Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

65 reviews

rockyroadbutch's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Death, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Genocide, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Torture

rustylasagna's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

Moderate: Racism, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Abortion

antimonium's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

Overall enjoyable read but it dragged a bit. The first half of the book there was a lot of focus on rehashing trauma internally but not communicating about it so it gets compounded from misunderstanding. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Pregnancy, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

graypandas's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Murder, and Transphobia

anniereads221's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Gaslighting, Abortion, Homophobia, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Torture

chalkletters's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring sad 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

5.0

I wasn't expecting much from The Once and Future Witches; I only gave The Factory Witches of Lowell three stars, and this seemed like such a similar idea that I was surprised book club would add it to our list when we'd already experienced exactly this subgenre. I was absolutely wrong, The Once and Future Witches is up there with The Goblin Emperor and An Accident of Stars as one of the best books we've read.

Despite being a lover of fantasy novels, magic systems aren't that important to me. The distinctions between hard and soft, rules-light and rules-heavy rarely influence how I feel about a book. But I absolutely loved what Alix E Harrow did with the magic in The Once and Future Witches, because it's all based in reality, but given a clever and literary twist. Spells are hidden in nursery rhymes and stories, and so many of them begin with familiar words. Similarly, Alix E Harrow takes familiar concepts and weaves them into her world in a way that delighted and surprised me every time. 

In a similar way, the prose was full of clever twists and references and beautiful sentences that I loved. While the style seems simple, it's also very clever, building in references and allusions that will become more important later. I'm sure The Once and Future Witches would be a joy to reread! 

While the magic reminded me of Chocolat, the world-building shows a greater divergence from reality, something more akin to Dread Nation. I loved that so many of the significant historical and mythological figures were female versions of those found in our world: Alexandra Pope, Queen Midas, to name just two. It made me wonder if reading this feels a little like being a man in our world, where so many important figures affirm your gender. The Once and Future Witches is an explicitly feminist book, though Alix E Harrow does flesh out positive male characters just as well. 

Which brings me on to the characters, who I adored. Even though the Eastwood Sisters, and many of the others, were built on archetypes, they were incredibly well-drawn and developed. Of course, as a reader and reviewer of books, not to mention a notebook enthusiast, I loved (Beatrice) Bella the librarian and note-keeper, but Agnes' story was just as compelling, maybe even more so. To round out the three witches, I should also say that I cried harder in Juniper's chapters than I think I have in any book I've read for book club. The ending of The Once and Future Witchesis powerful and deeply sad, but not a total tragedy. 

I have absolutely nothing bad to say, which doesn't happen often. And for once, I haven't struggled to articulate all the things I loved about The Once and Future Witches. Fingers crossed I'm just as able to string my thoughts together at book club.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Blood, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Racism

nebulasaurus's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Torture, Cursing, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

toriwatson's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

 While it was a pretty slow start, things eventually picked up and I ended up really enjoying the book! I think it's beautifully written-I also love the incorporation of fairy tale/folklore interspersed throughout the story. The twists/reimagining of their depiction in this world that reflects an alternative to our own history. I think the author is incredibly strong when it comes to character & world building, I personally felt very centred while reading. The sisters are by no means perfect and I liked that about them, they were flawed and not always the nicest to each other (just like real siblings often can be). I liked that they were all fleshed out and had their own storylines, that non seemed less important to the overall narrative. I really appreciate the diversity and inclusivity found in the characters depicted in the book as well. Overall, it was just a really interesting/magical/enthralling read once I got over the initial slow start! While I feel like there is so much more I could say, I will leave it at that for now!

Def. recommend a read, just be prepared since it's a big one! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Death

Moderate: Racism, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Abortion, Transphobia, and Homophobia

winx15's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

I loved this book and the magic system and the way witches were tied into womrns rights movements. The charachters were whole people with flaws but were given the chance to form meaningful relationships.  I only took half a star off cause i had moments where i thought it should be ending and i was only 1/2 or 3/4 of the way through, so pacing threw me off sometimes,  but it was lovely and wrapped up very nicely and i highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, Racism, Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Violence, Pregnancy, and Sexism

Minor: Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Abortion

ok7a's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Grief, Torture, Child abuse, and Hate crime

Minor: Racism, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Transphobia, and Abortion