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emily_mh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Usually I’m not a fan of paranormal stories (e.g., urban fantasy, angels and demons type stuff) but I really liked it here. Polk fit in some nice depth to the world which is always a challenge in a novella. I especially appreciated the history we were given of the angels as this fleshed out the angel characters well. I also liked how the politics between the various supernatural factions had such direct influence over the plot and characters. I will say I was a little confused whether the supernatural/magical world was hidden or the norm for all humans everywhere.
The story was so easy to fly through. The plot was fast-paced and investigation-driven, the latter essential in a murder-mystery for me. It was also clever, the resolution satisfying.
I got a good sense of the MC Helen and was fully rooting for her. She’s a puzzler and a thinker, she’s driven, but most important she loves HARD. My heart was in my throat seeing the lengths she would go to to save and protect her loved ones.
Unfortunately I didn’t totally get the romance between Helen and Edith. I didn’t feel the depth of their connection like most other readers have seemed to. But it wasn’t a biggie for me overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Drug use, Gun violence, Death of parent, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Car accident
Minor: Addiction, Sexual content, Homophobia, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Cursing, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol
Moderate: conversion therapy, eye trauma Minor: gambling, loss of a loved one, self-injurybooksthatburn's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
I loved this whole thing. It's paced excellently, tells a great story, and is in a world conveyed succinctly. If you like queer fantasy/mystery novellas with life and death stakes, try this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Death, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Mental illness, and Cursing
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, Self harm, Car accident, Torture, and Alcohol
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