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dalawis'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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Child death, Death, and Murder
mxrumphius's review against another edition
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
dancingkouign's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
a bit slow for my taste but the plot is interesting enough to make me wanna pick up another 500 page book haha
i actually really like the main character which surprised me because i usually struggle with quiet characters but she's great, she's quiet but she has strong opinions, I like that
i actually really like the main character which surprised me because i usually struggle with quiet characters but she's great, she's quiet but she has strong opinions, I like that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexism and Blood
octopus_farmer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book is without a doubt the wildest thing I have read in a while. Unfortunately, I couldn't buy a lot of it after a certain point pretty early on, but it was engaging. I was frustrated that for all of Ophelia's discomfort with the existence of servants she rarely talked to them except when necessary (I'll accept plot reasons). It made people like Gail and Fox, whom I found the most interesting, passing figures. Christelle Dabos has her characterization down for sure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
plantbasedbride's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this in French (which is my second language and I am RUSTY) so I'm sure I missed some nuance here, but I really enjoyed this fantasy novel!
Ophélie, our main character, has potential (and an awesome magical scarf) but is not as well developed as I would have liked. This isn't just a problem with our protagonist but goes for all of the characters in the book. I hope the next installment dives deeper into the complexities of their personalities!
The pacing is SLOW and there's not a lot of plot, but the world-building and magic systems are fascinating and I was invested the whole way through.
J'ai hâte de lire le prochain livre de la série quand j'en aurai le temps!
Ophélie, our main character, has potential (and an awesome magical scarf) but is not as well developed as I would have liked. This isn't just a problem with our protagonist but goes for all of the characters in the book. I hope the next installment dives deeper into the complexities of their personalities!
The pacing is SLOW and there's not a lot of plot, but the world-building and magic systems are fascinating and I was invested the whole way through.
J'ai hâte de lire le prochain livre de la série quand j'en aurai le temps!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and Violence
arranged/forced marriageghiblies's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed this a lot. The world building and magic system are seriously cool and I finished the book wishing we had gotten more of this. For me this is 3 stars because I found the ending somewhat underwhelming. I suppose a nicer way to put it is that we’re left with one hell of a cliffhanger, but in short you wouldn’t be able to read this as a stand-alone, which is a shame since the universe itself is such a strong selling point for this book.
As for our protagonists, I really like them, but oh boy, they really do put the slow in slow burn. Ophelia wasn't my favourite of the two but I found her blossoming love and respect for her aunt very heart-warming and I hope this relationship doesn’t fade into the background. I was personally more intrigued by Thorn, who was left as a very enigmatic character even by the end of the book. I will say, their relationship jumped back and forth quite dramatically which I am... scratching my head at a little... The reason for their conflict perhaps feels a little weak considering how pragmatic they both are, but hopefully as they get to know each other better these misunderstandings will be cleared up. (And do I love me some miscommunication and misunderstandings in my stories *rubs hands together gleefully*)
To close, I am looking forward to reading the sequel. I am equally as invested in uncovering the fate of our protagonists as I am in learning more about this universe and its magics!
As for our protagonists, I really like them, but oh boy, they really do put the slow in slow burn. Ophelia wasn't my favourite of the two but I found her blossoming love and respect for her aunt very heart-warming and I hope this relationship doesn’t fade into the background. I was personally more intrigued by Thorn, who was left as a very enigmatic character even by the end of the book. I will say, their relationship jumped back and forth quite dramatically which I am... scratching my head at a little... The reason for their conflict perhaps feels a little weak considering how pragmatic they both are, but hopefully as they get to know each other better these misunderstandings will be cleared up. (And do I love me some miscommunication and misunderstandings in my stories *rubs hands together gleefully*)
To close, I am looking forward to reading the sequel. I am equally as invested in uncovering the fate of our protagonists as I am in learning more about this universe and its magics!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Child death and Infidelity
aliciareads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
peachani's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Torture, Toxic relationship, and Blood
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