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dmatson21's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Things just don’t get fully explained and unnecessary things happen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, and Blood
lackyducks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
This book feels like an enigma to me. The writing isn't bad. The world it's set in is creative and interesting. However, I just failed to connect to the characters and the story.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse
shadowspinner's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Abandonment, Grief, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Murder
frantically's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
It is the year of our lady, 2023, and after having read 300+ YA books over the years I just have high expectations okay — give me creativity! Give me new plot twists! Give me female main characters I can actually like reading about not! Not whatever this was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Blood, Death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent and Gore
oscarewilde's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
When it takes 300 pages for me to become even vaguely interested in the plot or characters it’s really not a good sign.
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:
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 🫡
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, War, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
paigeinabook's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Murder, Religious bigotry, Cannibalism, Grief, Abandonment, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Genocide, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
apierlessbridge's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, and Gore
ashylibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
**Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
This one was tough to get through. I have just started my journey into fantasy, and I thought this would be a fun one since it is based on Arthurian Legend.
The story was fine. The characters were fine. The book was fine. That was about it, however. I ended up getting the audiobook format for this read, and I am very glad that I did. I either would not have finished it or it would have taken me months to read. The plot moved fairly slowly, especially in the beginning, and I did not find myself overly invested in any of the characters.
Again, a fine read, but it likely will not be the first fantasy novel I reach for during reader's advisory.
This one was tough to get through. I have just started my journey into fantasy, and I thought this would be a fun one since it is based on Arthurian Legend.
The story was fine. The characters were fine. The book was fine. That was about it, however. I ended up getting the audiobook format for this read, and I am very glad that I did. I either would not have finished it or it would have taken me months to read. The plot moved fairly slowly, especially in the beginning, and I did not find myself overly invested in any of the characters.
Again, a fine read, but it likely will not be the first fantasy novel I reach for during reader's advisory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Grief
leedolee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book actually ripped my heart out.
And I loved every second of it.
And I loved every second of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Murder, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Child abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Gore, Medical content, Self harm, and War
the_b00kreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Heartbreaking. Soul-crushing. Full of twists and turns.
That's all I can say about this book....
That's all I can say about this book....
I stayed up until 2am to finish this book....2 AM! And I do not regret it.
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.
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.
The tension was high throughout this entire book but towards the end, around the last nine chapters, the tension sky-rocketed and everything I thought I knew was no more. Plot twists and turns, one after the other, emotional damage was done.
(I mean my pillow....full of tears)
(I mean my pillow....full of tears)
Tamsin, the main character, was certainly an interesting character to read about. She had quite an issue with trust (relatable) and had difficulty letting people in (also relatable). Her development throughout this book was very well written and she certainly grew on me.
Another thing about this book was that you could tell Bracken did plenty of research on the Arthurian legends that fed into the plot line.
But, after that ending....I'm going to need the next book ASAP. I have so many questions!!
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you do so! I loved it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gore, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, and War
Moderate: Abandonment and Child death