Scan barcode
arwen4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Classism, and Police brutality
Minor: Infidelity, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Murder, Death, Suicide, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Violence, Addiction, Xenophobia, Drug use, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Graphic: Death, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Abortion, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Murder, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Vomit
amazelan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death, Sexism, Violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Classism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Murder, Suicide attempt, Child death, Suicide, Grief, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Vomit, Infertility, and Sexual assault
lauramcc7's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual content
japanasi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
there’s little romance but I’m assuming it may follow in the sequels; it’s not exactly enemies to lovers but more like “mutual dislike” or indifference to lovers, probably, it’s a slow burn in any case (and we’re talking slow here)
in some parts it didn’t feel like YA novel while in others it certainly did (yay I’m being vague on purpose)
I very much enjoyed this book, I can’t wait to read the sequel(s)!
Moderate: Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Death, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child death, Murder, and Sexual content
grizzlysnack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Incest
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Sexual content, and Suicide
aseel_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence
spearly's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A Winter's Promise is the fantastical first novel in The Mirror Visitor series, and takes place in a magical, post-rupture society, where the world is split into Arks. Or MC Ophelia is from an ark called Anima, and has the power to read the history of objects through touch, as well as travel short distances through mirrors. The story begins with an unexpected arranged marriage between her and gentleman named Thorn, who is from another Ark called The Pole.
There are very few books I have read that read to me like poetry, and yet, I was absorbed in every word. Dabos does an incredible job with her world-building, without inundating the beginning of the story with detail after detail. Rather, she drops us into the middle of world and lets it share itself chapter after chapter.
Likewise, I was no less impressed with Dabos' characterization. Everyone felt so distinct, so complex, so real, and Ophelia was an incredible character to follow throughout this journey. A lot of YA fantasy series have some sort of 16 year-old Mary-Sue character who knows nothing and yet is still somehow the key to saving the world. Not Ophelia. I mean, yes, she's powerful, but she is so unremarkable in many ways. She even
Thorn, Ophelia's fiancé is a puzzle, that's for certain. I couldn't get a read on him, even when it seemed his true intentions were revealed (
That said,
The only reason this isn't a 5 star for me is the pacing. As quickly as it went by, I still felt like nothing much has happened in the first novel. By some other reviews I've read, it seems it picks up in book 2!
I can see why this series might have been one i passed over when it came out 8 years ago, but I feel like I'm appreciating it a lot more than my teenage self would have. I'm glad to know I still have 2.5 books (I'm halfway through [book:The Missing of Clairdelune|41953346]). It's truly unlike anything I've read before!
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual content