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readsandsuch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Gore, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
Minor: Miscarriage
imreallyjk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, Blood, Child death, Kidnapping, Gore, Torture, Physical abuse, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Body horror, and Cannibalism
wardenred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Myths are full of lies.
This is not one of them.
A short, quick, and lyrical read that felt to me less like a story and more like a mood. There’s a lot of body horror here, and on one hand, the way it’s all wrapped in long poetic sentences and clever similes makes it more bearable. On the other hand, the prose contains some evocative imagery that got stuck to my mind and will probably keep disturbing me for days on end.
Speaking of prose, while there are a lot of beautiful, vivid sentences here, on the whole I feel like the author overdid it a little. All those lacy figures of speech convey a mood perfectly, but sometimes obfuscate meaning and substance. And there is definitely a lot of substance here, too! I liked the horror rendition of the mermaid myth, the scary cult in taiga, the nods at numerous fairy tales, the Plague Doctor’s wry wit, and that underlying thread of how when monsters and humans co-exist, the lines blur between them and it’s no longer clear who’s the bigger monster. But I do feel that some parts of the story would have more impact if they were delivered a bit more clearly and concisely.
Still, as far as moods go, this was a beautiful one. Also, terrible and disturbing (very good for horror).
Graphic: Gore, Confinement, Body horror, Child death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cannibalism
brendan_clay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Gore, and Torture
willow1113's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Confinement
djbagwell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Murder, Child death, Blood, Body horror, and Gore
skullmotif's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
- I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in about three hours. The writing is impeccable.
- Developed an instant, tiny crush on the plague doctor; right now to their description and mannerisms. How do I find my own genderless plague doctor? Asking for a friend.
Was also devastated when said plague doctor first perished! I actually shouted "No!" HELP. - Everything was so raw and the medical terminology used had me NERDING OUT.
- "How do you kill any religion? You convince its flock that their shepherds are wolves."
Graphic: Child death, Medical content, and Gore
fox_at_the_circus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
And I really like the two main characters and their relationship with each other, too. This is a story about two people dealing with their trauma together, healing together in a way, and supporting each other throughout it. They are not perfect or try to be, but they feel realistic and are loyal to each other. I especially loved the line, where the plague doctor calls out the "your trauma makes you stronger" bullshit.
Graphic: Animal death, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Death, Blood, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Confinement
ktkumpf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Murder, and Medical content
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Miscarriage
gloom_lord's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, and Torture
Moderate: Grief, Death, Pregnancy, Blood, and Misogyny