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im_bruns's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Eating disorder
Moderate: Homophobia
opalmars's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Eating disorder, and Homophobia
mainareads's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
i felt so sorry for myself as i read this because i saw my seventeen year - old self in yzabel and i wanted to cry . in all of yzabel's misconstrued perceptions of religion and love and pain and suffering i saw myself and i felt so jealous that at the end she found a balance while seventeen year - old me was still stuck there doing terrible things and thinking even worse things
but anyway ! yzabel and fatyan my loves my dears i hold you so dear to my heart and you too denis , whom i so severely misjudged .
definitely worth a reread in a few years when i have grown and experienced more and seen more and i can read this review and sigh in relief that i have grown even more and i can relate to yzabel in both her recession and her growth .
im so happy that queer people exist and that we are loved by those who love us and we will continue to be loved in small ways and in big ways and it is through media like this that such love is shared .
but anyway !
definitely worth a reread in a few years when i have grown and experienced more and seen more and i can read this review and sigh in relief that i have grown even more and i can relate to yzabel
im so happy that queer people exist and that we are loved by those who love us and we will continue to be loved in small ways and in big ways and it is through media like this that such love is shared .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, and Homophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry
pey333's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, and Self harm
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent, Blood, and Sexual content
moonymars's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Self harm, Lesbophobia, and Religious bigotry
keylime3_14's review against another edition
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Self harm, and Homophobia
kittykatruin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Self harm, and Eating disorder
gilchrist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, and Self harm
Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
Minor: Sexual content
onthesamepage's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
- 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
This was a beautiful, intense, character-driven story, and I highly recommend the audiobook because the narrator is fantastic. We follow Princess Yzabel, who is unable to eat because any food she touches turns into flowers. She has tried everything to rid herself of this curse: fasting, whipping herself, and wearing a spiked garter to ensure she is constantly suffering to atone for whatever her sins are. As a last resort and on the advice of her lady's maid, she finds an enchanted Moura in the hopes that she will be able to cure her. But when Fatyan informs her that what she perceives as a curse is a gift, Yzabel must learn to control her power and accept herself fully for who she is.
This is loosely based on the story of Isabel de Aragão and the miracle of the roses, with the addition of some magic and a lot of sapphic pining. The thing I loved most about this story is definitely the characters, with all their strengths and flaws. There's still a villain or two, and they're not redeemable in any way, but the rest of the characters all managed to surprise me at some point. All of them show a great deal of growth as the story progresses, driven by the relationships they develop with each other. Yzabel and Fatyan are probably the best example, as Fatyan convinces Yzabel to view her magic as a gift instead of a curse, and tries to teach her that her faith and God do not demand self-harm as atonement. Yzabel's struggle to let go of years of preconceived notions feels exactly as hard as it is. It's very easy to sympathize with her. The romance that develops between Yzabel and Fatyan is very sweet and tender, and I loved how slowly it built between them.
The other relationship I want to highlight is the one between Yzabel and Denis, king of Portugal, and the man she is betrothed to. Denis honestly surprised me in the best way. I wasn't sure what to expect of him, and it would've been really easy to cast him as the villain standing between our main character and her true love. Instead, the author paints a picture of someone who is, at his core, a decent human being. He doesn't agree with the choices Yzabel makes for herself (specifically the constant fasting, since he doesn't know about the curse and he can see that she is constantly getting weaker), but he also seems to respect her. I really enjoyed the bond that developed between them, and loved the resolution we got at the end.
The pacing of the story itself is on the slow side, but I barely noticed because of the quality of the writing. Really amazing debut, can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.
This is loosely based on the story of Isabel de Aragão and the miracle of the roses, with the addition of some magic and a lot of sapphic pining. The thing I loved most about this story is definitely the characters, with all their strengths and flaws. There's still a villain or two, and they're not redeemable in any way, but the rest of the characters all managed to surprise me at some point. All of them show a great deal of growth as the story progresses, driven by the relationships they develop with each other. Yzabel and Fatyan are probably the best example, as Fatyan convinces Yzabel to view her magic as a gift instead of a curse, and tries to teach her that her faith and God do not demand self-harm as atonement. Yzabel's struggle to let go of years of preconceived notions feels exactly as hard as it is. It's very easy to sympathize with her. The romance that develops between Yzabel and Fatyan is very sweet and tender, and I loved how slowly it built between them.
The other relationship I want to highlight is the one between Yzabel and Denis, king of Portugal, and the man she is betrothed to. Denis honestly surprised me in the best way. I wasn't sure what to expect of him, and it would've been really easy to cast him as the villain standing between our main character and her true love. Instead, the author paints a picture of someone who is, at his core, a decent human being. He doesn't agree with the choices Yzabel makes for herself (specifically the constant fasting, since he doesn't know about the curse and he can see that she is constantly getting weaker), but he also seems to respect her. I really enjoyed the bond that developed between them, and loved the resolution we got at the end.
The pacing of the story itself is on the slow side, but I barely noticed because of the quality of the writing. Really amazing debut, can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Self harm, and Homophobia
hramona's review against another edition
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
2.75
This feels like a brutal rating to give but honestly, the almost but not quite Christianity-apologist (as in, INTENSE CHRISTIAN) nature, the absolute wealth of homophobia and self-hatred that came along with it was just too sad. I get that the author wanted to make this statement, to go into the depths of how harmful these anti-gay religions can be, but when we already live in that reality every day, to have a fictional book that goes just as hard and heavy is tiring. This couldn't be classed as 'bury your gays' trope, but it feels a bit like, 'throw acid on your gays', so they're sticky and painful and scarred.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Eating disorder, and Self harm