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rachelgreenreads'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
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Vomit, Medical content, and Suicide
kaiyakaiyo'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? It's complicated
5.0
The world building in this novel is exquisite! I love when religious institutions are called into question and have their agendas interrogated. The friendships and interpersonal connection in this book are so heartwarming yet nuanced.
I loved how Artemisia was able to step back and consider how cloying and sacrificial “chosen one” mentality is, and is able to empathize even with villains for that reason. Often in fantasy you get people chosen for or pushed into some grand fate and they kinda just… go with it. In this, Artemisia goes with it, but she also clearly articulates how shitty and painful and isolating the road will be, and how much she feels like a pawn in someone’s game. She’s tired, she forgets to eat, she realizes that caring for herself is just as important as the mission she’s on.
10/10 would recommend and I would not mind if this turned to a series (duology would be nice but I will take 3 if I must)
Graphic: Self harm, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicide
froukjemelenhorst's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Suicide
bellebookcorner'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
4.5
“Sometimes, if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first.”
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child abuse and Blood
Minor: Suicide
neonfrills's review
- 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
4.0
Minor: Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, and Grief
nxpe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I love the friendship development between Artemesia and Marguerite. I was worried because of the lack of romance in the book, but genuinely it wasn't needed. The friendship development between them and between Artemesia/revenant was beautiful. Also, I love the revenant! It was so funny, clever, and I love that it cared for it's vessels.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Self harm
Moderate: Blood and Child abuse
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
stacyaj'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
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide
yaoipaddle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I like the world that it takes place in and I like all of the characters. There was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me interested but not so much that it felt like I had to stop and remember everything going on.
I really like the side characters as well. I think their interactions are really fun. I like learning more and more about the world and characters as the story goes on too. I also like how the story was not bogged down by any romance!
Sometimes I feel like certain characterization of Artemesia and the revenant is too rushed. I feel as though I would have wanted more struggle between them but so much of it feels skipped over. Also I dislike how most of the time Artemesia just passes out so the author can avoid writing the rest of the scene. But these are the only negatives of the book for me. I excuse it because it's YA but I hope the pacing is fixed in future books (I think it is a series.)
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Blood and Child abuse
Minor: Suicide, Self harm, and Death
alexalily'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
5.0
Graphic: Self harm and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence, War, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Confinement, Death, and Suicide
booksthatburn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I like the banter between Artemisia and the revenant. This is one place where the audiobook narrator's performance really shines, as it enhanced an already excellent story by making the revenant's voice pitch perfect for its characterization. Their conversations sometimes feel like banter while staying generally appropriate to the seriousness of each new situation. I was worried that Trouble (the bird) would be a gimmicky animal sidekick, but his appearances are brief and important. He has enough of a presence to keep his few contributions from coming out of nowhere, and his relatively few appearances keep the narrative from feeling like a comedic trio of possessed, possessor, and animal friend.
The worldbuilding is filled in gradually, starting with Artemisia’s incomplete understanding of the history of her home and the forces at play, then gradually filling in as she learns from the revenant and tries to stay alive.
The way this handles trauma, mental illness, and disability in the narrative is pretty great. It's a world where magic is real and very present, but while magic completely dispels some ailments it's not treated as a cure-all. Artemisia has burn scars on her hands which affect her daily existence. The way her hands healed affects her motor skills and ability to sense things like temperature. She still has panic attacks and various levels of mental distress when triggering events occur. There's a minor character who is deeply traumatized by an unrelated experience with possession, and even the revenant has a phobia borne of trauma. It's a world filled with undead, death, and violence, and the way that all the characters are either explicitly or implicitly traumatized accordingly helps it feel cohesive in a way I hadn't expected but very much appreciate.
The plot builds slowly, focusing more on Artemisia's efforts not to get caught once she has the revenant, then gradually she ends up in a position to do more with the information which became available to her. It has great "accidental hero (saint)" vibes with a plot that backs that up.
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, Violence, Self harm, and Vomit
Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Ableism, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Slavery
Minor: Child abuse and Suicide