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akirokis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Murder, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The romance is very realist cally built and ends in a way that feels authentic for these characters, who each need more time to determine their own futures and identity individually as well. I loved Violet's high-walled heart and Maude's steadiness and vulnerability. I think some readers will want a romance arc that feels more conplete and more familiar, as we had in book one, but I didn't mind this personally.
The expanded magic system!! I loved exploring illusions, as well as American approaches to magic, and I LOVED cradle speak. Learning more about the Forsythia Club adds even more to the world-building and our understanding of the magic system, and I loved how much of the origin story we get in this installment.
Marske's writing is, as always, stunning, and I loved the audio production and narration for this book. There were lines that stayed with me, even as I listened - a feeling of cold water poured between bones, a voice searching for a bruise to press, music that sounds as though someone had passed their hand across velvet, the wrong way and then the right way. I just love Marske's writing.
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, Death, Murder, and Confinement
becca303'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Classism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Blood, Alcohol, Murder, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
ramakn22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Classism, and Alcohol
maryellen'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
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Classism, Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
20sidedbi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Minor: Racism
jencolumb0'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
This book is understandable without reading A Marvellous Light but you will miss some charming pieces if you cheat yourself of the first book in this series. I was initially skeptical of a mystery set on a boat; it’s not a typical setting for the books I usually like but Marske wove romance and self-discovery and class/race issues and mystery and magical world building into a truly wonderful read. I cannot *wait* for the third in the trilogy.
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
booksthatburn'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? Yes
5.0
This continues the general mission of collecting the pieces of the Last Contract and securing them to protect the other magicians of Britain, it also follows Maud (Robin's sister) who briefly appeared in A MARVELLOUS LIGHT. It doesn't completely wrap up anything left hanging from the first book, but it does move forward on a variety of plot points in a way that's suitable for the second book in a trilogy. There's an entirely new storyline related to Maud and Violet, as well as the mostly self-contained issue of the murder and Last Contract piece on the cruise ship. The restricted location makes this feel like a bottle episode in a way I wasn't expecting but is pleasant to read. Oftentimes the middle book in a trilogy can feel a bit neglected, existing only to bridge between the beginning and the finale, but partly because it changed narrators and has an entirely new location this feels fresh and can almost entirely stand on its own. Several major things are introduced and resolved, including but not limited to the immediate issue of figuring out who committed the murder and how to keep them from achieving their broader aims.
The plot is a mix of complicated hijinks and social navigation as they try to find a missing item and solve a murder, all while avoiding the attention of the culprits even when they haven't yet figured out who is involved. This would mostly make sense to someone who hadn't read the first book, the relevant backstory is explained as needed and generally avoids feeling like infodumping. The corollary is that it doesn't spend much time explaining what happened in the first book, since at a certain point that isn't crucial to Maud's experience since it happened to her brother instead of her. Maud and Violet are new narrators to the series, and their perspectives feel very distinct. Violet is guarded even in her own head, in a way that means I came away understanding the shape of her reticence more than the details of her history.
Maud and Violet's relationship has a lot of care and deliberate exploration of them as people. Maud wants to know everything about Violet, but Violet is a much more guarded person and isn't ready to show more of herself to someone she just met a few days ago. I appreciate how their levels of physical and emotionally intimacy are treated as two distinct things, both needing attention but not necessarily lining up precisely.
My favorite character is Lord Hawthorn (due mostly to my personal preferences and not implying any fault with the others), I was excited to see him playing more of a role here than he did in the first book, and I'm very hyped for the forthcoming third book which stars him and Alan Ross.
Graphic: Grief, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy, Mental illness, Vomit, Car accident, Suicide, Slavery, and Death of parent
wilybooklover's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Torture, Sexism, Confinement, and Misogyny
Minor: Homophobia, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment