Reviews

loved this book! it’s mainly a fantasy/paranormal book, set in our modern day, but it was also incredibly horrific - so just be aware that there are many horror elements to this story! there was great lgbtqia+ rep, especially for younger trans people. the ending was a twist, and i cant wait to read the one in the series!

bookph1le's review

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5.0

This is the most excited I've been about a book in some time.

There is so much going on in this book that I could write pages about it, but it's all done in such an organic and masterful way that it's mind-boggling. Within these pages, Dawson manages to tackle patriarchy, anti-trans bias, and the complications of female friendship, and romance in various and assorted forms, and she manages to do all this while still creating an imaginative and suspenseful work.

I'm not usually a big fan of either witches or urban fantasy, and yet this book hit every one of my buttons. I found the world Dawson created so compelling. I loved how well-considered the political structure of not just HMRC is, but that of other covens around the world as well. I love how she takes real-world issues surrounding race, gender identity, and sexuality and shows how they affect the covens. The subject matter may be fantastical--after all, these are witches running around casting some pretty epic spells--yet the book also feels so grounded in reality. What's more, because Dawson is so thoughtful about the world these witches inhabit, their actions make logical sense within both the framework of the book and what we know about these characters. I read far, far too many books where the only motivation I can find for why characters do something is because the plot demands it, whereas this book feels like it unfolds in an entirely organic way.

The characters are fantastic too, and it's impressive that even though Dawson is juggling a large cast, I felt like I still got to know each of the characters very well. Yes, there are some character types here, but not in a way that feels stereotypical. Instead, the variety of viewpoints enables the book to see events through a much wider lens than I often find in other books, which helps contribute to the richness of the world. Plus, every character is consistent and the choices they make are in keeping with their characterization. Moreover, they're all flawed, so even the characters I liked most did things that did not sit well with me.

To say too much more would be to give things away, but I will say that the ending devastated me. I really need to know what happens next, and so you can bet that I will try to snag myself a copy of the second book as soon as I can get my hands on it.

bookishbrighton's review against another edition

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DNF. I would usually give a DNF 1 star because it takes a lot for me not to finish a book, however with this one I couldn’t bring myself to because I do love the concept of the story, just not the execution. I got 25% through before giving up. There were just too many characters thrown at you from the get go and although each chapter is written from the perspective of a different character and are titled as such, have different lives, etc…, they were all written in the same voice so I just couldn’t differentiate and get attached to any of them. I think that was the big problem for me and is why I couldn’t get any further.