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raypaws'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
3.25
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual content
starofash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
it was pretty fast-paced and the story began very quickly and had a mostly direct writing style which i really liked. also, the plottwist was unexpected in my opinion, i only guessed it while it was already being revealed lmao
the food themes and witchcraft were amazing, a bit more explantion about the magic system would've been nice but i feel like it's also realistic that emilia doesn't know a lot about it because her nonna seems to keep a lot of it secret
the main characters, wrath and emilia were lovable and i understood them, because although emilias stubbornness in regards to who the murderer was was a bit annoying, it was also understandable and in character. if i only want to scream at the character, that's fine for me. also, emilias character development was amazing
wrath was also really amazing, i loved his character. (i love me a smug asshole and he kinda was that)
but the romance really made me a bit uncomfortable? i really like enemies to lovers, but something about the romance in this book rubbed me the wrong way, idk.
another complaint i had was that i read it in german but the wicked were still called wicked which was kinda weird and definitely took some getting used to
still very excited for part 2!!!
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Alcohol, and Vomit
anastashamarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Tuck in, little witches and surly demons. This might turn rambling like I got stuck between worlds in a scrying session.
šThe whole time I was reading/listening to it, I was thinking this would be a 4-star read for me. Yeah, it had some problems (which I'll get into). But I loved the magic system and the setting. I loved the concept of the 7 Deadly Sins embodied as demons and the ways that their powers manipulate humans. I loved Emelia's and Wrath's banter. (And okay, like I said, the narration really made this one.)
š”ļø I liked the characters, too. Some people complain about Emilia being dumb, and though I definitely think there certain things she did or didn't do only for the obvious sake of the story, I don't think "dumb" is the way I'd describe her. She thought these demons and dark forces were scary stories made up her Nonna to scare little witches into saying in bed at night. She was very traumatized by seeing the brutalized bodies of people she cared about and by witnessing multiple graphic attempted murders. I don't blame her if she didn't always ask the right questions or if she fell prey to immortal beings who spend their whole lives trying to trick humans. 2 months ago, she didn't even know they existed. She's pretty adaptable, all things considered.
I also liked Wrath and the ways that he wasn't nearly as stoic or good at hiding his emotions as he might have thought. I liked his insistence on consent and choice and the ways that the demon magic just enhances what people already feel or desire. I liked that he clearly had his own motivations and seemed genuinely ambiguous throughout much of the story. I wouldn't call him morally grey, per say, because he doesn't actually do anything bad. Maybe morally shadowed...I'm still not totally sure what his ploy is, but I'm very curious as to where his story will go next.
š But oof, the ending just left so much to be desired that I had to take another star. I get that it's meant to set up the storyline for the rest of the books. But so many of the characters motivations seemed loosely strung together by the end and nothing is as well tied-up as I thought it might be. New characters are introduced up until the last few pages, but in a "better shove this in my hidden pocket before I forget it like Emilia keep forgetting her chalk" sort of way, not in a necessarily intriguing sort of way. Personalities seem to suddenly flip flop. Clues that were presented seem to now be forgotten.
And speaking for clues, I feel like I needed a Handy Dandy Notebook to keep track of the spells and symbols and other hints littered throughout, because Emilia was finding paw prints I couldn't even see (I think because they're as invisible as a umbra demon). Meanwhile, Emilia is out here just drawing connections out of thin air. She suddenly remembers seeing symbols before that I don't remember ever being mentioned (because they weren't) and is like "oh, a clue!" I feel this could have been solved by more showing and less telling in the book; more descriptions of the scenes and interactions and behaviors. In other words, I wish more clues were dropped so the audience could play detective, too.
š Still, even though I didn't rank this as highly as I hoped, I'm very excited to read the next one. I borrowed this from Libby and will probably buy an actual copy of it to keep on my own shelf I liked it so much. I'm just hopeful the next ones redeem some of the ending of this one for me, otherwise I'm sending them back to the summoning circle.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual content
troll_for_initiative's review against another edition
Graphic: Gore, Death, Alcohol, and Grief
bootsmom3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Dysphoria, Gore, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Animal death, and Sexual content
zabeishumanish's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
katvou'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
3.75
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Child death, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Sexual content
faitherslibrary'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
3.0
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Grief
Minor: Alcohol
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
aidamaria_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
1. This book did not make me feel anything except hungry. The Italian food had more character to it than any of the actual protagonists. š
2. How this was pushed as a romance is beyond me. Up until halfway the book I still hoped Emilia and Wrath might become a powerful duo (like Feyre and Rhysand or Jude and Cardan), but how gravely disappointed I was! If youāre in it for spice, youāll be equally frustrated with the whole ordeal of getting through this book. Apart from a little tension, you get nothing. š¶
3. I didnāt get the ending. Like, not at all. Plot twists seemed to happen at random and I canāt believe Iād been that patient only to be let down. š„²
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, Violence, and Vomit