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dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(Read as an audiobook)
I enjoyed my time spent with this book for the most part. At first I wasn’t so sure about it— with Effy’s constant anxiety & tears at the start and her unwarranted aggression towards Preston because of him being from the other country. Although anybody with panic disorder (myself included) likely can relate with her with how overwhelming even little things can be. Especially somebody like Effy, who’s been put through so much and surrounded by awful men. In those instances like when it’s started to allude (this is very early on and obvious)that she had been taken advantage of by her advisor or the way the older men would speak with her, I would feel so sad and disgusted for her poor thing truly.
A little gripe that I have with the book is wishing they had established more or atleast given more information about the other country, as in legitimate reasons why Effy was being so prejudice with the fact that somebody (Preston) from the other country was reading Mryddin’s books. Perhaps there were proper logical political reasons from her part that I missed aside from “he from other country = bad” or perhaps it was blind patriotic emotion-fuelled prejudice which definitely could make sense for her character. If there was a better political reason that I missed then disregard this but I don’t think there was lol.
Putting that aside, I found the overall story itself alright. I was wished for more from the Fairy King and Ianto- for Ianto I don’t know I just wish we got to understand him better. For the Fairy King I figured he would be even more terrifying and didn’t think he would succumb to something so simple as a his own reflection but I guess in impossible circumstances the simple answers can be best. For Angharad, she literally haunted the narrative to the point that Effy figured her to be dead/a ghost in the home. I think it would’ve made more sense for Effy to spot her outside of the ending more than once since she lives in the house but it is what it is. I do like the ending for the most part, just overall wished for a little more than it gave but Angharad being a real individual and the real author was cool.
I liked Preston & Effy’s romantic relationship personally and enjoyed how it was handled, and by the end of the book I enjoyed both of them as characters a good amount too. I do believe I will read the sequel at some point, I’m interested somewhat with how else to story may go outside of this book.
I enjoyed my time spent with this book for the most part. At first I wasn’t so sure about it— with Effy’s constant anxiety & tears at the start and her unwarranted aggression towards Preston because of him being from the other country. Although anybody with panic disorder (myself included) likely can relate with her with how overwhelming even little things can be. Especially somebody like Effy, who’s been put through so much and surrounded by awful men. In those instances like when it’s started to allude (this is very early on and obvious)
A little gripe that I have with the book is wishing they had established more or atleast given more information about the other country, as in legitimate reasons why Effy was being so prejudice with the fact that somebody (Preston) from the other country was reading Mryddin’s books. Perhaps there were proper logical political reasons from her part that I missed aside from “he from other country = bad” or perhaps it was blind patriotic emotion-fuelled prejudice which definitely could make sense for her character. If there was a better political reason that I missed then disregard this but I don’t think there was lol.
Putting that aside, I found the overall story itself alright. I was wished for more from the Fairy King and Ianto- for Ianto I don’t know I just wish we got to understand him better. For the Fairy King
I liked Preston & Effy’s romantic relationship personally and enjoyed how it was handled, and by the end of the book I enjoyed both of them as characters a good amount too. I do believe I will read the sequel at some point, I’m interested somewhat with how else to story may go outside of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Car accident, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first 20% was soooo slow and I was considering DNFing. It was hard to support the fmc due to how she was talking to the mmc at first, but thank goodness for character development. Kept reading and around 50% stuff got interesting, and it just kept getting better. Can’t wait for the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
dark
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
This book has redeemed Ava Reid for me, I read her first novel, The Wolf and The Woodsman, some time ago and simply did not like it. It feels like her style has more time to evolve and mature, resulting in the atmosphere and imagery in this book being top tier. Effy's struggles as a woman feel grounded and all too relatable. My only small gripe is that the final showdown does feel a bit rushed. Overall, would definitely recommend and will be picking up the sequel upon its release.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Abandonment
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Sexual content
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While the book is beautifully written and the ending is happy - this was too dark for my taste. The oversexualization of Effy made my skin crawl (as it was meant to), her "mental illness" and inability to trust herself/her mind made me anxious (from having struggled with similar situations), and her traumas made me feel hopeless and depressed. I was not in a good head space when reading this, and it is not a book I would advise anyone reading if they're struggling with any of that or have trouble reading about it. I was also confused for like 80% of the book by the setting/lore - nothing is described all that well and I struggled to understand the background of the story. I also felt like the ending was rushed since not much else happened in the book besides two people studying/searching a house. The end was also the only "fantasy" part of the book, the rest is more dark academia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Racism, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Abandonment
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved everything about this, the story, the characters, the setting, just everything. At first I had some problems understanding the world with its politics and events that happened but it all unravelled smoothly while reading. Effy and Preston are such good and interesting characters with their flaws and ideas. Ianto is also an interesting character. However, in the end I feel like we never really got to know him because looking back there weren't many scenes where it's actually him and not the Fairy King.
I got a feeling that it was the widow who actually wrote the book and I am glad it actually turned out to be the case but I think the way it was resolved was a bit weak, just having Angharad tell Effy and Preston the whole story how everything happened felt rather boring. I would have enjoyed it more if they found out more about the actual story with the letters and stuff.
What also irritates me a bit that when Effy and Preston wanted to go back to fetch the letters and the diary, the storm hit very badly and if they just had gotten there a bit earlier, it wouldn't have been that bad. And why did they not go back earlier? Because they were having sex and falling asleep afterwards. That just feels stupid to me like obviously we all wanted this love story to happen but it preventing them to go back while the storm was still a bit more calm? I don't know, I think one could come up with a better solution to have the story unfold the way it was supposed to.
Besides, there is not much to be criticised, I loved it and I am so sad that it's over.
I got a feeling that it was the widow who actually wrote the book and I am glad it actually turned out to be the case but I think the way it was resolved was a bit weak, just having Angharad tell Effy and Preston the whole story how everything happened felt rather boring. I would have enjoyed it more if they found out more about the actual story with the letters and stuff.
What also irritates me a bit that when Effy and Preston wanted to go back to fetch the letters and the diary, the storm hit very badly and if they just had gotten there a bit earlier, it wouldn't have been that bad. And why did they not go back earlier? Because they were having sex and falling asleep afterwards. That just feels stupid to me like obviously we all wanted this love story to happen but it preventing them to go back while the storm was still a bit more calm? I don't know, I think one could come up with a better solution to have the story unfold the way it was supposed to.
Besides, there is not much to be criticised, I loved it and I am so sad that it's over.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
☆ Fun Factor 4/5 (I'm not sure I'd call this book "fun" it's very gut punching, but I breezed through it)
☆ Writing Style 5/5
☆ Characters 5/5 (A small cast that we spend a lot of time with)
☆ Plot 3/5 (predictable but hits HARD, and I mean hard.)
☆ Setting 5/5 (Gothic spooky vibes)
☆ Feels 5/5 (made me tear up)
☆ Spiciness 2/5 (sex scenes mostly relegated to fade to black but some of the foreplay and kissing happens on page)
☆ Gore 3/5
If this were a movie it'd be rated: R for mild sexual situations, violence, body horror, frequent mentions of sexual assault, PTSD/panic attack depictions, disturbing imagery, misogynistic language
☆FOR FANS OF: Dark fairy tales with feminist motifs
Ultimate verdict: ☆☆☆☆☆/5
☆☆☆Best Character Award goes to:☆☆☆ Effy
Review: This is for all the girls that no one believed
It's a book that means so much to me. It's about a young woman named Effy who's told to shut up and keep her head down and just be a good girl by everyone in her life, even her own mother. Nobody believes her story or what happened to her, so she just censors herself and makes herself small. It can get intensely uncomfortable because it's ultimately a story told through rather heavy handed allegory about women who are the victims of men. Sexual assault, lecherous comments, slut shaming, misogyny, and abuse. As such, this isn't exactly what I'd call a "lighthearted" read, nor do I really understand why this is marketed as YA. It was gut wrenching for me at times. There's so many women in our world who have their own Fairy King haunting their steps who are told to just ignore it, it's not real, he's not so bad. All these little comments are like bricks in the wall that women often hide themselves behind to stay safe and sane.
As such this story is going to hit HARD for survivors of abuse, assault, and misogyny. I saw myself in Effy as a survivor myself. This is an important book because in the end, she defeats her abuser and that's a message that anyone suffering through abuse needs to hear: You can make it through.
A phenomenal modern fairy tale that feels timeless at the same time. Absolutely adored and I will definitely pick up the sequel later this year.
☆ Writing Style 5/5
☆ Characters 5/5 (A small cast that we spend a lot of time with)
☆ Plot 3/5 (predictable but hits HARD, and I mean hard.)
☆ Setting 5/5 (Gothic spooky vibes)
☆ Feels 5/5 (made me tear up)
☆ Spiciness 2/5 (sex scenes mostly relegated to fade to black but some of the foreplay and kissing happens on page)
☆ Gore 3/5
If this were a movie it'd be rated: R for mild sexual situations, violence, body horror, frequent mentions of sexual assault, PTSD/panic attack depictions, disturbing imagery, misogynistic language
☆FOR FANS OF: Dark fairy tales with feminist motifs
Ultimate verdict: ☆☆☆☆☆/5
☆☆☆Best Character Award goes to:☆☆☆ Effy
Review: This is for all the girls that no one believed
It's a book that means so much to me. It's about a young woman named Effy who's told to shut up and keep her head down and just be a good girl by everyone in her life, even her own mother. Nobody believes her story or what happened to her, so she just censors herself and makes herself small. It can get intensely uncomfortable because it's ultimately a story told through rather heavy handed allegory about women who are the victims of men. Sexual assault, lecherous comments, slut shaming, misogyny, and abuse. As such, this isn't exactly what I'd call a "lighthearted" read, nor do I really understand why this is marketed as YA. It was gut wrenching for me at times. There's so many women in our world who have their own Fairy King haunting their steps who are told to just ignore it, it's not real, he's not so bad. All these little comments are like bricks in the wall that women often hide themselves behind to stay safe and sane.
As such this story is going to hit HARD for survivors of abuse, assault, and misogyny. I saw myself in Effy as a survivor myself. This is an important book because in the end, she defeats her abuser and that's a message that anyone suffering through abuse needs to hear: You can make it through.
A phenomenal modern fairy tale that feels timeless at the same time. Absolutely adored and I will definitely pick up the sequel later this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism