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oceanelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Incest and Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity
xaphiro's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Incest, and Domestic abuse
karapillar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Grief, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Gore, Confinement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Kidnapping, Stalking, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Torture, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Addiction, Physical abuse, and Pandemic/Epidemic
whatzoreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Violence
nitterbug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse
maucha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Physical abuse
lailybibliography's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I made you into my private Christ, duplicated with my own dark devotions. Nothing existed beyond the range of your exacting gaze, not even me. I was simply a nonentity when you weren’t looking at me, an empty vessel waiting to be filled by the sweet water of your attention.
A woman can’t live like that, my lord. No one can. Don’t ask me why I did it.
I think this might just be my favourite retelling. The dynamic between Constanta, Magdalena and Alexi is so touching and tragic, soaked in blood yet so enticingly erotic and horrific. I’m left in awe of how S. T. Gibson weaved this masterclass in depicting the centuries-long abuse of these three lost souls by an intricate web of gaslighting, isolation, love-bombing and manipulation. Equal parts a love story and escaping a monster, I am so in love with this novel. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s works.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Gaslighting, Pandemic/Epidemic, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Infidelity, Body horror, and War
Minor: Sexual content
psychominnie624's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
To those who escaped a love like death, and to those still caught in its grasp: you are the heroes of this story.
Constanta was never the focus of the original story but in this retelling she finds her strength and love in the partner's that she never asked for but who love her in ways that save her from the monster who claimed to do so.
This book does not hold back from the brutality of the tale and I urge readers to look at the content/trigger warnings to make sure they are in the right headspace before reading.
Through the use of unaddressed letters we see Constanta struggle to find herself when forced into a new life by the villain we all recognize, but who is never named he is simply "you." Her relationships with Magdalena and Alexi are a source of hope but also a mirror that forces her to see the reality around her. The relationship dynamics are compelling and the prose is evocative and beautiful even at the most tragic points.
Many quote the stripping of his name but for me this has stuck
I simply broke under the weight of a thousand tense nights, a thousand thought-less, soul-stripping words. I felt like I was losing my mind in that place, and eventually my desire to do something about it, anything about it, outweighed my fear of you.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Misogyny and Violence
Minor: Blood
bjww34's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Blood, Grief, and Emotional abuse
xapoptosisx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Gore
Minor: War