Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - A Strange and Stubborn Endurance

the best part of this book was definitely the characters and their dynamics. i loved the relationship dynamic, the love was so gentle and so beautiful. plot was there but mainly as a vehicle for character development, tho i did appreciate the little plot twist and fast paced (and tense) ending. kept me on my toes and engaged in the story beyond the relationship.

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ccpprrjj's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring 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

5.0

I could barely put this book down. And, when I did, the only thing I wanted to do was pick it back up again. It was so good! The writing style and world-building were beautiful. I loved the casual queerness in Tithena, and it was interesting how it contrasted with the restrictive heteronormative society in Ralia. The big draw for me, though, was the characters. They were just fantastic. Cae is such a sweet himbo. Markel is amazing. And then there's Velasin. I absolutely adore him. It was so cool to see his personality and character come out, which we didn't really get to see until a ways into the book, due to traumatic events at the beginning of it. Velasin's healing journey was at times painful and sad, and at times hopeful and sweet. So, yeah. This was a really good book. However, this was not a light, easy read. There were some very dark and traumatic events that occurred, on page, so please look at the trigger warnings and read the author's note at the beginning of the book before reading it.

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librarianeno's review

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adventurous emotional 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

4.0

I feel like Meadows couldn't decide what to focus on: the magic, the romance, the mystery, or the language. So everything felt half-developed. What felt fully developed was the romance and the mystery. I had a hard time keeping track of all the different honorifics and pronouns that were used by the different characters. I wish that there was a glossary or explanation of how each one was used. The magic didn't really come into play until 3/4 of the way through the book and it felt like an afterthought. And like it was just added to try to bring a wider audience to the book. I loved all the LGBTQIA+ aspects of the story and especially loved that once the ambassador (I forgot the specific name Meadows uses for the ambassador) finds out that the main character is gay, she offers the brother of the girl he was going to betroth.

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caelfind's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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bookswithhojo's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

This was easily a 5/5 star read for me.

There are many things I enjoyed about this book. For starters, it had me working overtime the whole book thinking about who was behind everything. The politics were more than intriguing, with just enough twists and clues to keep me invested without being predictable. While I had my suspicions, it wasn’t overtly obvious how it would end/who would end up being revealed. Some of this may be down to the fact that there are small instances throughout where unrelated issues arise, such as guards’ negligence, in which both the main characters and the reader can’t be sure whether an incident is part of the grander scheme or whether it can be chalked up as a separate issue. Add in the fact that one of our two POV characters is from an entirely different place, it’s clear that he is learning about how the politics of this society works just as the reader is.

Speaking of, I was incredibly impressed with how flawlessly Velasin’s previous beliefs and lived experiences influenced how he approached everything throughout the book. Coming from Ralia, he has grown up in a place that has not looked kindly on people they don’t understand. It’s clear when he arrives in Tithena that he has a lot to unlearn, as he is now in a place where many of the unspoken rules in Ralian society no longer apply. Conversations and inner thoughts regarding this take place in several instances of the book, where he directly addresses how the change in his mind will not happen overnight. After all, though nobody blinks an eye seeing two men or two women together in Tithena, the same is very untrue in Ralia. The fact that Tithena even has a word to say a husband’s husband (Litai) is new to Velasin.

The same goes for the existence of transgender people. This is evident early on when Velasin meets Keletha, who is one of Tithena’s third-gender souls, called kemi. That’s not to say that the existence of such people in Ralia is impossible, just that it is more hidden and scandalous to Ralian courts. While Velasin has met transgender Ralians before, there doesn’t even seem to be a word for them other than slurs, while the Tithenai term is metem.

There are further instances where we get to see Velasin begin to unpack how differently things work in Ralia and Tithena. It’s incredibly interesting how these differences both become hindrances in some ways and advantages in others, as it allows Velasin to analyze the politics around them in ways that Caethari would and can not.

Outside of the cultural changes Velasin adjusts to, the book also delicately addresses the exploration of his identity and his healing from trauma. This is something that I thought was done incredibly well. There is no erasure of his trauma, but conversations and inner healing throughout the book showing how his trauma is influencing how he both thinks and acts around Caethari and others.

As for the relationship between Velasin and Caethari, it was wonderful to see the respect and tenderness they each gave to each other as their friendship developed. There was quite a lot of character development throughout, extending to all the characters and not just the main two.

Each and every character is thoughtfully fleshed out, with observations made by Velasin and Caethari allowing the reader to get to know the characters, their wants, and their backstories. I especially loved Markel and seeing his deep friendship with Velasin. It’s clear the mutual love and respect they have for each other. The same can be said for many of the other interpersonal relationships between different characters.

The only grievance I have is that the timeline felt off for me. I know that the reason is because so much happened each day but it was jarring every time they brought up that’s its only been a few days. Though, I will say that the characters also state that it feels like it’s been longer than a few days, so it is likely on purpose. I honestly just didn’t bother thinking too much about the timeline and just let myself read it as though weeks or months were passing. Overall, remembering the timeline wasn’t that important in the grand scheme of things for me.

In closing, it’s clear how much thought and care went into this book. Every bit of the political intrigue, emotional and heartfelt romance, and intricate world-building created the perfect blend for this book.

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ombria's review

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challenging hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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yeimyaileen's review

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4.25

this books throws you into the most traumatic stuff at the beginning, so def please check content warnings!! theyre posted at the front of the book, but i was surprised as to how soon it happened.

overall, i enjoyed the writing style. I liked that POV switched happened every few chapters and that the POVs stayed in first or third person. sometimes in these multiple POV books i have to flip to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who is speaking.

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