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jem_carstairs'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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Torture, Death of parent, Suicide, and Kidnapping
lizzym126'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
5.0
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Death, Murder, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Blood, Grief, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
owliglot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Death, Violence, Bullying, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Car accident and Homophobia
scherbs'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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Bullying
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Homophobia and Death of parent
theoryfruit'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: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
colloreda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Death of parent and Xenophobia
leahb88'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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, Violence, and Bullying
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Homophobia
sohma4uesugi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
keya_caivalur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Torture, Murder, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicide and Death of parent
thebetterstory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The romance is a classic warm/cold dynamic and works well for it. Both the characters it centers are likeable, with Robin amiably stumbling into the world of magic and Edwin reluctantly serving as his guide when he'd much rather be sealed away reading. I did find myself wishing for a little more time for the leads to develop their feelings and pine for each other, but I'm a fiend for slowburn and generally difficult to satisfy in that regard.
The setting, an alternate Edwardian England, has some fun hints of worldbuilding around the magic that never goes too far in-depth. Similarly, the narrative skims gently over topics like women's rights and colonization. Edwin and Robin are kept likeable by being perhaps unrealistically willing to see the women around them as people. Even the two Indian women, both of whom are enjoyable side characters that are apparently uninterested in bringing up any of the effects of colonization, or any discrimination they might face other than the few sideways looks the book includes.
It's hard to see how the book could keep its fluffy tone if it actually did decide to dig into any of that, and whether it'll grate on you to see the narrative sidestep the full the implications of its choice of setting will depend on the person. The topic of women's rights, at least, is likely to be explored further in the sequel, which focuses on Robin's suffragette sister.
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Bullying