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justagrlandherdog's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death
Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Abandonment
lillygabriella's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I did not see those twists coming, I have to say.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
heapofashes's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
dmatson21's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Medical content, and Grief
lackyducks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It is almost a third of the book before you reach the true main plotline. A lot of things feel simply like they're just unnecessary. Why introduce not being able to see magic as such a big part of Tamsin's character if it's simply going to be fixed in a couple of pages? This whole plot point could have used so much more weight, instead it's relegated to the occasional mention and only a few lines of dialogue in reaction by the other characters. The Hand of Glory felt like the author was really trying to make us know it's supposed to be important, but it doesn't feel that way when it kept getting forgotten by the author - not the character. The entire plot with Septimus also just felt superfluous.
As I got into the last third of the book, I started to connect with it more. But it was such a slog to get to that point I almost didn't make it. The story has everything going for me that I'm usually interested in - it just failed to connect.
If you're somebody who enjoys shows like Riverdale, then you'll likely enjoy this. It just wasn't for me.
Also the cliffhanger definitely wasn't for me. I like my books to actually be completed stories.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse
oscarewilde's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Unsure where to begin with this review, as I found so many aspects of this book enormously frustrating. Spoiler alert for the whole thing, as I’m just talking about the issues I had with the characters/plot/writing:
- My god the lack of explanation for the magic system and the world building! The librarian, as an example, was so confusing, and it took until around the fourth mention until we find out it’s a mechanical person and not a human/ghost/monster/animal. Author needs to keep in mind that we cannot see what’s going on inside her head, we need subtitles 😭 Still have no clue on the differences between sorceresses, cunningfolk, and druids, or how the magical system (if there is one) actually works.
- Tamsin is not a good protagonist, she has a wealth of abandonment issues that are touched on but never fully addressed, and they also don’t seem to impact her actions in any meaningful way. How does she feel about Nash? Who knows! Her opinion on him seems to change with the wind. She’s also unbearably stubborn and cynical, which is fair enough in doses, but when she lashes out unnecessarily and without cause at the other characters constantly, it becomes very grating. She’s not pleasant (and not even unpleasant in a deliciously villainous way) she’s just annoying and mean.
- Neve was an infinitely more interesting character than Tamsin, yet we still knew nothing about her besides the fact she’s kind and quirky.
- Tamsin caring about Cabell isn’t enough to make him interesting or the reader invested in what happens to him. This isn’t a kid, it’s a grown ass man, stop babying him when you’re the one with the clear emotional issues!
- Also, I had such a problem with trying to age these characters in my head as they were barely described before moving swiftly on with the plot. I’m still in the dark as to how old any of these characters were even after having read the entire book.
- The last 70 or so pages are such an enormous departure from the rest of the story,
the ensuing violence and death is so wildly unnecessary. The aforementioned violence would’ve been more impactful if I’d been able to identify the knights via more than just ‘doctor’, ‘cook’, or ‘gardener’, they weren’t fleshed out in the slightest so their primary occupations/hobbies had to be used as distinguishing features. Realistically, Cabell had to survive the massacre to provide motivation for Tamsin, otherwise what reason would she have to continue fighting? It seems beyond the realm of possibility that a group of characters having witnessed such traumatising events just hours prior would be able to go on to defeat the villain, but obviously they will 😐 The whole setup for saving the world from the apocalypse means the book finished on one of my most loathed fantasy tropes, ‘magic in the modern human world’ which was the final nail in the coffin of my not reading the sequel. Tamsin never using the sword (that only lit up with magic flames for her!!!) and instead letting Emrys use it whilst wielding an axe against monsters who were afraid of fire was bafflingly stupid on every occasion it occurred. It was obviously for a ‘reveal’ re the sword but was so mind bogglingly idiotic at the time it did not make the payoff worth it. You’re telling me a kitten could hide from the Children/Death King but a wily and intelligent small child couldn’t? Alright. Tbf if the kitten died I would’ve stopped reading instantly. The extra quarter star is for Emrys dipping at the end, it was so unexpected it actually made me laugh out loud. If we had literally the smallest glimpse into the motivations of the characters then maybe this decision would’ve felt more meaningful? - Calling this Arthurian was a real stretch. I was so excited to read it as it’s something I would’ve picked up had I not received it in a Fairyloot monthly box anyway. Ended up being very disappointed in it though, and almost DNF on multiple occasions throughout. Only finished as I was reading along with my friend who wanted to discuss the ending 🫡
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
paigeinabook'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? Yes
5.0
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
alli_the_bookaholic13's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
leedolee'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? It's complicated
5.0
And I loved every second of it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
the_b00kreader'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? It's complicated
5.0
That's all I can say about this book....
This book was great, like really great. I loved it! I loved Bracken's writing style and found it helped to keep this story more captivating.
(I mean my pillow....full of tears)
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Abandonment