Reviews tagging 'Grief'

De winter van de heks by Katherine Arden

28 reviews

ktkeps's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and War

saintyeehaw's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was probably the last thing I expected from the events of the first book. Truthfully, I had wanted Vasya to run away from it all and travel the world like she planned to. I admit I was disappointed by the second book's decision to turn inward toward her siblings. I think that disappointment probably puts a bias on my mediocre experience with this last installment. This third story is a good one and I did enjoy my time reading it, but it suffers a little from treating Vasya as untouchable and some questionable ethics. 

We are pretty much outright told that no man can resist Vasya's wild/unique charm; while that's something seen in the behavior of other men in the previous books, making it some kind of general rule that gets her out of more than one life threatening situation feels pretty cheap. I also don't feel great, or even good at all, about a 17 year old feeling forced by a dire situation to have sex with an ancient winter god. I was already iffy about their relationship but this book pushed it from questionable to straight up ick for me. Not loving that the only queer relationship in the entire series is between the two villains either. Finally, if we're going to undo some of Vasya's greatest development into adulthood by bringing Solovey back, at least give us more time with him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, War, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder

fiveredhens's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

still enjoyed it but the pacing was bizarre. it felt waaay under-edited 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, Vomit, Sexual content, Grief, Death, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail

aelis's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Religious bigotry, Child death, and Violence

stllyltc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Added to my all-time favorite series of books. I could not believe it actually ended. The feeling's still surreal. When I first started reading the novel, I absolutely had no idea what I was getting myself into-Russian folklore, religious affiliation, political warfare, marriages, historical adaption, and such with a heroine that grew up to find herself a future not dictated by others. The characters were all so beautifully created that I am deeply attached to them, especially to Solovey, Vasya's mare. The storytelling wasn't grandiose in a way, but its world building was so captivating that it incessantly creates various images, bountiful at that with its back and forth movement of the plot. It's one I can always get back to when I feel like rereading a book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Torture, Blood, Death, Gore, Animal death, Violence, and War

decembermagpie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Death, Grief, Murder, Violence, and War

Minor: Self harm, Pregnancy, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death

thequiltyreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Violence, War, Animal cruelty, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and Slavery

savanapavlak's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and War

hanarama's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-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

5.0

Book at a glance:
• Historical fantasy
• Medieval Russia
• Folklore, Witches, and old gods
• Coming of Age
• War
• Final Installment

Again branded as a witch, Vasilisa must escape Moscow. Grieving the death of her stallion, Solovey, she makes her way on the road through midnight.

Mustering forces amongst the chert, Vasilisa soon realizes that she will need to take part in two wars. And unless she can resolve the battle between Morozko and Medved, she will be unable to bring the worlds of the chert and men together to save Russia from the Golden Horde.

What I liked:
 Vasya really comes into her power in this book. Embracing her abilities as a witch, she is ready to grow her skills and to fulfill her destiny.

Arden's atmospheric writing makes the threat of dual wars feel grand and epic, larger than life. Based on the real conflict between Dmitry Donskoy and Mamai or the Golden Horde, The Winter of the Witch feels like a historical epic. While the first book felt like a fairytale, this one feels like a legend. Vasya is a hero for the ages.

What I disliked:
 While the previous book was mostly downtime, this one feels like it has too little. With the plot coming to a head, there is so much happening that there is little chance to sit and breathe. 

Additionally, there are moments where some of the more powerful chert have to spell things out for Vasilisa. With how clever she was through most of the books, and how far she's come, it feels like she should have been able to figure things out without the help. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexism, and War

wolfje's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Grief

Moderate: Death and Physical abuse

Minor: Vomit, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage