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bffbookclubkate's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Rape
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Addiction, and Adult/minor relationship
ktv's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. Perfect first read of the year. I loved the timeline being nonlinear. Foreshadowing was predictable at some parts in the beginning but at the end (last 25%) I had no idea what I was going to be hit with next. Loved how the wheel symbolism came back fill circle. Also how Bardugo characterized Belbalm like I thought she had something to do with magic at first but then my scent was thrown off that trail because of how convincing the writing was saying that Alex just wanted a normal and calm life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Death, Blood, Body horror, Addiction, Cursing, Pedophilia, Drug use, Murder, Trafficking, Alcohol, Gore, Racism, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Classism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Physical abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Slavery, Cancer, Excrement, and Antisemitism
bookishaddy's review against another edition
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Sexual violence, Torture, and Sexual content
em_of_swags's review against another edition
dark
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Blood, Death, Murder, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Rape, Addiction, Classism, Alcohol, and Vomit
Minor: Gaslighting, Eating disorder, and Cannibalism
laurenkimoto's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Blood, Murder, Medical trauma, Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, Body horror, Drug abuse, and Toxic relationship
booking_along's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this had a very slow start for me.
it took way over half the book until i finally started to enjoy it and actually get interested in what was going in.
part of that was definitely the alternating time jumps with each chapter. i didn’t really think it did the entire story a huge favor in sprinkling in the understanding and knowledge of how this magic and ghost stuff was possible in small little doses in between other things.
i also HATED that the book took a jab at dyslexics go no reason at all and in the most unnecessary situation as well.
there was no reason to put that in. non at all.
<blockquote> “you’re dyslexic, yes?” “yes,” alex lied, <b>because she needed a reason for how far behind everyone else she was.</b>”</blockquote>
excuse me?
okay sure. that was personal to me because i am dyslexic and i HATE when people do exactly that.
i never ever heard or meet another dyslexic person that was behind anyone else in anything if they could somehow control that.
dyslexic people are some of the hardest working ones around because we had to figure out how to do something our own way that everyone else somehow just understand without issues.
reading? learning to write of someone dictates or just talks to you and you are supposed ti know how to write what they are saying? learning from books filled with texted which could have easily been cut down to 1/3 of what’s being said?
dyslexic people have ti wade through that and work around that and find ways to do all that while keeping up.
dyslexia has absolute nothing to do with being slower or stupid or unable to keep up or learn something.
so excuse me!
but using being dyslexic as a reason because you don’t really give a fuck about your academics?
not okay,Bardugo!
dyslexic people everywhere already have to fight enough to be seen as anything but stupid, so just don’t include that! especially if it’s so easily avoidable and unnecessary to do it in the way bardugo did here!
was it just a very small thing overall?
yes! sure!
but it bothered me a hell of a lot.
especially because it was utterly unnecessary.
leaving that behind:
already mentioned 2/3 of the book are very slow and drag until it finally builds momentum and starts to go somewhere.
and once it does it picked up speed fast and didn’t stop until the last page.
the mystery aspects where very well done, i give Bardugo a point for that.
how she interwove and spun all those different things and people together and actually made it make sense?
well done.
could it have been done a bit faster and less dragged out? yup.
i am surprised to say that i liked alex.
she’s one of those characters that i think readers either enjoy going on that crazy train with or dislike her a lot because she’s not a typical character.
i think what i liked most about her was that she tried hard to not connected to people because she knew it would hurt her to loose them because she already experienced that but at the same time she graved people that would want to connect to her.
<blockquote> “i know you’re used to dealing with people who <b>can’t just</b>, but i can….let’s get square so we can forget all a lot this.”
….
“you can’t just-“
“salome,” Alex said, shaking her finger. “those words again.”
…”you can’t just do things like that. you’ll go to jail.”
“probably,” said alex. “but you’ll still look like a brother-fucking hillbilly.”</blockquote>
she’s a survivor and a fighter in the best ways that i enjoy a lot- she’s a scratcher and biter and doesn’t care how she survives as long as she’s alive in the end.
who cares about looking good or manners when someone wants you dead or already thinks you’re crazy?
<blockquote>”what’s wrong with you?” Dawes spat as alex joined her at the nondescript door ...
“i’m a bad dancer and i don’t floss. what’s wrong with you?” </blockquote>
she’s snarky and not surprisingly someone that’s good at reading other people and using that to her advantage.
she’s a rather brilliant character.
the side characters.
Mercy and Dawes.
they added something to the story that it needed desperately to balance a character like Alex out a little - but at the same time they were their own characters and that worked very well.
the overall plot- it was good.
i liked the idea of the Grays and that there are some that can just see them and some that seems to be able to be taught to do so.
i kind of wish we would have gotten more of how that entire thing actually works.
how exactly do grays come to be and why? sure we learn a few unhelpful details throughout the story about them, but i would have liked a better understanding of how it all works.
are grays the same as ghosts? can they be helped and “desolve” or “move on” once they are done or helped? is a gray always a gray once they became one? can they become violent or harmful on their own simply by being in this in between space too long?
or if they can move on if they wish and/or want how they like it why aren’t there more overall?
and why would a gray choose to stay if they can move on? and what would that mean for the afterlife -if there is such a thing which i feel like is hinted at in the book as long as there is a soul in tact?
sure those things get mentioned but never actually explained.
there is a pretty short little mention -something Darlington says relatively early on in the book about how just a specific number of grays can pass through or something similar- but it never is really expensively explained why or how.
just as the rest of the magic isn’t.
if you can teach it -as it technically is in this book- does that mean everyone could learn it not just those elite few mentioned in the book?
and if that’s the case is the only reasons it’s all kept so secretive and hush hush because it’s a power play of the rich that can use it to their advantage and dont want others to learn to do the same or at least not make it a tool to be used exclusively by the rich?
but if that’s the case why -as also asked by alex herself and never answers throughout the book- dont the lethe help kids like alex as soon as they learn about them? if they can make coming to a Uni appealing to someone not interesting in academics i am sure they could find ways to assure a desperate parent they can help their troubled child.
and wouldn’t that guarantee a more successful lethe and partnership between them and the houses of the veil? because the kids like alex would feel thankful and/or indebted to them for helping them when nobody else could or would….
am i overthinking this?
possible.
but that happens if i read a book like this and there are just too few answers and no promise of them in the next book of the series.
all in all?
for me the ending made it worth the read overall.
and i am excited to read the next book in this , thankfully not having to wait 2 years like many others that read this book when it came out.
do i think this book was forth the hype and extreme praise it gets everywhere and that everyone should read it?
eh.
depends on what you want out of it.
so you want a slow build with a very different but interesting main character, lots of open questions, a bit of a murder mystery and all that with supernatural elements and people that believe they are better and can get wa way with everything because they can tell daddy and he makes the problems disappear?
go for it!
if you want fast paced, getting into the action and figuring stuff out, dealing with creatures left and right and a kick ass heroine main character?
not really the book.
you want mostly dark academia, heavy focus on school itself in a way, study sections and talk about academia?
wrong book.
you want an intriguing idea that you don’t mind waiting for to get explained and expanded on?
this might be a good choice.
for me it was a good story overall.
wasn’t my favorite of this authors works nor in my option her best overall in characters, plot and story telling itself.
but it was definitely her most interesting and most intriguing idea and thought out plot.
i would recommend it.
but know going in it takes a while until it makes sense and get going, but once it starts be read to read until your done.
it took way over half the book until i finally started to enjoy it and actually get interested in what was going in.
part of that was definitely the alternating time jumps with each chapter. i didn’t really think it did the entire story a huge favor in sprinkling in the understanding and knowledge of how this magic and ghost stuff was possible in small little doses in between other things.
i also HATED that the book took a jab at dyslexics go no reason at all and in the most unnecessary situation as well.
there was no reason to put that in. non at all.
<blockquote> “you’re dyslexic, yes?” “yes,” alex lied, <b>because she needed a reason for how far behind everyone else she was.</b>”</blockquote>
excuse me?
okay sure. that was personal to me because i am dyslexic and i HATE when people do exactly that.
i never ever heard or meet another dyslexic person that was behind anyone else in anything if they could somehow control that.
dyslexic people are some of the hardest working ones around because we had to figure out how to do something our own way that everyone else somehow just understand without issues.
reading? learning to write of someone dictates or just talks to you and you are supposed ti know how to write what they are saying? learning from books filled with texted which could have easily been cut down to 1/3 of what’s being said?
dyslexic people have ti wade through that and work around that and find ways to do all that while keeping up.
dyslexia has absolute nothing to do with being slower or stupid or unable to keep up or learn something.
so excuse me!
but using being dyslexic as a reason because you don’t really give a fuck about your academics?
not okay,Bardugo!
dyslexic people everywhere already have to fight enough to be seen as anything but stupid, so just don’t include that! especially if it’s so easily avoidable and unnecessary to do it in the way bardugo did here!
was it just a very small thing overall?
yes! sure!
but it bothered me a hell of a lot.
especially because it was utterly unnecessary.
leaving that behind:
already mentioned 2/3 of the book are very slow and drag until it finally builds momentum and starts to go somewhere.
and once it does it picked up speed fast and didn’t stop until the last page.
the mystery aspects where very well done, i give Bardugo a point for that.
how she interwove and spun all those different things and people together and actually made it make sense?
well done.
could it have been done a bit faster and less dragged out? yup.
i am surprised to say that i liked alex.
she’s one of those characters that i think readers either enjoy going on that crazy train with or dislike her a lot because she’s not a typical character.
i think what i liked most about her was that she tried hard to not connected to people because she knew it would hurt her to loose them because she already experienced that but at the same time she graved people that would want to connect to her.
<blockquote> “i know you’re used to dealing with people who <b>can’t just</b>, but i can….let’s get square so we can forget all a lot this.”
….
“you can’t just-“
“salome,” Alex said, shaking her finger. “those words again.”
…”you can’t just do things like that. you’ll go to jail.”
“probably,” said alex. “but you’ll still look like a brother-fucking hillbilly.”</blockquote>
she’s a survivor and a fighter in the best ways that i enjoy a lot- she’s a scratcher and biter and doesn’t care how she survives as long as she’s alive in the end.
who cares about looking good or manners when someone wants you dead or already thinks you’re crazy?
<blockquote>”what’s wrong with you?” Dawes spat as alex joined her at the nondescript door ...
“i’m a bad dancer and i don’t floss. what’s wrong with you?” </blockquote>
she’s snarky and not surprisingly someone that’s good at reading other people and using that to her advantage.
she’s a rather brilliant character.
the side characters.
Mercy and Dawes.
they added something to the story that it needed desperately to balance a character like Alex out a little - but at the same time they were their own characters and that worked very well.
the overall plot- it was good.
i liked the idea of the Grays and that there are some that can just see them and some that seems to be able to be taught to do so.
i kind of wish we would have gotten more of how that entire thing actually works.
how exactly do grays come to be and why? sure we learn a few unhelpful details throughout the story about them, but i would have liked a better understanding of how it all works.
are grays the same as ghosts? can they be helped and “desolve” or “move on” once they are done or helped? is a gray always a gray once they became one? can they become violent or harmful on their own simply by being in this in between space too long?
or if they can move on if they wish and/or want how they like it why aren’t there more overall?
and why would a gray choose to stay if they can move on? and what would that mean for the afterlife -if there is such a thing which i feel like is hinted at in the book as long as there is a soul in tact?
sure those things get mentioned but never actually explained.
there is a pretty short little mention -something Darlington says relatively early on in the book about how just a specific number of grays can pass through or something similar- but it never is really expensively explained why or how.
just as the rest of the magic isn’t.
if you can teach it -as it technically is in this book- does that mean everyone could learn it not just those elite few mentioned in the book?
and if that’s the case is the only reasons it’s all kept so secretive and hush hush because it’s a power play of the rich that can use it to their advantage and dont want others to learn to do the same or at least not make it a tool to be used exclusively by the rich?
but if that’s the case why -as also asked by alex herself and never answers throughout the book- dont the lethe help kids like alex as soon as they learn about them? if they can make coming to a Uni appealing to someone not interesting in academics i am sure they could find ways to assure a desperate parent they can help their troubled child.
and wouldn’t that guarantee a more successful lethe and partnership between them and the houses of the veil? because the kids like alex would feel thankful and/or indebted to them for helping them when nobody else could or would….
am i overthinking this?
possible.
but that happens if i read a book like this and there are just too few answers and no promise of them in the next book of the series.
all in all?
for me the ending made it worth the read overall.
and i am excited to read the next book in this , thankfully not having to wait 2 years like many others that read this book when it came out.
do i think this book was forth the hype and extreme praise it gets everywhere and that everyone should read it?
eh.
depends on what you want out of it.
so you want a slow build with a very different but interesting main character, lots of open questions, a bit of a murder mystery and all that with supernatural elements and people that believe they are better and can get wa way with everything because they can tell daddy and he makes the problems disappear?
go for it!
if you want fast paced, getting into the action and figuring stuff out, dealing with creatures left and right and a kick ass heroine main character?
not really the book.
you want mostly dark academia, heavy focus on school itself in a way, study sections and talk about academia?
wrong book.
you want an intriguing idea that you don’t mind waiting for to get explained and expanded on?
this might be a good choice.
for me it was a good story overall.
wasn’t my favorite of this authors works nor in my option her best overall in characters, plot and story telling itself.
but it was definitely her most interesting and most intriguing idea and thought out plot.
i would recommend it.
but know going in it takes a while until it makes sense and get going, but once it starts be read to read until your done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Gore, Classism, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Bullying, and Cursing
jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
This is honestly a masterpiece of a book.
With a unique magic layout with the eight ancients and the house of Lethe overlooking them.
I couldn’t put this book down at all and I am yearning for the next book already.
Every tiny aspect was connected and every revelation made your jaw drop. Couldn’t reccommend more
With a unique magic layout with the eight ancients and the house of Lethe overlooking them.
I couldn’t put this book down at all and I am yearning for the next book already.
Every tiny aspect was connected and every revelation made your jaw drop. Couldn’t reccommend more
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Death, Rape, Stalking, Bullying, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
lily_eames's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.75
This book is perfect for lovers of the dark academia aesthetic in an ivy league setting. It crosses genres effortlessly, including fantasy, thriller, and mystery. Though the plot is distinctly magical, the main character’s backstory is rooted in painful realism and the author makes subtle connections to class, race, and gender struggles throughout the novel (it’s a battle for feminism but with ghosts, and if you’ve seen “Last Night In Soho” you’ve got the right idea). The world building is impeccably done, but in order to understand the plot you have to REALLY pay attention (I definitely got lost in some parts, thus the deduction of .25 stars). It is also VERY slow paced and comes out at about 500 pages, so it is definitely a time investment, but totally worth it in my humble opinion. I would’ve also loved a little more romance, though I would wager that there will be more of it in the sequel. For my fellow romance lovers, keep an eye out for an excellent scene that distinctly reminds me of Holly Black’s “The Cruel Prince.” Let me just finish by saying I absolutely loved this book, but it is heavy. Don’t be fooled by Leigh Bardugo’s YA history—this book is as dark as they come. See content warnings for more info.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Murder, Violence, Drug use, and Addiction
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Rape
grimdark_dad's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Vomit, Blood, Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, Classism, Death, Medical content, Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
jnlundy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Death, Blood, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail