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vaguely_pink's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Death, Gore, Suicide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Transphobia, War, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, and Vomit
pvbobrien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Medical content, Misogyny, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, War, Transphobia, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
ninjamuse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Misogyny and War
schnaucl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
There were things I really liked. The characters were compelling, particularly Easton and Ms. Potter.
I would have loved to learn even more about Gallacia. I think the idea of a country with seven sets of pronouns, including one reserved for inanimate objects, one for priests and prepubescent children, one for soldiers and one exclusively for God is fascinating. And I love the detail about the slight hesitation before using what we would consider traditional pronouns for a child getting a spy caught. (It has no bearing on the story, it's just a detail about the history of the country). I really want a story set in Gallacia some day.
I also liked the doctor, August, and Hob, of course.
The illustration of the hare in the end papers was pretty cool, too.
Anyway, I don't think it's a book problem, I think it's a me problem.
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Terminal illness, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: War, Misogyny, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Sexism, Vomit, Alcohol, and Gore
lavenderzoey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Animal death and Body horror
Moderate: Suicide, War, and Misogyny
Minor: Transphobia
nixieba25f's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Animal death, Cursing, Misogyny, Terminal illness, War, and Xenophobia
atlas_shruggs'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 again had me glaring skeptically at the fine hairs on my arms. Shivers. Easton is still so fucking funny holy shit, they are fully me if I was in a horror novel, constantly firing out sarcastic quotes and beautifully stereotyping Europeans and Americans. I'm still sad that it isn't longer but now that it has a sequel I can't complain.
2022 review
This was just a well written, eerie read that I could barely put it down.
Essentially, the book is a retelling of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, but I felt like it was so so much more than that. Just before reading this I listened to the audio book of the original story, and it definitely felt like it was lacking in so much substance. I get that it's an older short story, but much like T. Kingfisher, I felt myself wishing there was more to it than just "Guy visits creepy house, people die," and this did exactly that.
Easton was such a great narrator, having ka as the main character gave the reader more of a soldier's insight into what was going on, and getting the flashes of the horrors Easton experienced in the war really added to the gory factor of the story itself.
Also, just having a nonbinary character in a horror story set in the 1890's is such a rare occurrence, but having them be the main character? It felt revolutionary. It added so much in regards to gender roles, which Miss Potter's character did as well.
This was also way way funnier than I expected. Easton's sarcasm was so hilarious, I found myself openly laughing more than once.
If there was anything I would change, I would have wanted the book to be longer, but I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, and Sexism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and War
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
When Alex gets a message from kan childhood friend Madeline Usher that she is dying, kan heads to the decaying Usher estate to do what kan can. But there is a lot more going on at the estate than Alex realizes, and with the help of Denton--Roderick Usher's American Doctor friend--and a local mycologist, Alex is able to solve the secrets of Usher--but not without casualties.
This is a fantasy "Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe retelling. When I read that, and that the protagonist was nonbinary--I instantly knew I had to read this book. I was not disappointed! Alex is such an interesting character and I loved the descriptions of Gallacian pronouns and what it meant to be a sworn soldier as well as the work kan goes through to find out what is happening at the estate. I also really love that there wasn't any romance at all in this story!
I love the atmospheric and creepy gothic mode that Kingfisher was able to establish throughout this book and how well it matches with the source material, while at the same time bringing something entirely new to the story. The discussions of mushrooms and descriptions of unnatural hares and everything else that went along with it made this book delightfully creepy and everything I was looking for!
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Terminal illness, and Death
Minor: Transphobia, Suicide, and Misogyny