Scan barcode
paula7's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mparkerfl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kayu99's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
katemybreathaway's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I have read so far in 2024... Definite 5 out of 5 for me (maybe a tenth of a point off for the ending).
I'm not usually one for an epistolary style book, but something about how this was written kept my interest. You are basically following two different timelines, with the "present" timeline looking back onto the "past" one to try and unravel the mysterious "death" of two of the main characters. The pace is slow at times, and it honestly isn't until the second half of the book that I was finally able to start connecting the dots, but compared to a lot of other high-stakes fantasy novels, this was a breath of fresh air. The small moments where the characters interject random stories or anecdotes into their letters really reminds me of how humans actually communicate, and it helped develop the characters.
Both E and Henery are really interesting representations of neurodiverse characters, and their joy in finding someone they can connect with would make me smile throughout the novel. They are both just anxious scholars who want to learn and find happiness in the simple joys of nature.
My one main complaint is the ending... I went into this thinking it was a standalone novel (and in a lot of ways I think it could've STAYED that way and I would've been very happy with it). However as I got towards the end of the novel, I realized this was not the case, and in my opinion the ending felt quite sudden and sharp.
I'm not usually one for an epistolary style book, but something about how this was written kept my interest. You are basically following two different timelines, with the "present" timeline looking back onto the "past" one to try and unravel the mysterious "death" of two of the main characters. The pace is slow at times, and it honestly isn't until the second half of the book that I was finally able to start connecting the dots, but compared to a lot of other high-stakes fantasy novels, this was a breath of fresh air. The small moments where the characters interject random stories or anecdotes into their letters really reminds me of how humans actually communicate, and it helped develop the characters.
Both E and Henery are really interesting representations of neurodiverse characters, and their joy in finding someone they can connect with would make me smile throughout the novel. They are both just anxious scholars who want to learn and find happiness in the simple joys of nature.
My one main complaint is the ending... I went into this thinking it was a standalone novel (and in a lot of ways I think it could've STAYED that way and I would've been very happy with it). However as I got towards the end of the novel, I realized this was not the case, and in my opinion the ending felt quite sudden and sharp.
lwoodside4242's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
3.0
corboth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
veralidaine's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Medical content
creativelifeofliz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The epistolary nature of this story made for a fun reading experience and I enjoyed the full cast audiobook.