Scan barcode
lumidouce's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
For those looking for a quick sapphic tale of angels, demons, and the things we'd do for love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Violence, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Homophobia
wenwanzhao's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love a good title-drop. I like that this was a novella. Sometimes a story can feel bloated by trying to extend the plot, but this was story nicely paced and everything felt necessary. I love magic and I love sapphic women god bless <3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Car accident, Death, and Blood
lefay_'s review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i love women!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Gun violence, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Car accident, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, and Homophobia
robin1010's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
The premise was great, the execution needs a lot of editing and about double the pages. The author had a lot of different subjects and topics to explore but wasn't able to focus on anything enough to give meaning or depth. There was barely any investigation into the murder mystery that wasn't just reasons to put x character at x location, the romance was incredibly flat and had very little development, the magic system was vague and handwavy, the lore and worldbuilding was equally only the strictly relevant and barely that. Even the atmosphere distinctly missed the noir mark, as the writing style, dialogue, and characters just felt modern. A few bits of outdated vocabulary here and there doesn't make it noir.
The pacing was horrendous. The novel spends almost the exact same amount of time on each event that happens, regardless of how important or how much explanation this event needs.Helen and Edith talking in the club takes MORE time than the reveal of Edith as an angel and her and the angel's entire backstory/mechanism of possession. The last act felt squished together and the first two felt dragged out. Some chapters just felt like filler. You never really get time for events or revelations to sink in and settle.
For whatever reason the author put in angels and demons, and then immediately gives the tools to kill them. I don't understand the point of having these beings known for limitless power and immortality and then making them killable. In a similar vein the last big fight was relatively anticlimactic - we were just introduced to the real antagonist and his motivations and he's dead in a couple of paragraphs. Delaney was a weird character to have in there - also, Helen specifically notes his eyes flare the same weird way Edith's do, but doesn't connect the dots between that and him having angelic influence until hes already revealed as the villain.
I hate that Helen and Ted both 'go to hell' at the end. In a wlw book? really? In combination with repeated mentions of homophobia (including conversion therapy) and misogyny. Don't tell me these are about adding realism in a fantasy book.
The relationship itself also, frankly, sucks. It has all the chemistry of a dead fish. Largely because Helen is as blank as they come, but theres also no development, no time spent just getting to know them, no interaction that isn't painfully generic and could be any couple speaking to each other. It was boring reading about them.
The characters, themes, and content needed more space to breathe than such a short book gave it, and the author needed to choose a focus rather than juggling too many things at once.
The pacing was horrendous. The novel spends almost the exact same amount of time on each event that happens, regardless of how important or how much explanation this event needs.
The relationship itself also, frankly, sucks. It has all the chemistry of a dead fish. Largely because Helen is as blank as they come, but theres also no development, no time spent just getting to know them, no interaction that isn't painfully generic and could be any couple speaking to each other. It was boring reading about them.
The characters, themes, and content needed more space to breathe than such a short book gave it, and the author needed to choose a focus rather than juggling too many things at once.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Death
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Mental illness, Gore, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Grief, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, and Child death
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Mental illness
emfass's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death, Violence, Murder, Gore, and Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Confinement, Mental illness, and Car accident
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
This little novella is one that was an ALC (thanks Libro.fm) that I got a few months ago, and I put myself on hold for the physical book at the library (I am really getting into having access to both reading options these days) after seeing a glowing review from @booksnblazers.
Helen is a (magical) private investigator in 1940s Chicago, working within the darker side of the city. Almost exactly 10 years ago, she made a deal with a demon, trading her soul to save her brother's (Teddy) life. The end date on her deal, when her life is forfeit, is looming...and Helen is dreading leaving behind the women she's fallen in love with, Edith, and their dreams of a future together in San Francisco. When she is offered one final job, to find the White City Vampire (a notorious serial killer), with the payout of winning her soul back if she succeeds, she takes it. But things are more than what they seem, including Edith, and a number of divine powers have a vested interest in the outcome of her investigation.
My goodness, the noir vibes in this book were great. Between the time period and writing, it was like reading in sepia toned melancholy. The seedy, underbelly descriptions of the settings (including the underground gay bar, since that was the only option for them), and the grisly aspects of the murders, and the short time we spent in a women's asylum institution (for mental health "treatment," but with a horrifying glimpse at conversion therapy realities of the time as well), contributed to this vibe as well. Otherwise, do find reading this time period hard, and so I do it sparingly, because the misogyny and patronization of women is something I find infuriating and difficult to read too much of. Anyways, I am always a fan of a "sell your soul" and "deal with the devil" storyline, it's a favorite supernatural trope of mine. And while I do not always love the personification of angels and demons in paranormal stories, I thought it was well done here. I actually specifically thought the importance, in faith, of continuing to believe without evidence (and how hard that actually is) was explored in a way that I don't see often and I commend the author for.
The theme of not accepting fate is also always a classic, and is explored with deep personal emotion here. Polk explores what people will sacrifice/exchange in order to change fate, to save someone they love. But they also do a nice job introducing the complicating factor of, even if it hurts you (cause love does hurt), is it not worth considering that a person may not want or make the same choice as you about their fate? And what is selfish, or not, and how do you know, and is that just part of the weakness of humanity? However, in the end, I LOVED the message that love is love, it’s about a generous and open heart, and anything past that is irrelevant.
Speaking of love, let me talk about the relationships between Helen and Edith. For such a short novella, and being introduced to them already comfortably together, I was quickly deeply emotionally invested in them; they really warmed by soul and I was cheering hard for their *happy* ending right from the start. And as I read, their relationship got better and better. The understanding of secrets and separate lives and communicating through and accepting that is a level of emotional maturity that is usually skipped in favor of drama-by-miscommunication in romance situations, and I’m thrilled by the way it’s done here; so refreshing. On the other hand, the other major relationship (between Helen and Teddy), felt nowhere near as well done to me. It seemed shallow and the choices that each made, as well as their emotional reactions and connections, just felt too easy and just plot-device-y, after so many years apart.
I love the way the title works, the recognizable feeling of the building of hope for the ending every time you hear/see/read a familiar story, even though you already know what it will be. And the ending, oh it hit the heartstrings, that choice for at least some time, because some time is better than no time. It's a knowledge we all have, in choosing love, that there will be an ending, and it will hurt, but we choose love in the time we have anyways, because that pain is worth it.
This was a great, quick read. Emotional and entertaining and full of time period, magical, noir-ish vibes. Anyone who enjoyed Addie LaRue and/or fans of Supernatural, would like this book a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Murder, Police brutality, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Violence
emlen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death, Violence, Child death, Car accident, Stalking, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Misogyny, Confinement, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
shector1's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Minor: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Mental illness