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jannikemagwasser's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, and Violence
masonposte's review
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I just wanted… more from this book. More magic (the main character has very cool powers and we barely get to see them?!), more plot - we so often stuck disempowered with the Protagonist when nothing is happening. The promise of the plot was not delivered on. We barely see the so-called love interest we barely see the magic, we barely see the society of the pole. And even if Ophelia is asexual, which is the vibe I get, her husband to be treats her terribly and we barely get a reaction out of her! We don’t need love / romance for that relationship to play out but it just doesn’t.
I also don’t know what Ophelias goals were for most of the book so we really aimlessly in her head.
Then, maybe it’s just translation but there is so much incest reference. And there didn’t seem to be a point in it. Why is Berenile sensually looking at Thorn and her daughter in law? Holding her belly staring at him like she wants to be taken care of? Why does Ophelia read this as motherly? Tbh ate not even the half of it. Marrying cousins, having the baby of your ancestor, the absolute F.
Thorn is the main love/would be romantic interest and is barely present. We are told of danger we don’t see. Archibald is presented with a clear arc opportunity totally ignored. It’s so dull that getting used to someone is seen as a declaration of love?!
What was the point! Of any of it! There wasn’t a plot until 75% through - a reader needs goals.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide
duxfemina22's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Drug abuse, Incest, and Miscarriage
claudiamacpherson's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ophelia has lived on Anima, an Ark populated almost entirely by her family, her whole life. When her family arranges her marriage with a mysterious man from the Pole, a distant Ark, she must move there, accompanied only by her godmother and armed with her Animist powers: "reading" objects' histories by touch and mirror travel. She soon learns that her life has become far more dangerous than she ever imagined, and she must decide who to trust in order to survive the brutal Ark.
3. 5 stars
I had high hopes for this book after seeing it on booktok, and while I enjoyed it, it didn't completely live up to those expectations. The world-building was a bit heavy-handed, but I really liked how the setting felt like a book version of a Studio Ghibli movie. It was a bit confusing trying to follow the details of the Arks, families, and magic system, but ultimately it created an interesting universe. The characters also weren't always likable, but Dabos did a good job (almost too good!) creating tension so that I never knew who to trust. Ophelia is not like most YA protagonists; not only is she mostly very quiet and thoughtful, but she barely used her powers throughout the book. I honestly didn't know that this book was originally written in French until about a third of the way through, when I looked it up because the writing style and word choice was often a bit odd. I'm not sure if that's due to the translator or if it's Dabos' writing style, but it definitely added to the tone of the book.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just my judgement of how happy the ending is because I always wish someone would tell me that before I read books):Kind of a cliffhanger, I guess? The end isn't really happy or sad, and I honestly still don't 100% know what to think about most of the characters, so we'll see.
3. 5 stars
I had high hopes for this book after seeing it on booktok, and while I enjoyed it, it didn't completely live up to those expectations. The world-building was a bit heavy-handed, but I really liked how the setting felt like a book version of a Studio Ghibli movie. It was a bit confusing trying to follow the details of the Arks, families, and magic system, but ultimately it created an interesting universe. The characters also weren't always likable, but Dabos did a good job (almost too good!) creating tension so that I never knew who to trust. Ophelia is not like most YA protagonists; not only is she mostly very quiet and thoughtful, but she barely used her powers throughout the book. I honestly didn't know that this book was originally written in French until about a third of the way through, when I looked it up because the writing style and word choice was often a bit odd. I'm not sure if that's due to the translator or if it's Dabos' writing style, but it definitely added to the tone of the book.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just my judgement of how happy the ending is because I always wish someone would tell me that before I read books):
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death, Incest, Miscarriage, and Murder
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