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vivelarevolution's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
I loved this book when I was younger and I wanted to love it now. I mean, come on, magic and sewing and spinning and knitting! What could be more up my alley?
Unfortunately I found the ableism to be absolutely intolerable and the love interest to be frustratingly sexist. I hated how the main character pushed her disabled brother into taking "one step every day" while she was off on her adventure as if that isn't an incredibly fucked up thing to encourage a disabled person to do, and I hated that she (poorly) faked his disability in order to pretend to be him. I stopped reading when she got drunk and strange men goaded her love interest (who she was not in a relationship with yet) into kissing her and she kissed him on the cheek to attempt to satisfy this request without making herself uncomfortable and then he kissed her anyway. Like, what the hell? Also, I assume that her love interest is also a teenager, but there were some weird references to him maybe being immortal that made me wonder. I can't remember my first reading well enough to say for certain whether or not this relationship was straight up pedophilic.
Also, this is one of my more minor gripes, but why have the main character come out as a gay man while going out of your way to establish that her love interest knew her gender the entire time and therefore nothing about that relationship is actually queer? It's not funny or cute, it's just weird.
Also, introducing a whole (fake, but still) ethnic group as "barbarians" and then having the main character meet some and learn "they're not all barbarians"? That's sick.
Unfortunately I found the ableism to be absolutely intolerable and the love interest to be frustratingly sexist. I hated how the main character pushed her disabled brother into taking "one step every day" while she was off on her adventure as if that isn't an incredibly fucked up thing to encourage a disabled person to do, and I hated that she (poorly) faked his disability in order to pretend to be him. I stopped reading when she got drunk and strange men goaded her love interest (who she was not in a relationship with yet) into kissing her and she kissed him on the cheek to attempt to satisfy this request without making herself uncomfortable and then he kissed her anyway. Like, what the hell? Also, I assume that her love interest is also a teenager, but there were some weird references to him maybe being immortal that made me wonder. I can't remember my first reading well enough to say for certain whether or not this relationship was straight up pedophilic.
Also, this is one of my more minor gripes, but why have the main character come out as a gay man while going out of your way to establish that her love interest knew her gender the entire time and therefore nothing about that relationship is actually queer? It's not funny or cute, it's just weird.
Also, introducing a whole (fake, but still) ethnic group as "barbarians" and then having the main character meet some and learn "they're not all barbarians"? That's sick.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Violence, Blood, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Torture, and Ableism
Minor: War
lags2much's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I really like the story but the pace is painfully slow. I wish the story were told in half the time. I’m very curious to learn how everything resolves but I’m kind of dreading the time commitment to get through the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, War, and Death
Minor: Slavery and Torture
kemikemi's review against another edition
i knew from other people’s reviews going in that the competition was only the first half of the book and that the second half was a quest, but yeah they lost me during the quest…majority of page-time turns into development for the loveline rather than more sewing/designing/tailoring content, and i cannot get myself to buy into this romance because i hate the “hundreds year old man and teen girl” trope i keep yelling at him and calling him ‘gramps’ in my head. it would be different if he was straight up not human at all, but hes just a man who took an oath for his magic and for reasons the magic just makes him stay looking 20 for 1000yrs while he serves out his oath. this man is old as shit.
so yeah, i cant bring myself to listen to 4 more hours of this just to finish it im sorry; the premise was so captivating but the way it ended up going just isnt for me. cover art is gorgeous though
so yeah, i cant bring myself to listen to 4 more hours of this just to finish it im sorry; the premise was so captivating but the way it ended up going just isnt for me. cover art is gorgeous though
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Classism
Moderate: Bullying
shannonvonpesach's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
chrisljm's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
3.75
I didn’t dislike the romance but I did wish it was more of a slowburn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Sexism, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent, Slavery, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment
elodiethefangirl's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
iwinatcookie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Torture, Animal death, Murder, Violence, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: War, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, and Confinement
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed most of the book, until we got a bit of an insta love moment and then from there, it became a bit too eye roll dramatic for my taste. It was a good retelling of Mulan and I liked the unique elements it brought but yeah, the romantic relationship became very cringe
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, Bullying, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Death of parent, and Body horror
kolanya's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
a great read! you’ll probably never read something else quite like it. it plays on some well-worn tropes, but manages to make them exciting nevertheless. i found the sewing element very interesting, even as someone who knows nothing about it. the author is really good at making you feel the same way the mc is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: War and Death of parent
acidicgoddess's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The main character was kind of annoying, especially when the romance finally kicked in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Animal death, and Misogyny
Minor: Torture, Violence, Slavery, and Sexual content