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dark
hopeful
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I liked this but I kept thinking it was a different book than it was, which is on me but it kept throwing me off. I was running off in different directions thinking it was a monster romance and that the king was trans, while it kept fairly faithful to the typical tale. I loved the magic system though, I think it was clever and understandable and hearkens back to traditional fairy tales. I also liked the characters a lot, I'm really excited to see more of Ione. I do have issues with describing the main character as clever, since she makes the worst decisions ever always, which is fun as a character but you can't call it clever. Rayvn blocking magic is so obvious a solution and they leave it for the next book most likely but they lay heavy handed clues, but no character brings it up. Also the rhyme scheme kept altering which bothered me. It felt kind of YA and had a lot of classic romance turns of phrase, but overall I love girls being monsters and will probably check out the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Police brutality
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love a protagonist who is actually terrified of their magic. This book felt kinda slow paced at first but I think that’s because it was planned as a duology. It needs the next one. But it did feel like a satisfying ending. And a really well done cliffhanger, too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Self harm, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
Ik vond dit boek goed. De rijmpjes in het verhaal zijn erg poeïtisch, maar dit haalde mij soms uit het verhaal. Ze zijn wel belangrijk voor het verhaal!
Ik vond Elspeth erg interessant en leuk. Ze heeft een sterke persoonlijkheid,maar ik vond dat ze de nachtmerrie wel snel om hulp vroeg, terwijl ze wist wat de consequenties waren . Ravyn is ook zo leuk, hij heeft persoonlijkheid en beschermd Elspeth op een goede manier. Ik vond Ravyn een goede keuze als love interest al had ik Elm ook niet zo erg gevonden🤭.
Het verhaal loopt goed. De spanning zit er goed in en er gebeurd precies genoeg. De vertaling is ook goed gedaan. De zinnen lopen vloeiend en het is allemaal een logisch samenhangend verhaal. Het magie systeem is simpel en wordt ook simpel uitgelegt. Je krijgt niet ineens on 1x alle informatie, maar dit wordt goed verdeeld over het boek. Ik vond het ook erg goed dat de nachtmerrie niet in 1x zijn geheimen prijs gaf. Dit gaf nog een extra laag mysterie.
Ik had alleen iets meer verwacht. Dit boek wordt enorm opgehypt en ik ging ook met die verwachtingen het verhaal in. Het verhaal is goed, maar niet spectaculair. De gebeurtenissen voelde soms wat afgeflakt aan. Ik ben wel geïntegreerd en ik ga dan ook zeker deel 2 lezen! Dit is namelijk een perfect voorbeeld van een goed neergezette "gotische" fantasy
Ik vond Elspeth erg interessant en leuk. Ze heeft een sterke persoonlijkheid,
Het verhaal loopt goed. De spanning zit er goed in en er gebeurd precies genoeg. De vertaling is ook goed gedaan. De zinnen lopen vloeiend en het is allemaal een logisch samenhangend verhaal. Het magie systeem is simpel en wordt ook simpel uitgelegt. Je krijgt niet ineens on 1x alle informatie, maar dit wordt goed verdeeld over het boek. Ik vond het ook erg goed dat de nachtmerrie niet in 1x zijn geheimen prijs gaf. Dit gaf nog een extra laag mysterie.
Ik had alleen iets meer verwacht. Dit boek wordt enorm opgehypt en ik ging ook met die verwachtingen het verhaal in. Het verhaal is goed, maar niet spectaculair. De gebeurtenissen voelde soms wat afgeflakt aan. Ik ben wel geïntegreerd en ik ga dan ook zeker deel 2 lezen! Dit is namelijk een perfect voorbeeld van een goed neergezette "gotische" fantasy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have been hearing about this book everywhere and was finally able to get the audiobook through my library after several weeks of having it on hold with Libby. Overall, I was not gripped by this story until the third act and then I was absolutely invested. For the first two-thirds, I was more just going with the flow learning who all the characters were and the world-building facts that Gilling was integrating into the story.
I am a bit confused by two things throughout the story. First, Ione's whole subplot confused me. How did Ione and Elspeth grow up so close and then diverge so quickly on their paths? Elspeth was a well-constructed character and throughout her motivations were clear, but I have no idea why Ione was making the choices that she was. The game that all the characters play toward the climax of the book did make things slightly clearer, but overall she did not feel fully fleshed out. I hope that she gets a bigger subplot in the next book.
The second thing that was confusing for me throughout the book and it is possible that I just did not understand this in the text is how many cards there are in total. There are rarer cards that are much harder to find, but some of the cards are quite ubiquitous. The cards seemed to be important for displays of power, but I'm not sure if two different decks are being constructed by the two factions or if one group is ahead in the number of cards that they have.
I really enjoyed the romance subplot of the book. The dynamics between the characters were fun to watch develop throughout the book.
The ending of this book was absolutely shocking and gripping! I have no idea how Gillig is going to resolve all the loose ends in the next book, but I cannot wait to find out.
Highly recommend. It starts a bit slow but the plot is worth the wait.
I am a bit confused by two things throughout the story. First, Ione's whole subplot confused me. How did Ione and Elspeth grow up so close and then diverge so quickly on their paths? Elspeth was a well-constructed character and throughout her motivations were clear, but I have no idea why Ione was making the choices that she was. The game that all the characters play toward the climax of the book did make things slightly clearer, but overall she did not feel fully fleshed out. I hope that she gets a bigger subplot in the next book.
The second thing that was confusing for me throughout the book and it is possible that I just did not understand this in the text is how many cards there are in total. There are rarer cards that are much harder to find, but some of the cards are quite ubiquitous. The cards seemed to be important for displays of power, but I'm not sure if two different decks are being constructed by the two factions or if one group is ahead in the number of cards that they have.
I really enjoyed the romance subplot of the book. The dynamics between the characters were fun to watch develop throughout the book.
The ending of this book was absolutely shocking and gripping! I have no idea how Gillig is going to resolve all the loose ends in the next book, but I cannot wait to find out.
Highly recommend. It starts a bit slow but the plot is worth the wait.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
adventurous
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Police brutality, Classism
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Infidelity, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Elspeth is the daughter of a man who should have turned her in as a child for having a magic infection. Her infection she calls the Nightmare who helps her when she is too weak to take care of herself. She lives with her maternal aunt, her uncle who is unscrupulous, cousin Ione who is like a sister to her, and two ruffian boys. Her stepmother is unpleasant, her younger sisters sound like teeny boppers, her father is absent at best.
The magic system is different, based on Providence Cards, which sound like tarot cards. Tapping a Providence Card three times will enact its magic for the bearer, and three times again will end the magic, and all the magic comes with a price. If anyone steals the card, they own the magic. Meanwhile there is old vengeful magic in the mist that is ticked for being forgotten in favor of the magic in the Providence Cards.
At the beginning of the book Elspeth is held up by highway men in the forest near her home searching for a card. The highway men turn out to be the prince, Elm Rowan, and his cousin and captain of the king's guard (called Destriers) Ravyn Yew and what they're doing - collecting cards - is high treason. So of course she joins the search for the Providence Cards while also trying to remain under the radar of the Destriers with her magical infection, evade high prince Hauth Roan (who Elspeth maimed during a bid to retrieve another Providence Card), and fight her literal inner demon the Nightmare and her deterioration.
It was fun to hate the antagonists, so many of my notes were "Hauth needs to die." Elspeth was frustrating in her inability to open up to Ravyn, and really anyone else, about her magic until it was literally too late to save her. I really enjoyed this book though I hate to end on a cliff hanger.
The magic system is different, based on Providence Cards, which sound like tarot cards. Tapping a Providence Card three times will enact its magic for the bearer, and three times again will end the magic, and all the magic comes with a price. If anyone steals the card, they own the magic. Meanwhile there is old vengeful magic in the mist that is ticked for being forgotten in favor of the magic in the Providence Cards.
At the beginning of the book Elspeth is held up by highway men in the forest near her home searching for a card. The highway men turn out to be the prince, Elm Rowan, and his cousin and captain of the king's guard (called Destriers) Ravyn Yew and what they're doing - collecting cards - is high treason. So of course she joins the search for the Providence Cards while also trying to remain under the radar of the Destriers with her magical infection, evade high prince Hauth Roan (who Elspeth maimed during a bid to retrieve another Providence Card), and fight her literal inner demon the Nightmare and her deterioration.
It was fun to hate the antagonists, so many of my notes were "Hauth needs to die." Elspeth was frustrating in her inability to open up to Ravyn, and really anyone else, about her magic until it was literally too late to save her. I really enjoyed this book though I hate to end on a cliff hanger.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
I really enjoyed this book -- the setting and lore felt very rich and fleshed out, which allowed me to become invested not only in the characters, but in the world itself!
There were a few moments that where tropyenemies to lovers, and drama that could have been entirely avoided if characters could just TALK TO EACHOTHER!!!
But even they felt justified for the most part.
I'm looking forward to reading the second!
There were a few moments that where tropy
But even they felt justified for the most part.
I'm looking forward to reading the second!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Torture, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was my year to read The Shepherd King duology and I enjoyed every bit of it! This is a story of dark magic, revenge, and a terrifying illness brutal enough to kill. Rachel Gillig’s writing is incredible and absolutely captivating. It is very descriptive, and captures a dark atmosphere ridden with magic. She smoothly laid out the world-building and the folklore that controls this story. She tells an amazing tale of retribution, balanced with a beautiful, slowburn romance in the background (and more :D). Elspeth and Ravyn are amazing characters, and their chemistry was through the roof! The tidbits of affection that they shared in this novel was perfect. Lastly, for fans of found family, we also have a prickly brute and an ice princess roaming the pages (this is a sign telling you to read it).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Sexual assault