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lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed this one and it is a fun quick read. There are several women from lots of different backgrounds who all come together on a quest to find an item, as well as the last witch to complete their coven. The villain is very bad and (CW) sexually assaults people by messing with their ability to consent, and I feel like the book doesn't deal with that, or even acknowledge it. Tbf, the main characters don't really know it, but it feels like that aspect is underwritten. There were a few questions I had about the plot or world building, but I was able to put them aside and just appreciate the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Ableism, Classism, Death, Violence, Colonisation, Dementia, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Before getting into the ins and outs of the plot let me just say that, as always, Cherie Dimaline is a phenomenal writer. She is fantastic at creating vivid imagery without being flowery in her writing. Without even having to try, an image will come to mind while reading, and that is undoubtedly the mark of a skillful author. To evoke imagery in such a way.
For the story itself, I wanted to give four stars, and really felt it would be in the first 40% of the book, but dropped down as the story progressed. The story is full of intrigue from start to finish. We wonder who these characters are, how they play together and what their roles will be, and who is the holder of the final spoon. Histories mesh and collide, as they work as individuals in a much larger organism. However, although those elements work for an entertaining, vivid, and unique story, they fell a bit flat to me. Without giving anything away, I saw the ending coming a mile away. There were so many characters it became hard to keep track of everyone and their backstories. The world building also required a lot of explaining and questioning, because the characters in fact don't know what they're doing most of the time. They're working on a goal that is surrounded by a lot of mystery. Although it didn't come together for me, I do believe plenty of others will be happy and fulfilled with it. I suspect this book will be either a hit or miss for readers all coming down to preferences.
What was most exciting was the individual characters and who they are as people. There is so much diversity in a way that didn't feel like tokenism. There are so many queer characters and characters of different ethnic/racial backgrounds. Although their identities are a focal point for all of them, it isn't the base of their journeys. They exist in their current lives and in their identities while working on their goals which remains part of the big picture. It was a pleasant balance.
I was also quite fond of the overall messaging too. About women empowerment, community, and overcoming an oppressive patriarchy. There's a lot of sexism in the book but it is tackled in every decision and action each woman makes.
Overall, I think this will be a lot of people's new favorite book. For me it wasn't a total hit, but I liked it well enough that I will recommend to friends.
Before getting into the ins and outs of the plot let me just say that, as always, Cherie Dimaline is a phenomenal writer. She is fantastic at creating vivid imagery without being flowery in her writing. Without even having to try, an image will come to mind while reading, and that is undoubtedly the mark of a skillful author. To evoke imagery in such a way.
For the story itself, I wanted to give four stars, and really felt it would be in the first 40% of the book, but dropped down as the story progressed. The story is full of intrigue from start to finish. We wonder who these characters are, how they play together and what their roles will be, and who is the holder of the final spoon. Histories mesh and collide, as they work as individuals in a much larger organism. However, although those elements work for an entertaining, vivid, and unique story, they fell a bit flat to me. Without giving anything away, I saw the ending coming a mile away. There were so many characters it became hard to keep track of everyone and their backstories. The world building also required a lot of explaining and questioning, because the characters in fact don't know what they're doing most of the time. They're working on a goal that is surrounded by a lot of mystery. Although it didn't come together for me, I do believe plenty of others will be happy and fulfilled with it. I suspect this book will be either a hit or miss for readers all coming down to preferences.
What was most exciting was the individual characters and who they are as people. There is so much diversity in a way that didn't feel like tokenism. There are so many queer characters and characters of different ethnic/racial backgrounds. Although their identities are a focal point for all of them, it isn't the base of their journeys. They exist in their current lives and in their identities while working on their goals which remains part of the big picture. It was a pleasant balance.
I was also quite fond of the overall messaging too. About women empowerment, community, and overcoming an oppressive patriarchy. There's a lot of sexism in the book but it is tackled in every decision and action each woman makes.
Overall, I think this will be a lot of people's new favorite book. For me it wasn't a total hit, but I liked it well enough that I will recommend to friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Dementia, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, and Ableism
Minor: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Cancer, Suicide, Incest, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Vomit, and Terminal illness
Homelessness, necrophilia (up to interpretation), lynching,caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
Thanks to William Morrow Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- VENCO is a tense adventure and a story of sisterhood through the ages. I loved the women of this novel, always willing to jump in to a situation with no questions asked if it meant supporting the coven and their greater cause.
- I do wish there had been more about VenCo itself and its history and structure. Maybe Dimaline will expand on it in a later book, as the ending of this one was left open...
- VENCO is a tense adventure and a story of sisterhood through the ages. I loved the women of this novel, always willing to jump in to a situation with no questions asked if it meant supporting the coven and their greater cause.
- I do wish there had been more about VenCo itself and its history and structure. Maybe Dimaline will expand on it in a later book, as the ending of this one was left open...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Medical content, Sexual content, Ableism, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
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