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chesabiblio's review
adventurous
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
5.0
vgama92's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
dancinrio's review
5.0
Truly magical fairy tale with such a strong sense of nature. Loved every word.
libraryofmymind's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
Such a pleasure to read and get lost in the magic. This is the first book I have read from Joanne Harris and I'm now looking forward to reading more from her.
lalapope's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars - A brisk read that lacked a little in explanation
I quite enjoyed my first dip in J.M.Harris.
This is quite a quick read that manages to pack a lot of story into its tiny 185 pages.
I absolutely loved the small poems and songs between chapters. They manage to perfectly hit the feeling of the chapter you've just read or the one you're about to read.
The art is also beautiful. I often don't enjoy when artists draw characters ( I like to think of how they look in my own head) , but I loved it here. It's well drawn and perfectly placed.
J.M.Harris also has wonderful prose. She evokes a forest that is profoundly wild and alien, yet warm and inviting to those who live to its rules. I think that it's extremely important to know how to make the forest home of the Fae feel this way. In a lot of stories, I often see authors that lack this capacity of the forest for this "conditional hostility" and either make the place a nightmare or way too gentle.
I also found that the comparative towns have a similar quality. The cities are lively and full of people living....and yet they never feel like home to the MC. Bravo for this.
So why 4 stars and not 5?
There are 2 things as to why.
The book lacks a little logic. The MC goes from love to hate a little too fast for my liking. I can forgive this a little due to the book's length, but I really wish J.M.Harris took her time to develop the resentment. At the same time, perhaps the MC is supposed to be impulsive and Harris is an even better author than I already see her as!
The twist at the end doesn't have the impact at the end I would have liked. I think there may have been some minor hints towards it during the book, but the "mother" in the triad feels like a huge change of character. This was certainly surprising, but after thinking about it for a little while I didn't really see how her actions in the rest of the book helped her grand plan she reveals at the end.
I look forward to reading the Blue salt Road next.
I quite enjoyed my first dip in J.M.Harris.
This is quite a quick read that manages to pack a lot of story into its tiny 185 pages.
I absolutely loved the small poems and songs between chapters. They manage to perfectly hit the feeling of the chapter you've just read or the one you're about to read.
The art is also beautiful. I often don't enjoy when artists draw characters ( I like to think of how they look in my own head) , but I loved it here. It's well drawn and perfectly placed.
J.M.Harris also has wonderful prose. She evokes a forest that is profoundly wild and alien, yet warm and inviting to those who live to its rules. I think that it's extremely important to know how to make the forest home of the Fae feel this way. In a lot of stories, I often see authors that lack this capacity of the forest for this "conditional hostility" and either make the place a nightmare or way too gentle.
I also found that the comparative towns have a similar quality. The cities are lively and full of people living....and yet they never feel like home to the MC. Bravo for this.
So why 4 stars and not 5?
There are 2 things as to why.
The book lacks a little logic. The MC goes from love to hate a little too fast for my liking. I can forgive this a little due to the book's length, but I really wish J.M.Harris took her time to develop the resentment. At the same time, perhaps the MC is supposed to be impulsive and Harris is an even better author than I already see her as!
The twist at the end doesn't have the impact at the end I would have liked. I think there may have been some minor hints towards it during the book, but the "mother" in the triad feels like a huge change of character. This was certainly surprising, but after thinking about it for a little while I didn't really see how her actions in the rest of the book helped her grand plan she reveals at the end.
I look forward to reading the Blue salt Road next.
_goldfishboi_'s review
dark
mysterious
sad
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
3.0
arstirn_2000's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
anaidelawless's review
5.0
This was so short, yet so good. It is a dark fairy tale written so whimsically it steals your breath away. You have a wild girl falling in love with a young man from a castle, a rich man who whispers sweet words to hear ear while expecting her to tame herself so she can fit his life. This tale is bittersweet, but I swear it does not leave you with a bitter aftertaste. I loved every second of it.