Scan barcode
katebella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child death, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Minor: Slavery and Cannibalism
flaminggecko's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Grief, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, War, Violence, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Classism, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Abortion, Death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Child death, Xenophobia, Dementia, Child abuse, and Animal death
Moderate: Cannibalism, Alcohol, Bullying, and Blood
Minor: Excrement
cwbillings's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Animal death and Blood
Minor: Classism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Infertility, Grief, Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Death, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Confinement
sylvestra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Animal death
Minor: Body horror and Blood
chelbelle122's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Child death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Toxic relationship, Torture, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Things I liked:
- This book had a really good, consistent dark fairy tale atmosphere without being overly despairing or angsty. My heart did drop a little at
the thief wheel scene in the tombs but in a good way kept me reading to find out ifthis was the end for our protagonists . - Marra was a very believable character and protagonist. It could be argued she didn't really contribute much compared to her companions but considering she was largely sheltered for most of her life, I think it's more forgiveable for her to make stupid decisions or seem immature.
- If you like fairy tale magic systems, this is the book for you. The book never bogs you down with infodumping or exposition on said system, but takes the time to explain things concisely.
Things I didn't like:
- I feel like the demon chicken was very underutilised compared to the rest of Marra's companions, and it was never explained why the dust-wife had a demon possess the chicken to begin with.
- The romance between Marra and Fenris felt a little forced in my opinion. It was sweet enough but I feel like it was there purely to make the booktok/booktube girlies squee. We could have shown Fenris was a decent guy without having to force him and Marra into a romance.
- I feel like there could have been some more minor conflict between the main party, especially when
Agnes</spoilers> joined them or between them in the boarding house trying not to be suspicious in front of the landlady.
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Miscarriage, Child death, and Physical abuse
Minor: Cannibalism and War
skillyillian's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
That being said:
Honestly this is SO good. The language used is so descriptive and really fits the tone of the story. I loved having an FMC that wasn't barely legal, and her determination to do impossible things was incredible. The dust-wife was awesome but I think Agnes stole the show and I would have loved to have seen and learned more from her. Honestly, I think the story would've benefitted from more character backstory and development? But it's not like they were cardboard cutouts by any means, either.
The timeline, or at least the way it's presented in the story, was a little hard to follow for a minute? But once the past caught up to the story it made sense, so 🤷🏻♀️
I think my favorite part was the humor, honestly. It balanced things out and added levity in a way that I think prevented the whole story from being too heavy. It was witty and wry and the kind of jokes that fit perfectly for a group comprised of a dog made of bones, a cursed chick, a demon hen (no relation), and two traumatized young-ish people traveling with two powerful old women who are each other's opposites in every way.
Overall, this is a great story with some really interesting characters I think we could've learned about a bit more. I loved it so much though, and jumped right into another Kingfisher book (What Moves the Dead) which I'm also enjoying so far. I'm excited to keep reading more from this author :)
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Cannibalism
fraise's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Grief, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Animal death
Minor: Slavery, Torture, Rape, Abortion, Cannibalism, Infertility, and Miscarriage
The slavery in this book ismaeverose's review against another edition
I just couldn’t get into it. There was nothing I actively disliked, but there was nothing keeping my attention either. It was very slow and I had no motivation to pick it up. This could be because I’ve been in a reading slump for months now, and not the book’s fault.
Graphic: Death and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Body horror, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Domestic abuse
Not a spoiler - there’s a point where the main character is acting as a midwife and there are mentions of traumatic and fatal births. Fatal for both the mother and child. I found it a bit disturbing, but it’s not described in especially graphic detail.alexiconic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
reading this book was like escaping into a fairytale all over again. i deeply loved it.
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Blood, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence