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shadowspinner's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent and Racism
lalesbianlune's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I always enjoy a book with magical worldbuilding, especially one that can bring something unique. The actual plot of this book wasn’t particularly mysterious or compelling, but it led you through the characters and magical system easily. I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters, but I was disappointed by how underdeveloped the side characters felt and some of the ‘leaning in” to the Edwardian period attitudes. Generally fun and easy to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Bullying and Homophobia
ccccamden's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent
ninoshmino's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I had to push through a certain amount of resistance at the beginning of this audio book — I’m generally put off by depictions of the upper class and landed gentry, unless they’re brutally satirical (or whimsically satirical, I guess? Can’t hate on Jeeves and Wooster) or all about the innate inequality and corruption of it all (yes I’m a stereotype) — anyway, its charm and gentleness quickly wore down my reflexive Marxist grumping. IMO it falls slightly more into “romance with intriguing fantasy elements” than “fantasy with romance plot” — but both the worldbuilding and the relationship pull their weight to drive the story. I found Edwin’s character arc to be really rewarding, focusing on his journey towards finding/making his place in a world that belittles him. Robin’s wasn’t as compelling, and his circumstances don’t greatly change from the beginning to end — or rather, the change is all external.
I did find out that it’s very awkward to listen to hot sex scenes while at the gym or on the bus, so I’ll probably get the sequel from the library. But I love the world enough to want to linger in it for another story, and I’m hoping Marske will continue to write in this world. And hey! It turns out that (some of) the rich people are corrupt, and the innate inequity of the situation was commented enough to satisfy my grumpy inner Marxist literary bitching.
I did find out that it’s very awkward to listen to hot sex scenes while at the gym or on the bus, so I’ll probably get the sequel from the library. But I love the world enough to want to linger in it for another story, and I’m hoping Marske will continue to write in this world. And hey! It turns out that (some of) the rich people are corrupt, and the innate inequity of the situation was commented enough to satisfy my grumpy inner Marxist literary bitching.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Child abuse
xandry's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, Misogyny, Homophobia, Violence, Torture, Murder, Chronic illness, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Xenophobia and Racism
embarcaderosky's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Suicide, Outing, Racism, Sexism, Confinement, Classism, and Homophobia
frankieclc's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Death
Minor: Suicide
offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? No
5.0
Truly incredible writing. According to StoryGraph, I rated it 4.75 stars the first time I read it but I just finished rereading and I don’t know what past me was thinking…definitely a 5 star read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying and Violence
Minor: Death, Misogyny, and Murder
blewballoon's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
4.5
I listened to this on audiobook and it was excellent! I was multitasking a lot as I listened, so I didn't follow along as precisely or speculate as much as I would have liked. The plot threads all weave together really elegantly by the end of the story, and I feel like if I had been paying closer attention I could have appreciated that even more. The setup of the world with how magic works was interesting, I like fantasy worlds where magic is known but I'm a bigger fan I think of stories that take place in what's essentially our world, but with some magic under the covers that not everyone knows about. I thought the two male leads were engaging and enjoyable, and the romance worked well for their personalities and histories. I'm looking forward to more from this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Blood, Homophobia, and Violence
jencolumb0's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A romance with magic and mystery. It almost feels like Marske put Alexis Hall’s Spires series in a blender with India Holton’s books to result in a charming (badum bump), emotionally intelligent mystery involving well-developed characters (something that seemed to trouble Holton in her first novel; still working through the rest . . . and I digress). I am definitely looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story plays out.
Also, know that the torture elements are most prominent at the beginning and you’ll be able to follow the rest of the story easily if you skip right over it.
Also, know that the torture elements are most prominent at the beginning and you’ll be able to follow the rest of the story easily if you skip right over it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Outing, Classism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Self harm and Misogyny