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bendrury_'s review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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 book made me realise I do actually like fantasy novels.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Torture
blewballoon's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
I really enjoyed this. I checked at one point if it was YA or not, in some ways it reads young because not only is the main character Biddy only about 16 years old, she grew up in an unconventional way and is an interesting mix of intelligent and naive. The adult characters are seen through her perspective, but as an adult reader I had the experience of understanding them more quickly than Biddy did. I thought the writing was fantastic, both in terms of the prose and in terms of the plotting. I would be wishing for something to go a certain way, and then when it didn't I would realize that what had happened was inevitable based on the prior setup in the story. It was narratively satisfying. The audiobook was very pleasant to listen to and really suited the tone of the story, with subtle distinctions and accents to make it clear who was speaking. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in a coming-of-age historical fantasy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Torture, Violence, Body horror, and Confinement
Minor: Kidnapping, Sexism, and Misogyny
emma_sky's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Death, Torture, Abandonment, and Blood
tlskayte's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Confinement, Torture, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death
mmarquis1158's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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? Yes
4.75
This book had great world building and I loved the overall aesthetic. I also found the characters very likeable and loved that nobody was written as a flawless hero. Fun listen!
Content Warnings
Minor: Torture
autumnalis's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I received this ARC from Orbit/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
You ever read a book in which you acknowledge that it has flaws, but completely forgive them because it feels like it was written just for you?
For fans of Howl’s Moving Castle, with a Howl-esque MC as a found father and a lovely found family.
I absolutely fell in love with the depth of the characters, the magical setting of Hy-Brasil, and I deeply empathized with Biddy’s complicated love and longing for magic.
You ever read a book in which you acknowledge that it has flaws, but completely forgive them because it feels like it was written just for you?
For fans of Howl’s Moving Castle, with a Howl-esque MC as a found father and a lovely found family.
I absolutely fell in love with the depth of the characters, the magical setting of Hy-Brasil, and I deeply empathized with Biddy’s complicated love and longing for magic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture and Confinement
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
Finished reading: August 20th 2023
"That, Rowan had told her once, was what magic meant. A chance of something better."
I had a fantastic first experience with The Unlikely Escape Of Uriah Heep back in 2020, and I've been looking forward to read more of H.G. Parry's work ever since. I'm not sure why it took me this long, but this newest story couldn't have come at a better time... I adored every single minute I spent with The Magician's Daughter, and I couldn't give it any less than the full 5 stars it deserved. While completely different than her debut, I fell in love with this historical fantasy story straight away. The Magician's Daughter almost has that magical realism feel, which can go both ways for me, but in this case it hit the nail on the head. I loved the idea and descriptions of both Hy-Brasil and the magic itself, and the historical references are well incorporated. This wasn't the only thing I loved though... This book also stood out for me both due its impeccable writing and the development of the main characters. There was something enchanting about the writing style, and I found myself glued to the pages and unable to stop reading. Biddy makes for such a fantastic main character, and I loved learning more about the world through her eyes... Especially when she starts seeing the 'real' world for the first time in her life. The rest of the cast all added a little something special to the plot as well, although I think I loved Hutch the most of all of them. The plot is well structured, and there are plenty of twists and moments of danger along the way... Biddy's mission almost has that quest vibe, and I loved both how the plot evolved and how everything was wrapped up in the end. There is no doubt that The Magician's Daughter will appear on my list of 2023 favorites!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, and Abandonment
Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Sexism, and Death of parent
podanotherjessi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
I really, really enjoyed the story in this book. It was a wonderful coming of age story focused a lot on learning that parents can be fallible. It also included great themes on whether it's better to fight from within or without a system, and even what could easily be an environmental allegory. The characters were delightful, and I felt really absorbed by most of the story.
My only real negative, and it's a big one, is that the writing style gets longwinded at times. There were moments where the narration would drone on, and I would find myself losing interest. This was always frustrating because for the most part I really enjoyed the book. So these tangents just disrupted an otherwise great reading experience.
My only real negative, and it's a big one, is that the writing style gets longwinded at times. There were moments where the narration would drone on, and I would find myself losing interest. This was always frustrating because for the most part I really enjoyed the book. So these tangents just disrupted an otherwise great reading experience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Torture
oceana_bookworm's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5
I liked the whole plot and twist in the book, but for me I thought it took a little longer to find the book really good. But still a very interesting book to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Torture