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emilywemily6's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Violence, Torture, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, Gore, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Body horror
Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Animal death, and Medical content
hippievamp's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Blood, Murder, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Bullying, Gun violence, and Medical content
Minor: Chronic illness, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Rape
sheebsbooks'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? No
3.5
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Blood, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Stalking
chasinggrace's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Animal death, Body horror, Murder, Confinement, Grief, and Vomit
folkofthebook'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? It's complicated
5.0
“Galaxy Stern,” Darlington said, his eyes flashing gold, “I have been crying out to you from the start.”
nothing makes me happier than when the second book lives up to the first book. and when it's even better?? 😩🤌🏼
“But I like this life better.”
“Better than what?”
“Better than what I was living before. Better than a world without magic.”
this is one of those series i read and can't help but feel envious of both the characters and the author. the characters for getting to live this life, and the author for having been able to dream it up.
“Life is cruel. Magic is real. And I’m not ready to die.”
one character that i really came to adore was mercy. i feel like she was all of us readers, wishing so badly to find a way in to live magic and leave the real world behind. tripp was also a very endearing character who brought some lighthearted comic relief in as well. i did not care for hellie after this book, esp bc the babbit rabbit story.
“Fuck off.”
“I did miss you, Stern.”
the agonizing slowburn of alex & darlington is SO DELICIOUS oh my god i just know the pay off is going to be well worth it.
“Come on, Darlington,” she said. “Let's give them hell.”
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, and Grief
Minor: Rape, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization
kenziekat's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Grief, and Death
Minor: Suicide attempt
leexpenandpages'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
4.75
I love you to Hell and back. Immersed in a world of occult magic, Alex vows to return her mentor from Hell with the help of her friends and a magical gift that is hers alone.
👩🏫⛪️👻📜💀🐇😈🧛♂️🎩
👍🏻 RECOMMENDATION:
💚 READ it!
💬 FAVORITE QUOTES:
[PENDING]
👓 FORMAT:
🎧
📑 COMMENTS:
• Um, this is a sequel? LOL I jumped in here, and it works fine.
• In the contemporary fantasy setting, Bardugo captures the dark academic aesthetic well. When it comes to the real-life setting, the northeast and California are believable (but I haven't spent enough time in Connecticut specifically to judge that). The magic system is convoluted, but the loose logic does fall apart at the end.
• The characters are complex, three-dimensional, and flawed. Their races and genders influence them in meaningful ways. Some are more lovable than others, but they are all understandable. Mercy & Turner are my personal favorites! The antagonists are rounded, too.
• Apt imagery and metaphors flow into the prose. There's plenty to dissect if that's your thing. (It's mine!) I'd love to see it on the page, particulaely to see the tome excerpts.
• Why did they switch audiobook narrators so late into the story? It was jarring, and it pulled me out of the story! The character's voice is defined, but I also hate it. It adds nothing to the story. Overall, Part Two lags.
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Classism, Blood, Sexism, Racism, Murder, Rape, Death, Drug abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Gun violence, Animal death, and Sexual content
Minor: Cursing, Colonisation, Body shaming, Drug use, Alcohol, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Slavery, and Vomit
itsheyfay'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
4.75
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Stalking, Vomit, and Gun violence
Minor: Child death, Slavery, Drug use, Racism, and Suicide attempt
ashwiebe'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
4.75
Graphic: Gore, Death, Grief, Addiction, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Police brutality
notsohopelessromantic'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
The kindling romance between Darlington and Alex is just that. Kindling. If you wanted romance, boy howdy let me tell you it's a slow burn. A very confused, hesitant flame, with a very eager wick, on a willing candle. That might not make sense to you but it does to me.
Anyway, the book was very good. Much like the first where it just seems to be one thing after another, after another. Nonstop misfortune, bad luck, catastrophe. It really makes you wanna tear your hair out. But, to be fair, they did manage to get Darlington back from the Underworld, something I truly did not believe would happen until the 3rd book with the way things were looking. I am grateful to at least have that issue resolved, if only temporarily.
There is most definitely something off about the current Praetor. He knows more than he's letting on, I'm just not sure why. I probably won't know until it's literally spelled out to us in the next book.
I loved the character development on all fronts. Learning that Turner wasn't as straight-laced as we all thought, that Tripp isn't all that harmless or innocent, that Mercy is stronger than she seems. And speaking of Tripp, I do love what was done with his character at the end of the book. That will be interesting to see play out in the next one. Dawes has grown even more as well, becoming less timid, more sure of herself, confident in her abilities; very much the witch Alex saw her to be. I know that there is even more to unpack with Alex and why she's been described as sitting on a throne with a crown on her head, Darlington her faithful servant (and lover 👀). I can't wait for it all to unfold.
The book truly twisted and turned at all of the unexpected, and expected, moments, making this one helluva ride (read). I cannot wait to receive news on the final book in the trilogy and can only hope that I won't have to suffer for very long. Though if Darlington can survive over a year in hell, then I can certainly wait that long to be saved too.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gore, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Drug use, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Torture, Cancer, Cursing, and Grief