Scan barcode
intoxicatedflower's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Myrthe was frustrating and annoying, and the insta-love interest was not fun to read. Miscommunication, or lack of communication, to make the characters have conflict also irritates me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Rape, Torture, War, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Misogyny and Domestic abuse
aisleyreads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I LOVED WISHTRESS. The relationships were so complex. There was no "right answer" for anything. Evey tiny choice had enormous consequences and the characters were frequently forced to level with them. I loved how the author upped the stakes with every plot beat and threw multiple twists in. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an germanic fantasy that has complex character relationships and magic that has far reaching consequences.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Grief, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
emmasbookdiary's review
medium-paced
4.0
This book intrigued me from the moment I saw the synopsis. A girl who has a Talent where she can grant wishes from her tears and a boy who has a Talent where he can stop time? That just sounded so cool. And it was!
In the beginning, it took me a while to understand what was going on. But once I understood, I got invested. These characters lives were basically turned upside down from the moment this book started. A happy ending seemed nearly impossible. I was really interested in how this story would end. Well, it was a long journey and I was surprised at every turn! There were plenty of plot twists and plenty of action to keep me turning pages.
Both of the main characters were interesting, flawed, and complex characters. I loved Bastiaan! He was just so kind and understanding towards Myrthe even when he didn’t completely understand her. And I love his desire to do right. He was such a great character!
I liked Myrthe too. I did struggle a little bit with liking her when her personality was ever-changing as she went back and forth between hardening herself towards people and then softening again. But it was understandable since she had a good reason for it— if she let herself feel emotions, she risked crying… and if she cried, she died. Also the fact that she had been used by her aunt for most of her life made her attitude understandable. In the end, I did like her.
Runt was really cute and Anouk was interesting.
The romance was really sweet! It felt a little insta-love on Bastiaan’s part but it didn’t bug me like it does in other books.
This story was very well-written! Nadine Brandes is an amazing writer and storyteller! Her writing style kept me intrigued. Also, the way she ends each chapter with a bit of a cliffhanger is genius!
I liked that the magic concept was clear about which was the good magic and which was the bad. I really like good vs. evil stories and this one did it well! I also really liked the themes of healing and surrendering. There’s a good message in here and I think I must reread it at some point to get the full impact of it.
To be honest, some parts of this story confused me. It was probably because I was reading through it too quickly or distracted but some things didn’t make total sense to me, like what was going on in the allegory. I often get confused in fantasy books so it was probably just me!
On another note, I thought the setting/world was really neat! The wintery setting would make this a good winter, fantasy read!
Also, the trials were super interesting and intense!
As for content, this book does have some violence. Nothing too gruesome or overly-detailed though. The romance is clean, only a few kisses. No language.
Overall, I thought this was story was super neat! While a few parts were a little slow for me, I did enjoy it. I’d recommend it to those who enjoy a clean, YA fantasy book with a unique plot!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Trafficking
lastblossom's review
adventurous
challenging
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
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
tl;dr
A very traditional good vs. evil tale with distinct and interesting characters. Plot is a little contrived in places.
About
Myrthe's tears can grant wishes, a power that has served others more than her for most of her life. When an attempt to use it for herself goes terribly wrong, she finds herself cursed to die the next time she cries. But with the king suddenly dead and a struggle for power on the horizon, everyone wants one of Myrthe's wishes - even if it costs her life.
What I Liked
A well-paced book about the responsibility and consequences of power. The writing is clean and easy to read, with each of the character voices and POVs distinct. Despite a magic system rooted pretty clearly in good vs. evil, the characters themselves were allowed a little more moral complexity, with heroes making mistakes, and several antagonists having sympathetic motives. Character development is slow, but steady, and I was impressed by how much the two leads grew over the course of the book. The ending will probably be pretty divisive, but I appreciated how open it was, and I think it was a better place to finish than pretend that the day is saved and everything is good now.
What Wasn't For Me
The plot came together in a lot of very convenient ways that take a bit of suspension to really accept. Anouk's story in particular felt like it had to be reworked to fit everyone else's storylines. It also hits my personal peeve of people keeping vague secrets so the plot can be more dramatic and go longer.
tl;dr
A very traditional good vs. evil tale with distinct and interesting characters. Plot is a little contrived in places.
About
Myrthe's tears can grant wishes, a power that has served others more than her for most of her life. When an attempt to use it for herself goes terribly wrong, she finds herself cursed to die the next time she cries. But with the king suddenly dead and a struggle for power on the horizon, everyone wants one of Myrthe's wishes - even if it costs her life.
What I Liked
A well-paced book about the responsibility and consequences of power. The writing is clean and easy to read, with each of the character voices and POVs distinct. Despite a magic system rooted pretty clearly in good vs. evil, the characters themselves were allowed a little more moral complexity, with heroes making mistakes, and several antagonists having sympathetic motives. Character development is slow, but steady, and I was impressed by how much the two leads grew over the course of the book. The ending will probably be pretty divisive, but I appreciated how open it was, and I think it was a better place to finish than pretend that the day is saved and everything is good now.
What Wasn't For Me
The plot came together in a lot of very convenient ways that take a bit of suspension to really accept. Anouk's story in particular felt like it had to be reworked to fit everyone else's storylines. It also hits my personal peeve of people keeping vague secrets so the plot can be more dramatic and go longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture
Minor: Grief, Trafficking, and Rape
More...