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josiah17's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"The mind is a malleable thing. Soil, I you're feeling poetic. Depending on the seed, anything will grow in it, from graceful gardens to idyllic meadows, from weedy forests to foggy swamps. Harmonious or chaotic, peaceful or perilous, health or ill—it's all a matter of seeds."
I'm in awe of the realistic and thorough representation of mental illness in this book. Nicolas Lietzau clearly took incredible care with crafting Jespar as a character and his struggles with himself and his circumstances, and I'm eternally grateful for that. The phantom noose, the inability to speak about your thoughts even when you want to, the pessimism, the haunting memories, all of these things and more that Jespar deals with are very real and relatable. And I think the deliberate decision to have Jespar as essentially the sole POV character (there is another who goes by "the man", but his POVs are a little different) amplified the exploration and conveyance of Jespar's inner struggles for the better.
"He didn't scream because he had accepted that his struggle was pointless; if your own mind is the enemy, where could you run?"
I also loved the worldbuilding. The appendix (hardcover version) does enhance this aspect of the story with the addition of the Makehu language index and sketches of fauna and flora, but it was excellent nonetheless. The magic system was also unique and interesting. And the horror elements throughout the entirety of the book were pleasantly effective. I was surprised by just how actually eery and terrifying some sequences were.
My only real criticisms that I have are fairly minor. The dialogue felt a bit "boyish" or YA at times. Mostly with the romance, which does have a bit of a love triangle, but it's not overly annoying as love triangles usually are. I was also underwhelmed with the Pale Twins, a set of antagonists who I wish were fleshed out more or at least had more page time discussing them or facing them in battle. But again, quite minor criticisms. And I'm close to just keeping this at 5 stars because I feel the important mental health rep kind of trumps these criticisms.
Altogether, very impressive self-published debut novel. The mental health representation, innovative worldbuilding, and horror ambience being the most outstanding and rewarding aspects of this read for me. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel Lietzau is currently writing.
Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Medical content, Rape, and Suicide attempt
shadereads'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
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Violence
Moderate: War and Vomit
totallyshelfaware's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Gore, Death, Body horror, Sexual violence, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Moderate: Infidelity
jamielikestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Rape, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Dementia
raireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, Mental illness, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, War, Murder, Rape, Death, Cursing, Body horror, Blood, Alcohol, Vomit, Self harm, Child death, and Addiction
sarahasyouwish's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, Mental illness, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Body horror, Blood, and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent and Dementia
Minor: Pregnancy
catsy2022'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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Vomit and Mental illness
Minor: Infertility
bitter's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a fabulous book - the world and magic system are well developed and interesting, the plot is suspenseful and unpredictable, but for me the characters are the strongest part of the novel. Even relatively minor characters are vivid and well fleshed out, and almost all of them provoked strong feelings from me. I also always appreciate a LGBT protagonist. Definitely pick this up if you’re interested in a book that combines fantasy/horror/political intrigue to great effect.
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Mental illness
Minor: Self harm and Sexual violence