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doodlesread'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? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Rape and Toxic relationship
andi885's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers trope - and I mean a real one. I want the hate to be so intense that it seems they will never be able to love eachother. This book didn't disappoint in that regard.
The plot was mysterious and suspensful and it kept me on the edge of my seat guessing the outcome.
It was so well written and almost perfection.
My cons with this book is sometimes the sweet moments of the romance felt a little forced because of how intensely the main characters were supposed to hate each other.
I can't wait for book two, and I'm so sad it won't be released for another nine months!!
Minor: Addiction, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
aheinicke27's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I enjoyed the cat and mouse aspects of the story and the budding romance between the characters, despite the fact that there definitely were times that they also frustrated me with their bonehead choices and assumptions. While the romance part of the book was fairly predictable, there was a HUGE plot twist that I predicted incorrectly at the end of the story. Overall I enjoyed listening to this book, and I’ll probably read the sequel too!
Graphic: Death and Blood
Minor: Rape
annamay1021's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape
kirsty_irwin'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Outing, and Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Drug abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
taylor500'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? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Rape
chasinggrace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Now, there are a few things I would change. In the first 100 pages, the author repeats herself a LOT, with very similar sentence structures and identical descriptions (of a witch’s first bleed, of how Rune played into her Nan’s death, etc.) I found it annoying and it took me out of the story. Secondly, boxing? The way the characters speak and dress and transport themselves, this story takes place in the “past.” But boxing? With gloves, in a ring? This could’ve easily been a fighting ring or sparring, but boxing took me out of the story as well. It didn’t seem to fit.
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
emilygibbs'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
mirandanoel's review against another edition
3.75
I did not realize until I came here to review it that it is being marketed as YA, and I would caution you that it is definitely mature for YA. There are some explicit scenes but, beyond that, I think the book gets into murky water when it comes to sexual consent (ie some seduction under false pretenses).
I think the biggest shortcoming is the ending - the author seemed to sacrifice a satisfying ending in order to set up her sequel. Had I knows this, I likely would have waiting to read the book until we were closer to the sequel’s release. IMO, the first 350 pages were leagues better than the last 50.
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
randi_jo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.25
Anyway there are so many trope icks in this book for me. I feel like the author singled me out, asked everything I hate in a book and then made this book but added playing with period blood. Just to list some of them:
🚩 Obviously the use of period blood, like ew. But ok plot reasons; don't do blood magic using self harm cuts because it makes you a target for witch hunts. Still ew.
🚩 Love triangle/hinge. MC must choose, oh no! One is the tall, dark, and brooding with a tragic past - physically strong! The other is lean, blonde, intellectual - her childhood friend! Ahh smell those tropes.
🚩 Oh yes, those two are brothers! Yes
🚩 There is no mention of using protection in the smut scenes! This is YA! She lost her virginity! I don't care if it's not "realistic" it's fantasy! Use fake magic to prevent STDs! Sex safety for the Youth.
🚩 The fact that brosef Gideon feels the absolute NEED to have sex with someone to PROVE she has no scars is weird. Weirder, and CREEPY is that random ass chick Harrow keeps PUSHING FOR HIM TO HAVE SEX WITH HER? I know it's for PLOT AND ROMANCE reasons, but how fucking creepy?? Peer pressuring people into doing the deed is ew.
🚩 Why is there a duo named Gideon and Harrow, anyway? Is this a hat tilt to Muir's Locked Tomb series? It's distracting as fuck.
🚩 A bro literally
🚩 The font! It's huge! I thought I had a large print book! Nothing crazy, but what a waste of paper. This book should not be anything over 300 pages. It's THAT large.
🚩 Short chapters. I don't think a single chapter was over 10 pages long. WITH HUGE FONT. I accidentally skipped an entire chapter because two pages got stuck together. Weirdly upsetting.
🚩 The plot was ridiculously easy to predict, and as much as I like to be right, reading for plot heavy books (because let's be honest, the characters here only exist to bang) is not one of them. To go into more spoilery areas...
It was obvious from early on that Cressida wasn't dead because Alex didn't kill her. She was literally the only character ever posed to be even a POSSIBLE villain. Literally who else could it be? The only other witches in the whole fucking story are Rune, who we have the POV of, and Seraphine who's in fucking prison lol. There was zero chance of Alex surviving this trope heavy book. Obviously he is an obstacle to the Rune/Gideon pairing and he needed to be gone! The second Rune accepted his proposal I knew he was dead. And I was right!! I'm a wizard! Verity was so obviously Cressida the second Cressida's mark appeared at the dinner scene. The entire book the prose was "he is so tempting but he is my enemy! I must save witches to atone for my grandma! Verity's perfume is stronk af. Why is Gideon so hot and dark and spicy? Wowowow." Like the second something other than sexual frustration and the repetitive BS about Rune trying to get herself killed or whatever, the foreshadowing hints become like BEACONS. This was solidified the very second it was Verity's face in the criminal sketch, making the probability of her being the villain from like 80% to 100%. Ugh.
The ending was ok. . . it left a lot to be answered in book 2, but to be honest I'll probably just mine reviews and summaries for what happens next, if I even remember by the time it comes out. I am just not interested in carving out even another day of time for this series.
Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Blood