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nrogers_1030's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Torture
Minor: Infertility
lolzyuh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.25
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Infertility, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Abandonment
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This fairytale retelling is quite different to Meyer's more futuristic Lunar Chronicles, as it keeps its roots firmly in the pseudomedieval past. It does have twists though. It's not set in OUR past. It is a distinct world with different (but similar) gods and monsters. I found myself well at home with griffons and basilisks (though I did go wandering to figure out whether it's a basilisk or a cockatrice, and found that in most literature the two names are interchangeable).
Having a character who is blessed/cursed to be a storyteller, prone to lying or withholding the truth, was agonising for me to read (as a compulsive blurt) but it was consistent and true to the character. It was good to run into some of the bit-characters that were in the first book too.
Having been grossly disappointed by the Stars Above short story collection and it's frustratingly boring weddings and heteronormative drivel, it was really refreshing for me to see how Meyer challenged that in this book. For starters the gods in her pantheon transcend gender. Each of them is referred to as They, rather than He or Her, and why not; these are powerful beings who can change their form at will. The other thing that made me smile was that two of the weddings in the story were gay marriages (not an eyelid batted nor an eyebrow raised thank goodness!). Having a huge celebration and joyous whimsy directly after a huge boss battle felt like a load off from the drear and tense parts of the story, and I enjoyed it despite myself. (Bring it in Marissa, all is forgiven).
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
uranaishi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
abookdork's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
kassidyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent
grace_p's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
However, this book does have a satisfying ending, and of course, the way Meyer plays with the Rumpelstiltskin myth is different and new and unique. Especially there at the end. Overall, this isn't my favorite from Marissa Meyer, but I do think that fans of her writing will still enjoy this one!
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, and Pregnancy