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narzibenoucdel'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
lyraparledor'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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Slavery and Antisemitism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
aileron'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: Death, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
pewterwolf'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
3.25
Luzia seizes the chance to better her self, but as her notoriety grows, the danger of her Jewish blood grows as, if she gets found out, the Inquisition’s wrath will be unspeakable. She has to stay several steps ahead. But the rules are always changing in the Spanish court and not everyone gets out alive.
I think I have to finally admit to myself that historical fiction and me aren’t going to get along and I need to stop pushing this genre onto my TBR lists.
I struggle with them. This audiobook took me a month to get through. I started it the week of release, but I really struggled to connect with this. Plus, my brain was all over the place So I couldn’t really focus on this. But, when I did sit down and listen, I found myself bored and not connecting with the characters and the story.
The story felt very slow and quite heavy (at times) for me. I like stories to have some pace when it starts, but it felt as if it took an age for the plot to charge forward. If you are a fan of slower burn of a plot where you get to know the characters, this is for you. But I find I like to know characters when they are doing something or when the plot is moving.
While I wasn’t a fan of the story and the characters (they’re flawed characters, but not exactly likeable. I understood why they behaved the way they did, but I found it them frustrated and every time I found an element of them that I liked, something happened and I would be back at square one with this character), I am a fan of Leigh Bardugo’s writing and it fits so nicely with the audiobook’s narrator, Lauren Fortgang. I know she has read several other books by Bardugo, but this partnership works.
But this wasn’t for me. If you are a fan of historical fiction with an edge of magic, you should check it out. But be warned, it is a slow burn of a plot and can be heavy in places.
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Cursing and Infertility
Minor: Dementia and Death of parent
madelinemartin'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
4.5
Graphic: Torture and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent and War
jazhandz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Torture, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Gore, Infertility, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
persephonefoxx'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
But let it be my ambition and not my fear that seals my fate
Graphic: Torture, Antisemitism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Sexual assault, and War
betweentheshelves'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
3.5
It was a little slow moving for me, and I think it might partly be because I listened to it on audio? The narrator wasn't bad, just wasn't my favorite. There is a good romance at the center of this, and if you like your fantasy a bit dark with a bit of romance, this will definitley be for you!
Graphic: Torture, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: War
karmascycles'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
Graphic: Death and Torture
Minor: Death of parent
becalexa's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Torture, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail