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cassie7e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Starts off with a literary tone that could be any other novel spanning multiple timeframes, getting creepier and darker as you go, ramping up the horror at the end. The sci fi aspects wouldn't hold up in a pure sci fi novel I think, but since this one stands on folklore, I didn't give it too much scrutiny for being flimsy on the science.
This book satisfied my hankering for a dark mysterious story blending Scottish settings, and folktale with reality, and was crafted well to reveal bits and pieces throughout. My early hunch about what was happening with the wildlings was correct, but it took time to know that, and was still enjoyable to watch as the characters figured it out and dealt with the consequences. I wish the witchy parts had been more Scottish than Icelandic/Nordic, just for personal reasons and not any fault of the story in using them.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Violence, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Miscarriage and Death of parent
spookyaz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Body horror, Drug use, Cancer, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Torture
pollyhall's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
At the being it was a little confusing with all the points of views. I had to go back and look at the heading of the sections do see who was speaking.
Moderate: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Deportation, Gore, Infertility, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Abandonment, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
lilifane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The story is told from multiple points of view in 3 different timelines.
In 1662 several women on a small Scottish island are accused of being witches and executed. Before dying, one of these women curses the island and its inhabitants.
In 1998 Liv and her 3 daughters Clover (7), Luna (9) and Sapphire (15) come to the island, where Liv is hired to paint a mural inside the Longing, the 100 years old lighthouse built at the spot where the witches were imprisoned during their trial. Soon after their arrival, strange things begin to happen and Liv's children start disappearing.
In 2021 Luna is still searching for her 2 lost sisters, when she gets the message that Clover has been found...
I really enjoyed the atmosphere on the island, it's history and the mystery. But there were some really dark themes here, and a lot of scenes were very hard to read, even for me. So definitely check trigger warnings beforehand.
There were aspects of the story I did not expect at first but was pleasantly surprised by them. I think they are handled really well and lead to a satisfying conclusion. I liked how the story is plottet, and how you slowly realize what is happening. But it's heartbreaking. I think I cried straight through the last 20-30% of the book just thinking about it.
This story shows perfectly how the irrational fear of something you don't understand can cause a lot of pain for a lot of people, even generations.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Confinement, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Drug use, and Murder