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thelittlebook_bee'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
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Murder
mynameisrebecca's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Classism
doahdancer'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
4.5
The ending was very satisfying and is led by the fulfillment of just fates for each character.
My one disappointment was the romance. If you like to stay out of the weeds in book relationships, this is perfect, but I would have loved to see more detail on why they became meaningful to each other. The end sort of implies they were drawn together by fate, but the human aspect of their emotions for each other were underdeveloped for my taste.
Bardugo has a terrific narrative voice that felt timeless and aptly channeled the gothic/medieval/Spanish feel of the setting. Overall wonderful read.
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
desiderium_incarnate's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It seems like Leigh Bardugo was experimenting with this one. That is of course not bad per se, but I think her (assumed) goals got in the way of her strengths. It seemed like she wrote about history to honor something and introduced a bit of magic in it because she likes it but with wanting to stick to the facts that much, she came in the way of what she does best, which is of course creating her own in depth magic systems, writing about found family and getting you to care for the people, no matter how morally grey they might be. This was sadly not the case here. Her magical system was shallow at best and with no clear rules and random power highs, lows and ways to exercise it arbitrary and illogical at worst. The first half of the book was sadly just boring and you were left waiting for the shoe to drop and something grand to happen, which sadly, did not happen as Leigh tried to stick to the history. The love story was unexpected, surprisingly explicit and weird, if you consider the age difference. I did not like the ending because it just isn't an end in my opinion. The biggest surprise and I guess character growth was Valentina, she really stole the whole book. I'm glad she found her back bone and her desire and her calling I guess. A personal disappointment for me was the lackluster heist time and I didn't like the layered intrigues and court politics as well.
The writing was still nice though. Some of her sentences I feel she wrote because she thought they would be deep and connect with people, but that just didn't work a lot because they felt wrong and forced. There was a lot of anger in this book and literally not one male character was any good, which was super sad. I am a bit disappointed but I also recognize that Leigh was probably experimenting and I feel like her heart wasn't in it, so I am still excited for her next books.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
annamay1021's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Death of parent
elskede's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
atamano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent
leila_reads_too_much's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexism, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
“There is a fine line between a saint and a witch, and I wonder if you are prepared to walk it.”
Thank you Libro FM for the ALC. I think it'll be suuuuper clear I'm providing an honest review below lmao.
Is it kind of awful for me to call Leigh Bardugo a one-universe wonder? (DISCLAIMER FOR LB STANS: I'm just a peasant on bookstagram! I'm no one to you, so don't let *my* review ruin your love for a book or an author. Reviews are subjective, so who cares what I think?!)
Idk, I loved the books in the Grishaverse, and was sad that the Netflix series was cancelled, but I cannot get behind any of her novels since then. Her writing is beautiful! She is a master of her craft because I really did find this book gorgeously written. However, I was so bored, exhausted and unimpressed with the virginal-barely-legal FMC x brooding-immortal dynamic (omg, we are lacking in these dynamics in romantasies!!!! Damn!! Can anyone give me any recs? /sarcasm), and this just felt like an absolute chore to get through.
I of course appreciate the representation of the Jewish experience during the Spanish Inquisition, because I admittedly didn't know much about it. I think it's brave to share something based on your family's story too, so I commend LB for doing so. I appreciated the commentary on Luzia having to use her magic to get her employers into a higher social standing and for profit, yet could not explore the extent of it in order for others to not fear and target her even more. It's a delicate line to tow, and that parallel to Jewish folks' experience, along with any historically marginalized person, did not go unnoticed.
Back to the actual book though:
- The magic system was underwhelming, vague and disappointing (I would bill this as a romantasy, with the romance front and center, and the fantasy elements taking the backseat) - too much telling and then so much of the magic lessons happen off page?!?! The fuck?!?! Show us!!!!
- Every single male character beyond our love interest was deeply misogynistic and deserved to step on Legos barefoot; I mean.... out of all these dusty crusty losers, I guess I'd choose Santángel too......
- Idk maybe Valentina deserves her own book, but nvm, don't write that book, Leigh because I've lost faith!
Overall, if you liked The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab, you'll probably like this. I fucking hated that book for centering whiteness while exploring in the vastness of world history, but idk again, reviews are subjective, kthxbye!
Quotations I liked:
“Language creates possibility. Sometimes by being used. Sometimes by being kept secret.”
“You think you know hardship, but men have a gift for finding new ways to make women suffer.”
“Maybe there really was a demon inside her. One that craved feather beds and fine food and applause.”
“There are different kinds of suffering, Valentina thought. The kind that takes you by surprise and the kind you live with so long, you stop noticing it.”
“His belief in her was wine on an empty stomach and it left her light-headed.”
“Better to live in fear than in grinding discontent. Better to dare this new path than continue her slow, grim march down the road that had been chosen for her. At least the scenery would be different.”
“She would build herself a life of plenty. She would force her world to bloom as she’d made the pomegranate tree grow, and Santángel would help her do it. Even if blood watered the soil.”
“Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic. Writing is creating something out of nothing, is opening doors to others lands. Writing gives you power to shape your own world when the real one hurts too much.”
“I still meet grief in sudden places, when I least expect it. A familiar song. A smell from the kitchen. Then there it is. An enemy that can’t be bested.”
“What do you really think of this place?"
"What does a beetle think of the boot that crushes it? It is a very excellent boot with a most impressive sole and made of the finest leather.”
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
skillyillian'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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism