Scan barcode
molmcintosh's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-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
5.0
Absolutely loved it. Didn’t struggle with the writing/sentence style as others have, it’s typical of Highland speech in my opinion. Found the characters to be likeable and the depictions of both location and the horrors of war to be extremely vivid. Plenty of humour in it too, though many seem to have missed that aspect. The mystery kept me hooked and I didn’t guess many of the twists beforehand. Great read :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
Minor: Rape and Slavery
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this book more for the history of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the uprisings against the British than the mysteries of the identity of the murderer and of future victims. I’d have given it five stars but I found it too complicated - but that may be my fault as an American ill-versed in Scottish history. I kept referring to Wikipedia as I read and that helped.
The author does an excellent job of describing the trauma of battle and its immediate aftermath as well as the long-term effects of losing a war and being under occupation by a hostile country. The loss of family, friends, homes, and livelihoods is devastating, and even thirty years later people are still crushed by everything that has happened.
There’s great character development and quite an assortment of people, mostly good, all suffering, plus a plot of revenge for betrayals that happened a generation ago. The details were such that I felt a part of the story, drawn in by the descriptions of people, places, and things. I really enjoyed this.
The author does an excellent job of describing the trauma of battle and its immediate aftermath as well as the long-term effects of losing a war and being under occupation by a hostile country. The loss of family, friends, homes, and livelihoods is devastating, and even thirty years later people are still crushed by everything that has happened.
There’s great character development and quite an assortment of people, mostly good, all suffering, plus a plot of revenge for betrayals that happened a generation ago. The details were such that I felt a part of the story, drawn in by the descriptions of people, places, and things. I really enjoyed this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Bullying, Colonisation, Gore, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Grief, Blood, Violence, War, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
More...