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arkenst0ne's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
wordnerdy's review
3.0
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2020/07/2020-book-130.html
This is an interesting story, though I think I’d need to know more about British folklore to totally get it. It has a lot of things that are cool—sisters, talking trees, mystical star people wandering around, ghost boyfriends, etc. Parts are exciting and parts are compelling, but other parts are slow and the end was a little anti-climactic (except for one weird hinted at twist). I mean, I liked this while I was reading it, but at one point I put it down for three days and never was dying to pick it back up. Still, really cool atmosphere and characters. B+.
This is an interesting story, though I think I’d need to know more about British folklore to totally get it. It has a lot of things that are cool—sisters, talking trees, mystical star people wandering around, ghost boyfriends, etc. Parts are exciting and parts are compelling, but other parts are slow and the end was a little anti-climactic (except for one weird hinted at twist). I mean, I liked this while I was reading it, but at one point I put it down for three days and never was dying to pick it back up. Still, really cool atmosphere and characters. B+.
nwhyte's review
5.0
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3646632.html
A spooky story of four sisters looking for their mysteriously vanished mother, and the West Country home that some have left and some have not. Various bits of magic occur, including the Behenian stars, a bit of astronomical lore that I had completely forgotten, if I ever knew. Extra marks for several gratuitous Doctor Who references. I really loved it.
A spooky story of four sisters looking for their mysteriously vanished mother, and the West Country home that some have left and some have not. Various bits of magic occur, including the Behenian stars, a bit of astronomical lore that I had completely forgotten, if I ever knew. Extra marks for several gratuitous Doctor Who references. I really loved it.
krismcd59's review
4.0
This charming fantasy novel ticks all my boxes for sure -- British myth and folklore, sisterhood and Girl Power, fashion, food, history, and quirky protagonists with senses of humor. the characters are sensitive to the deep mythic undercurrents of British history without being annoyingly "New Agey," and their relationships are satisfyingly complex and messy. Each has a unique voice, and their points of view dovetail brilliantly into a plot that moves from one level of reality to the next believably. It's an utterly absorbing adventure that I'm looking forward to the next installments of for sure.
archergal's review
4.0
I am going to have to start noting where I got the idea to read some of these books. I know I saw this book mentioned in a review somewhere, but I have no idea where now.
Anyway, if there's such a thing as a cozy supernatural story, this is probably it. And I don't mean that in a BAD way. This is the sort of story that has roots in English folklore tales. There are lych-roads, ley lines, the spirits of stars that appear unexpectedly on the stairwells, and yes, there's a comet coming too!
Four sisters, Bee, Serena, Stella, and Luna, were thrown into dismay when their mother, Alys, disappeared suddenly a year ago. No one knows if Alys is dead or alive, except that the girls think she PROBABLY isn't. But they're not sure how to find her. Until they get a surprising clue. Then Things Start To Happen.
This is a book of strong female characters, all different, but all still believable and generally likeable. There's a little bit of handwaving about WHY some of the things happened as they did, but honestly, it didn't bother me. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and the magic. I even enjoyed the descriptions of the countryside.
Good stuff. +1, would read another by this author.
Anyway, if there's such a thing as a cozy supernatural story, this is probably it. And I don't mean that in a BAD way. This is the sort of story that has roots in English folklore tales. There are lych-roads, ley lines, the spirits of stars that appear unexpectedly on the stairwells, and yes, there's a comet coming too!
Four sisters, Bee, Serena, Stella, and Luna, were thrown into dismay when their mother, Alys, disappeared suddenly a year ago. No one knows if Alys is dead or alive, except that the girls think she PROBABLY isn't. But they're not sure how to find her. Until they get a surprising clue. Then Things Start To Happen.
This is a book of strong female characters, all different, but all still believable and generally likeable. There's a little bit of handwaving about WHY some of the things happened as they did, but honestly, it didn't bother me. I enjoyed the plot and the characters and the magic. I even enjoyed the descriptions of the countryside.
Good stuff. +1, would read another by this author.
rodoh22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Great writing, the story gets better as it goes along.
A style of fantasy I hadn't come across before now. The characters of the four sisters are fun and a strong family feel to them, all adult and independent but still a family against the world if needs be.
A style of fantasy I hadn't come across before now. The characters of the four sisters are fun and a strong family feel to them, all adult and independent but still a family against the world if needs be.
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