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lashette's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
3.5
I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. It was unique in plot, the setting, the romance and the magic system. At least to me. I wish there was more of an explanation for how the magic system for black people worked but I enjoyed this despite that. I was all over the place mentally while reading this so this somehow became a comfort read. I know, don't look at me. Yet this didn't blow me away. The back and forth in timelines threw me off regularly because they weren't that different and I wasn't picking up that we had switched. Speaks to my mental state again. There were quite a lot of secondary and tertiary characters that were named and I got confused with most of them. I was also confused about the relationship for the longest time but that I think was done on purpose. Once I put all the pieces together everything up to that point made sense and was very cute. The case had very cozy mystery vibes. I feel weird saying this about a book set in a time right after the civil war, with slaves still escaping and Jim Crow very much all over the place. But this was a comfort read. And I am looking forward to more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Rape
karcitis's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: War, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Blood, Addiction, Bullying, and Gore
Minor: Sexism, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Infidelity, Infertility, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
Okay, first off, I loved this one on audio! The narrator did a fantastic job bringing Hetty’s voice to life and it kept me hooked the whole time.
Secondly, this book has a lot of elements to it, but I think it’s primarily a mystery story. There’s not a ton of world-building or explanation as to how this magic works, and it’s not the main focus. It’s more like Hetty is a detective who happens to do magic also. I would have liked a bit more exploration into the magic side, but I think the story still works as it is. Just don’t go into it expecting a big fantasy story.
The characters are all great but I especially loved Hetty and her relationship with Benjy. We get flashbacks throughout the story of Hetty’s past and their history together, and I loved slowly learning their story at the same time that Hetty is discovering new feelings and truths about herself in the present. I’m a fan of this romance 😍
This book does end neatly (no cliffhanger), so I was excited to learn there will be a sequel out later this year! I will definitely be reading it because I want more Hetty and Benjy 🙌🏼
Thank you to Libro.fm, the publisher, and the author for my ALC!
Read if you like: historical fiction, mysteries, detective duos, Philly.
Secondly, this book has a lot of elements to it, but I think it’s primarily a mystery story. There’s not a ton of world-building or explanation as to how this magic works, and it’s not the main focus. It’s more like Hetty is a detective who happens to do magic also. I would have liked a bit more exploration into the magic side, but I think the story still works as it is. Just don’t go into it expecting a big fantasy story.
The characters are all great but I especially loved Hetty and her relationship with Benjy. We get flashbacks throughout the story of Hetty’s past and their history together, and I loved slowly learning their story at the same time that Hetty is discovering new feelings and truths about herself in the present. I’m a fan of this romance 😍
This book does end neatly (no cliffhanger), so I was excited to learn there will be a sequel out later this year! I will definitely be reading it because I want more Hetty and Benjy 🙌🏼
Thank you to Libro.fm, the publisher, and the author for my ALC!
Read if you like: historical fiction, mysteries, detective duos, Philly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Blood, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Slavery, and Violence
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