Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Year of the Reaper

This book was one of my favorite books I’ve found in my fairyloot boxes. I liked reading this a lot. This is one of those books that grabs you and een you start this book, you just have to finish it. It was a very fun read.

Characters
Cas/Cassia was a really sweet but broken character. I really liked him for a male lead. Throughout the book you get more glimpses of the past and well this boy deserved a better life. Reading about his trauma and the way he tries to find his own happiness is sad and hopeful ad the same time.

Luna is also a fun character. I love the scene in which they meet! There friendship feels very natural and I love the way it is written.

Worldbuilding
Makiia Lucier kept the world basic, understandable and she explained just enough for it to work. The story is short and more worldbuilding would not have worked for this book. It’s very well done.

Story
The story has some darker elements, which I like. I like it when fantasy books include these darker elements and I feel like they belong in this story. I have questions about the choice to give Cas the power or curse to see ghost. We don’t really get information that explains why he can see them and I feel like it wasn’t really necessary for the story. I liked the element but I would have preferred more of an explanation.

Writing
The storytelling is amazingly done. The writings is beautiful but not over complicated. It’s a book that most people can read without problems. Which is good!

I would recommend this book to ya readers and especially the readers that are just starting to read in English. This story works for everyone but remember to always check the triggerwarnings first.

Content Warnings

lennie_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

kestrel's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I loved this book so much! It's an overall well-crafted story with characters that feel real, and with a very cozy atmosphere despite the horrible things that happened in the past and the new danger in the present. While I can think of possible additions that could have made the book perfect (like perhaps a few pages more with the main antagonist), I feel so emotionally connected with this story that I don't care.

Content Warnings

kbairbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was fantastical enough where it brought the sense of escapism, but realistic enough to feel the hit. I will say I feel like the author left a loose end with the whole sewing ghosts aspect, but I did appreciate how Cas went back and buried Jehan’s body and her guards bodies. With so much experience in hurt and pain and death Cas was still such a kind soul. This book had a simple feel to it like a story told around a fireplace but also it felt like Graceling to me. The main character/narrator had a simpler feel to them than in the books I normally pick up. Nonetheless this was a delightful read and I devoured it in two days.

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