Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

4 reviews

prairieraven's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Finished in a sitting. Good Gothic Academia vibes with some sinister magic. Pacing and Flow was a bit of a struggle after the halfway point however after finishing it made sense. I found some of the secondary characters as frustrating as the FMC did. Good character growth. Struggled to read this one without the reader warnings for myself. 

good fit for readers who enjoy historical fiction with alchemical touches, books set after WW1, FMC, a little bit of magic, books about book, manuscripts and libraries and Thier caretakers.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

amberinpieces's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War

gracescanlon's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, and Alcohol

pebbletown's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Had a really, really strong start but kind of floundered in the third act, with some too on-the-nose villainous speeches and an anti-climactic big reveal. (I wanted more of the nun, considering she’s the opener to the book!!) But still a really cool and atmospheric read; enjoyed the unreliable narrator (though did not understand 90% of her choices)— also fun and spooky to read a book from the perspective of someone being actively attic-wifed.

I gotta say I did not see the appeal of Arthur at any point of the book—which makes you kind of lose touch with Ivy who falls for him so hook, line, and sinker. Yes for sure let’s get married, charismatic near stranger of local aristocracy who has a mysterious family and a weird fascination with my big haunted library!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Ableism, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: War