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carly_duckett's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
pphoebbss's review against another edition
Read about half this book in one sitting and really enjoyed, this was probably about three years ago and just haven’t felt the urge to pick up again. Maybe one day i’ll start it again from the beginning.
templetoncecelia's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hannah_corpe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
smartieplanet's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
runaroo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
I've just finished this book..
Gosh, I just enjoyed it so much.
I loved how it was written, I enjoyed reading about the diversity in personality between these three sisters; reading about their journey.
Watching everything tie back together.
A really good book. One that I actually might re-read, the word building was brilliant and I feel like one read wasn't enough to appreciate it.
Gosh, I just enjoyed it so much.
I loved how it was written, I enjoyed reading about the diversity in personality between these three sisters; reading about their journey.
Watching everything tie back together.
A really good book. One that I actually might re-read, the word building was brilliant and I feel like one read wasn't enough to appreciate it.
wecallthewind's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
miki514's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
alexdoubt's review against another edition
3.0
It took me awhile to finish this, and I think that's mostly because it's just okay. I really wanted to like it more. I should like it! It ticks all kinds of boxes that should, theoretically, point it this being really wonderful and enjoyable - and I know some people will adore it. I think I would ultimately settling on rating this a 2.75 because I do ultimately like it more than I don't like it. However, I'm struggling with how to to put it into words where my discontent lies. Let's try, I guess.
Let's start with the good aspects. Alix Harrow definitely has a voice and a vision. Her style is unique and feels very poetic, worldly, and mystical. I could feel a kindred spirit that probably also loved Charmed and turned into a raging feminist in adulthood. The story has a lot of real world historical references. I would describe the world as steampunk 1890s but make it witchy fantasy instead. The writing is technically good.
Our story focuses on the three sisters and their relationship with themselves, each other, and the people in their lives before ultimately diving into the villain plot with Gideon Hill. Bella is a gay character who falls in love with a black woman. Juniper is a spitfire who bucks social expectations. Anges is rediscovering love and family and trust. There are several themes related to feminism, civil rights, people of color, immigration, poverty, injustice, found family, and probably more. As mentioned, tick, tick, tick!
But man. This story DRAGS. It's so slow at times. Don't get me wrong, slow build stories can be fabulous, and I'm glad this was not prolonged into a whole series. But there is simultaneously a lot happening and nothing at all. The aforementioned writing style does get a little purple prosey sometimes, and I'm truly sick of reading about wills and ways. It's trying so hard to deep and metaphorical and stir something in you.
So hard that the plot gets a little lost. Characters seem shallow. Characters get lost in the plot. Motivations gets muddy or motivations change suddenly (ahem, Juniper). Canon history gets confusing, or even downright too convenient. (I mean, really, how does overlord Gideon with his spy shadows not have a way of tracking down the sisters?). We barely gloss over the fact that Cleo can basically teleport now, yet that magic isn't shared with others. Ultimately, it's hard to believe that magic and the "words" could have been passed down via song and story for centuries and no one - especially ~men~-don't pick up on it.
If I'm going to keep griping... There are multiple moments in the story when there's no hope. Not for the reader! The characters give up. They are desolate. They have no ideas, no allies. Yet, despite not having any on-page brainstorming, they suddenly come up with plans off the wall, sometimes DURING climatic moments. For them to be an organized coalition who have all these stories and wills and ways, it felt too messy. I wanted them to be more thoughtful, or for at least the writing to seem less wishy washy if it was going to be an action-based reveal.
To continue: While I commend Harrow for including representation like LGBT and POC characters, they ultimately don't have a lot of on-page significance. Bella, for example, gets more flack for being a witch (or even just associated with her witchy sister) than for being gay - let along alone gay with a black woman. Agnes is an unmarried mother - no one bats an eye. Another character is trans yet their struggles with presenting and acceptance are literally like one paragraph. 90% of the marginalized community representation is truly fantasy - the witchcraft - rather than real, plot relevant page-time.
Ultimately, I know I'll be an unpopular opinion. Harrow can write well, but this story just didn't click with me. I'll give it 3 stars because it's not bad. It's for someone - just not me.
Bonus points for the book being perfectly designed. That cover. Those slightly different sized pages. *chef's kiss*
Let's start with the good aspects. Alix Harrow definitely has a voice and a vision. Her style is unique and feels very poetic, worldly, and mystical. I could feel a kindred spirit that probably also loved Charmed and turned into a raging feminist in adulthood. The story has a lot of real world historical references. I would describe the world as steampunk 1890s but make it witchy fantasy instead. The writing is technically good.
Our story focuses on the three sisters and their relationship with themselves, each other, and the people in their lives before ultimately diving into the villain plot with Gideon Hill. Bella is a gay character who falls in love with a black woman. Juniper is a spitfire who bucks social expectations. Anges is rediscovering love and family and trust. There are several themes related to feminism, civil rights, people of color, immigration, poverty, injustice, found family, and probably more. As mentioned, tick, tick, tick!
But man. This story DRAGS. It's so slow at times. Don't get me wrong, slow build stories can be fabulous, and I'm glad this was not prolonged into a whole series. But there is simultaneously a lot happening and nothing at all. The aforementioned writing style does get a little purple prosey sometimes, and I'm truly sick of reading about wills and ways. It's trying so hard to deep and metaphorical and stir something in you.
So hard that the plot gets a little lost. Characters seem shallow. Characters get lost in the plot. Motivations gets muddy or motivations change suddenly (ahem, Juniper). Canon history gets confusing, or even downright too convenient. (I mean, really, how does overlord Gideon with his spy shadows not have a way of tracking down the sisters?). We barely gloss over the fact that Cleo can basically teleport now, yet that magic isn't shared with others. Ultimately, it's hard to believe that magic and the "words" could have been passed down via song and story for centuries and no one - especially ~men~-don't pick up on it.
If I'm going to keep griping... There are multiple moments in the story when there's no hope. Not for the reader! The characters give up. They are desolate. They have no ideas, no allies. Yet, despite not having any on-page brainstorming, they suddenly come up with plans off the wall, sometimes DURING climatic moments. For them to be an organized coalition who have all these stories and wills and ways, it felt too messy. I wanted them to be more thoughtful, or for at least the writing to seem less wishy washy if it was going to be an action-based reveal.
To continue: While I commend Harrow for including representation like LGBT and POC characters, they ultimately don't have a lot of on-page significance. Bella, for example, gets more flack for being a witch (or even just associated with her witchy sister) than for being gay - let along alone gay with a black woman. Agnes is an unmarried mother - no one bats an eye. Another character is trans yet their struggles with presenting and acceptance are literally like one paragraph. 90% of the marginalized community representation is truly fantasy - the witchcraft - rather than real, plot relevant page-time.
Ultimately, I know I'll be an unpopular opinion. Harrow can write well, but this story just didn't click with me. I'll give it 3 stars because it's not bad. It's for someone - just not me.
Bonus points for the book being perfectly designed. That cover. Those slightly different sized pages. *chef's kiss*
xvicesx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Couldn't get into it, and I really struggle to tell why. Seemed to move entirely too slow for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse