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wordsmithreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Blood
Moderate: Violence and Gun violence
Minor: Colonisation, Classism, Xenophobia, and Genocide
cozy_tea_reader's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
Minor: Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Gore, Kidnapping, Confinement, Toxic relationship, and Classism
ethuiliel's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The ending does leave me wanting more, but not in a "wait that's it?" sort of way. In some ways it's open ended about the future, but the arc of the story is resolved. I would love to see what happens next to these characters and this setting, but also the pieces that are open ended are fun to speculate on, not leaving me unsatisfied.
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Kidnapping, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation
I listed a lot of trigger warnings but I will say that I didn't find any of it to be treated in a problematic wayreadwithria's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. Sisterhood, familial magic, and dark secrets are usually things that I enjoy in books. However, it took about 300 pages to get through the setup and to the main plot. Those first couple hundred pages were interesting, but easy to put down. The last 85 pages were much more action-packed, but almost to the point of going by too quickly.
Other than the pacing, it also bothered me that it felt like the decisions the three POV characters made were because of the plot, and I prefer books where the plot happens the way it does due to decisions made by the main characters.
Things that I did enjoy included
- the magic system
- Pearl, Collins, Sir Kiwi, and the little cat
- the themes of colonial deconstruction
- the division of information through the different POVs
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy books that deal with family secrets, generational trauma, and objects of power. I would not recommend this book to people who are sensitive to self harm (CW: graphic bloodletting for magical purposes)
This was interesting, but missed the mark in a few key ways. 3.5 stars.
Graphic: Blood and Self harm
Moderate: Murder, Grief, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Cursing, Kidnapping, Gore, Colonisation, Medical content, Death, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
Minor: Classism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Cursing
bencaroline's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Medical trauma, Blood, Death, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Death of parent, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Torture, Abandonment, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Self harm, and Stalking
Minor: Vomit, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and War
Does the [dog] die?takarakei's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
- library guardians
- Magic books
- Complex family dynamics
- Multiple pov
- Mysterious
- Sprinkle of romance
- Bisexual MC
- Also a cute dog and cat
This was super mysterious especially at the beginning. I really enjoyed the magic and the intertwining povs. A hint of dark academia. Really interesting characters and complicated family dynamics. Funny at parts as well. There was a lot of build up to a main kind of conflict and that felt a bit too easily resolved. But the build up was fascinating and the ending was good after that too
Graphic: Blood and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Medical content, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Minor: Slavery and Colonisation
Medical content: Needles/syringes