaism that were somehow merged with the fantasy setting. I also wish we had gotten a bit more of an explanation of the characters' decisions in the plot finale,
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
guessgreenleaf'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Alcohol