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4.7 AVERAGE
4.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
This is a hard rating because I’m so grateful the Alix Harrow took a swing in this direction for romantasy, but I didn’t love the final product. I struggled with the POV. It was a bold choice, to say the least, and I just didn’t vibe with it.
Also, time loop books are tough. There’s some excellent plot twists in there, butbecause of the time looping, every following twist was just the same. They did it again!! BUT this is the kind of writing and risky storytelling that I love to see in the genre, so even though it wasn’t my cup of tea, I’m glad I read it.
Also, time loop books are tough. There’s some excellent plot twists in there, but
This book started off great but then the tension was broken around the 30% mark. I tried to push through but it was so boring
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’m sure my friends are sick of hearing about this book, but to be so clear, I think it’s a masterpiece. I thought this from a third of the way into the book; I still think it upon finishing it. The sheer number of times I had to put this book down and take a break because I was overwhelmed by how good it is… That I took three days to finish it is entirely just because I was not ready to be done. The writing, the characters, the themes, the number of quotes I highlighted. This is an easy EASY contender for my favorite book of the year. I am obsessed.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
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
I was already excited for a new Alix Harrow book, and even more excited about it being about lady knights and with the possibility of a time loop, and an expansion of an already fantastic short story. However, this book blew me away in the best kind of way. Not only do we get the complexities of time loops, but we get a meaningful look at the power of stories, what happens as you realize the story you've been fighting for this whole time is in fact a carefully constructed lie, what you choose to fight for, and the power of myth making in building and undoing empires. And at the heart of it, a heartbreaking love story between a historian in love with a lady knight, and the truth of the knight and the woman who falls back in love with him. Pick this up in October and enjoy the ride.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I just finished this book and I’m sitting here in stunned disbelief — laughing, somehow — because what the actual hell did I just read? I’m floored. Awed. A little emotionally concussed.
I’ve never read anything by Alix E. Harrow before — not for lack of interest, I just hadn’t gotten to her work yet — so I had no idea what to expect going in.
It started off a bit slow. While I enjoyed the prose and absolutely loved the descriptive writing, I wasn’t completely hooked during the first quarter. I’m sorry I underestimated it, but honestly, I’m also kind of glad I went in blind. Without any frame of reference for her writing, I hadn’t formed any expectations of what this story would be. And let me tell you: I did not see this coming. At all.
This book is folkloric and beautiful, inventive and completely unhinged (in the best way). It’s sad, heartwarming, funny, thoughtful, haunting all at once. I could list twenty more adjectives and still not do it justice.
I’m not even going to touch the plot, because I don’t want to ruin a single moment of the experience for anyone else. I don’t even want to hint at spoilers.
Let me just say: Fucking hell. This book took me on a journey.
And finally: Alix E. Harrow, I’m so sorry. I will now be reading your entire catalogue, and I sincerely regret not doing so sooner.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Publishing for the ARC!
I’ve never read anything by Alix E. Harrow before — not for lack of interest, I just hadn’t gotten to her work yet — so I had no idea what to expect going in.
It started off a bit slow. While I enjoyed the prose and absolutely loved the descriptive writing, I wasn’t completely hooked during the first quarter. I’m sorry I underestimated it, but honestly, I’m also kind of glad I went in blind. Without any frame of reference for her writing, I hadn’t formed any expectations of what this story would be. And let me tell you: I did not see this coming. At all.
This book is folkloric and beautiful, inventive and completely unhinged (in the best way). It’s sad, heartwarming, funny, thoughtful, haunting all at once. I could list twenty more adjectives and still not do it justice.
I’m not even going to touch the plot, because I don’t want to ruin a single moment of the experience for anyone else. I don’t even want to hint at spoilers.
Let me just say: Fucking hell. This book took me on a journey.
And finally: Alix E. Harrow, I’m so sorry. I will now be reading your entire catalogue, and I sincerely regret not doing so sooner.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Publishing for the ARC!