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tiny_tree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Gun violence, Terminal illness, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Sexism, Suicide, and Vomit
wardenred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
It is very unpleasant to sit down to a meal when you are trying to determine which one of your breakfast companions is a murderer.
There’s always something so cozy about T. Kingfisher’s books, even when it’s a horror story. I really loved the protagonist here and the culture ka comes from. The whole deal with sworn soldiers who have their own pronouns is so different, but at the same time baked seamlessly into the fabric of 19th century Europe by including references to actual historical events and places. It was refreshing and interesting for me to see a protagonist who struggles with tinnitus (oh that bane of my existence, what would I give to hear silence again… ahem, sorry). I liked Easton’s observations about war and how people deal with its aftermath, and I liked seeing the bond ka developed with Denton over their wartime and post-wartime experiences. Also, Easton’s horse Kob was a character of his own, and what a lovely, opinionated character he makes.
The fungi-based horror escalated gradually throughout the novella, and I really enjoyed this build-up. Early on, the weird hares and the spooky lake and the creepy mushrooms were already firmly established as parts of the narrative, and Easton was already disturbed by the state ka found the Usher siblings in, and yet all of it was like a weird eldritch frame for a cozier, more human story: people bonding, and finding ways to have fun even while they’re anxious and worried, and opening up to each other. But the further the plot moved along, the thicker that frame became, creating moments of genuine horror. I loved how T. Kingfisher alternated between focusing on the horrors themselves and the characters’ reactions to them to deepen the effect.
My one small complaint is that the ending / resolution felt a little too rushed and abrupt. I think I would have enjoyed lingering there for another short chapter to see the characters start to process, maybe. That aside, this story is definitely going to end up on my list of 2024 favorites.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Murder and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
carolined314's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Gun violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
booksthatburn'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? It's complicated
4.0
Things I love, in no particular order: the way pronouns and gender are used; the appearance of a relative of Beatrix Potter, who was a children's writer/illustrator because of sexism precluding her from illustrating botanical texts; the way the discovery of the cause is approached; how creepy the hares are.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Gun violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Medical content, and Medical trauma
aparker89's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
softanimal's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, and Alcohol
Moderate: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Grief, and War
Minor: Sexism, Transphobia, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic
mr_cain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Self harm, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, Misogyny, Death of parent, and War
lupinreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Sexism
vickybuka's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail