Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Dawne i przyszle wiedzmy by Alix E. Harrow

51 reviews

lildark1's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

I had been hearing a lot about this book and decided to pick it up.

I wish I had picked it up sooner. This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time.

The world building in this story is some of the best I've seen. I love how Harrow takes what is familiar (nursery rhymes and children stories) and gives them more meaning and gravitas and fits them into this world flawlessly. The three sisters were so well flushed out and flawed and lovable. Their character arcs of not only coming into their own power, but their power of being sisters, was a huge part of the book, though the outside forces that kept trying to stop them was equally dangerous. 

The diversity of this book was also extremely refreshing. There are different races, sexuality, and walks of life. Since this takes place back in the 1800s there is quite a bit of racism, homophobia, and the sisters have to deal with their own privileges and thoughts challenged and they grow from this.

Despite the fantasy and alternate reality setting of the story, a lot of it still rings true for now. The desire to come into one's power, a want for better for yourself and your loved ones, and being constantly ground down by people (more often then not men) in higher power who only are looking out for their own gains. 

This story left me with a feeling of hope and a desire to find my own ways and circle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Racism, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Alcoholism and Abandonment

ali_k0's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.0

The Once & Future Witches reports to follow three sisters bringing back the age of Witching. However, it's better told to be about a movement of women across the world who held onto the words and the ways so that those with the will could fight there way through life back to a time when they had power.

In the ashes of Old Salem is New Salem, a city free from witches and where every street is named after a saint, and hidden in those streets are women who have held on to the dying dregs of witchcraft by weaving it into their quilts and whispering it in each other's ears. All dream of a time where they have more then penny pinching and abusive husbands, but with the exception of low level house magic there is little left for them to use.

But the sufferage movement has women organizing, talking out of shadows, and the winds have blown three sisters back into the city. The sisters alone won't be enough to bring back the Lost Way, but with their new sisters (and romances) they'll find the way.

This book is for every spitfire with a habit for finding trouble, girls who draw their circles large enough for only themselves, anyone whose ever dreamed of being a magic librarian (I know I'm not the only one) or anyone looking for a story about organizing, finding a way when there's a will, and the power of intersectional allyship. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Genocide, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, and Alcoholism

littki's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Abandonment, Misogyny, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Blood, Religious bigotry, Racism, Police brutality, Abortion, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Violence, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Rape, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, and Transphobia

lemonwrlds's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring medium-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: Murder, Misogyny, Abortion, Abandonment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Classism, Colonisation, Torture, Animal death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Stalking, Suicide, Transphobia, Vomit, Sexual content, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Grief, Self harm, War, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship

calicat42's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Confinement, Cursing, Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Self harm, and Suicide

jnl0's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Excrement, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion, Racism, and Sexual harassment

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I could see a certain type of person really loving this book, but it absolutely wasn't for me. The neverending tragic backstory reveals felt incredibly tropey. Show me a woman in this novel and she will be "strong" because she survived so much abuse. Everything in this book was traumatic, depressing, and often ended poorly for all the women involved. I understand the fight against injustice, but it felt too heavy handed for me. 

3.5 stars because the plot was interesting (though far too drawn out), and I enjoyed how magical knowledge is passed down through generations. I even liked the sisters themselves. But for a book with witches and lesbians, I thought I would've enjoyed it much more than I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Sexism, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

Moderate: Outing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual assault, Murder, Transphobia, Racism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Classism, Abandonment, Abortion, and Addiction

kickitupanotch7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Abandonment, and Misogyny

Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

This may be the best book i've ever read. I laughed, I cried, I felt seen. This book is what it's like to be a woman. Anything you do is demonized but when a man does it he's praised. Alix E. Harrow writes about how "behind every witch is a woman wrong." (445) and creates beautifully complex characters like Agnes that show a true beauty and a true darkness in femininity. Juniper is a feral, selfish, and damaged girl but

her final act is to do something so selfless it saves all future witches. She bears the burden so that the future of her niece and all other mothers and daughters won't have to.

I could spend hours describing my love and adoration for this book. The emotional and storied complexity for even minor characters like Jennie and Mr. Blackwell are so outstanding and enriching. I think Harrow needs all the awards and I'm devastated i'll never be able to read this book for the first time again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Transphobia, Racism, Police brutality, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gore, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Torture, Suicide, Misogyny, and Homophobia

llamallama527's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

Wow. What a tale. Marvelous! 

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Racism, Murder, Grief, Child abuse, Police brutality, Blood, Abortion, Death, Cursing, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry