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iloivar's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
Brutal and beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Animal death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Outing
Minor: Lesbophobia, Violence, Xenophobia, and Transphobia
missprint's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Trigger-warnings: Suicide, suicidal idealization, sexual assault, homophobia, animal death
Please heed warnings! Within the first few chapters there is an explicit rape scene. It's the only such scene in the book (aside from recollections of the same incident) but it's pretty intense.
I find my feelings on this one pretty mixed. I definitely enjoyed it. It was hard to put down, it made me laugh, it made me Feel Things; I found the mystery intriguing and really loved the character interactions.
That said, I agree with a lot of reviews that point out weird tone discrepancies. I read a review that said it felt like a mystery, a romcom, and a psychological trauma book all kind of mashed together. While the author was very thoughtful in their treatment of the main character's trauma from SA, and in his transition from a very prejudiced environment to a much more open/inclusive one, there were a lot of moments where the emotional switch was very jarring. Grief, in particular, seemed glossed over. People would die and those around them were pretty okay shortly after. We'd go from moments of intense emotional reflection to light-hearted romance pretty quickly.
Other, more minor quibbles: I loved Vel's relationship with Markel but it seemed to get pretty shunted to the side once Cae showed up. Which, okay, romance. But Markel sometimes felt more like a prop than a character. Maybe that was just me. But add to the fact that Markel has mutism, it felt like a bad look. Also, while I enjoyed most of the world-building and felt I had a pretty good grasp on it, I really never understood the magic system.
BUT it was hard to put down and fun to read so I dunno! If you're someone who gets hung up on details in world-building or reads with a very critical eye, this might not be for you. If you can gloss over that while you read, I'd recommend it.
Please heed warnings! Within the first few chapters there is an explicit rape scene. It's the only such scene in the book (aside from recollections of the same incident) but it's pretty intense.
I find my feelings on this one pretty mixed. I definitely enjoyed it. It was hard to put down, it made me laugh, it made me Feel Things; I found the mystery intriguing and really loved the character interactions.
That said, I agree with a lot of reviews that point out weird tone discrepancies. I read a review that said it felt like a mystery, a romcom, and a psychological trauma book all kind of mashed together. While the author was very thoughtful in their treatment of the main character's trauma from SA, and in his transition from a very prejudiced environment to a much more open/inclusive one, there were a lot of moments where the emotional switch was very jarring. Grief, in particular, seemed glossed over. People would die and those around them were pretty okay shortly after. We'd go from moments of intense emotional reflection to light-hearted romance pretty quickly.
Other, more minor quibbles: I loved Vel's relationship with Markel but it seemed to get pretty shunted to the side once Cae showed up. Which, okay, romance. But Markel sometimes felt more like a prop than a character. Maybe that was just me. But add to the fact that Markel has mutism, it felt like a bad look. Also, while I enjoyed most of the world-building and felt I had a pretty good grasp on it, I really never understood the magic system.
BUT it was hard to put down and fun to read so I dunno! If you're someone who gets hung up on details in world-building or reads with a very critical eye, this might not be for you. If you can gloss over that while you read, I'd recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Suicide attempt, Rape, Outing, Homophobia, and Animal death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Ableism
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