Scan barcode
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
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
sandy_21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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: Religious bigotry, Eating disorder, and Self harm
Moderate: Misogyny, Homophobia, and Confinement
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, and Sexual content
clovelatte's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Outing, Murder, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Confinement, and Chronic illness
anastasiaf's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I loved that it was a very gay story and that the characters felt different and interspersing.
It was mostly good, however the middle really lagged and could do with an edit. However, I love what the book did and I am so happy to have read it.
It was mostly good, however the middle really lagged and could do with an edit. However, I love what the book did and I am so happy to have read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Blood, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Infertility and Infidelity
artsybrea's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Self harm
Moderate: Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Confinement, Infidelity, Islamophobia, and Sexual content
More...