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Graphic: Gore, Violence
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Police brutality, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Toxic relationship, Death of parent
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood
Minor: Death of parent
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Torture, Violence
Moderate: Death, Vomit, Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Vomit
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
But this one? Fantasy is SO back. (to me, at least)
I was hooked immediately. The pace was interesting. Very fast and straight-forward, I think the first 200ish pages take place on the same two to three days.
The plot was the focus, I realized that soon enough. But Elspeth was the plot. She was character as much as she was the driving force, the unwinding direction this book took. All thanks to The Nightmare.
Every second in Elspeth's head, every idea she had and every thought she shared with The Nightmare left me wondering, aching. What was she up to? What was HE up to?
Everything was a question. A rhyme. Half-questions matched with half-answers. Nobody really deemed themselves worthy enough to actually explain what the actual fuck was going on here. It stung.
The magic system was a double-edged sword. It intruiged me the second I hearr about it. Magic from cards. Nothing comes for free. Uncontrolled magic deemed a danger.
The worldbuilding was lacking. But I think we didn't need anything more than what was told. I'm just too curious. I couldn't really picture Blunder in my head, like it, too, was covered by the mist. Dark, grey. Unfeeling.
Ravyn was a lovely addition from the start. Suspicious but lovely. He was as straight forward as the plot and I liked that. He had a mission and made it very clear that all his heart was into it. His family. Jespyr, Elm. His parents. Emory.
With a mission that traitorous, magic that defining, I thought, there's got to be a traitor? Someone who betrays the family, a black sheep.
This book is as much romance as it is family. Unconditional love. I figure it is a love story but not a romance that carries through these pages. It's trust, it's a bond. Love. Love. Nothing but love. A story about love.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Also “fake relationship” is an annoying trope in contemporary romance because it’s always some petty reason like “let’s make our exes jealous,” but apparently I’m here for a “let’s be in a fake relationship so we have an excuse to be near each other to conspire to save everyone” trope. 😂
“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury