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emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What happened here? I loved Flowerheart; it was one of my top books of the year when I read it. This did not match that level of quality at all.
The writing felt incredibly juvenile. I've read middle grade books that were more subtle and nuanced. It was like the author had no faith in the reader's comprehension skills at all, so everything had to be explained thoroughly and repeatedly. This made the pacing feel painfully slow.
None of the characters, not a single one, felt like an actual person. Ofelia's POV was like reading the perspective of a small child for how gullible and surface level her thoughts were. Lope was slightly better because they weren't quite so naive, but still very one-note. The plot was both predictable and nonsensical at times.
There are a lot of poems scattered around. I can't say if they're good or bad, they didn't really contribute to my reading experience negatively or positively.
I really wanted to like this, and I had been so sure that I would. I'm trying to be generous with my rating because I know this is only Catherine Bakewell's second book. I do hope she continues publishing and perhaps her next book will be more to my taste. The nicest thing I can say about this one is that the cover is beautiful.
The writing felt incredibly juvenile. I've read middle grade books that were more subtle and nuanced. It was like the author had no faith in the reader's comprehension skills at all, so everything had to be explained thoroughly and repeatedly. This made the pacing feel painfully slow.
None of the characters, not a single one, felt like an actual person. Ofelia's POV was like reading the perspective of a small child for how gullible and surface level her thoughts were. Lope was slightly better because they weren't quite so naive, but still very one-note. The plot was both predictable and nonsensical at times.
There are a lot of poems scattered around. I can't say if they're good or bad, they didn't really contribute to my reading experience negatively or positively.
I really wanted to like this, and I had been so sure that I would. I'm trying to be generous with my rating because I know this is only Catherine Bakewell's second book. I do hope she continues publishing and perhaps her next book will be more to my taste. The nicest thing I can say about this one is that the cover is beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Grief, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
This was a beautifully atmospheric coming of age fantasy, with a tender sapphic romance at its heart that readers are bound to find riveting.
The world-building was really magical and lush (with whimsical, regency-esque, Princess Bride meets Bridgerton vibes), and I adored Catherine Bakewell’s prose which was gorgeously poetic and unputdownable. And if you love the romantic chemistry of a tender, slow-burn relationship; that’s steeped in pining, and a quiet (but steadfast) affection that transcends words—then you’re probably gonna enjoy this.
Particularly as we get such a wonderful cast of characters. My fave being Female Knight, Lope, who struggles with her loyalty to, (and unspoken feelings for) the naive Lady Ofelia, who she’s duty bound to protect; and her need to stop the shadow creatures (that have plagued the kingdom for decades and taken the lives of soo many of her friends.) This duality to her motivations and the struggle she endures, really added a complexity and depth to her that I found soo compelling.
I loved the setting too — which takes the opulence of the royal palace, “Le Château Enchanté” and juxtaposes it against the (fear inducing) shadow monsters that stalk beyond the gates (and cause all manner of destruction and chaos.)
However, it was the mystery surrounding the origin of the shadows (and the King’s strange refusal to allow any mention of them), that really piqued my interest. The plot twists and reveals were all really good too, though I did manage to guess quite a lot of them.
Tonally, this felt very much at the younger end of YA fantasy, so tween/teen readers are almost certainly gonna enjoy this one. If you love more mature/darker themed fantasy, however, then you might not enjoy this nearly as much.
But, it does tackle some pretty interesting themes, such as: self discovery and overcoming fears, love (both romantic and platonic), power and privilege, and the highly relevant reality vs. Illusion; that I feel would be the perfect starting place for further discussions (into some very timely topics.)
Overall, this was a magically satisfying read that fans of lyrical, heartwarming storytelling (or the whimsy of Margaret Rogerson’s An Enchantment of Ravens) should definitely consider checking out.
Also, a huge thank you to Harper360YA for the proof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Grief
Minor: Bullying, Misogyny
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
Thank you, Catherine Bakewell, NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC. I am so excited to be a part of Cat's Street Team! This is my honest review.
A historical fantasy, set in a AU 1600s France. This book was such a mix of spooky, romance, and eloquence. When reading it, I started to see some connections with the political climate today (whomever says that books shouldn't be political doesn't know what they are talking about). The gaslighting of the villian is sometimes very obvious and othertimes makes you really second guess yourself. I found this to be very realistic, wven though the book is set in fantasy.
I really enjoyed all the characters, their development, the imagery, the imaginative situations, and the magic. I dont want to get too specific without spoilers, but I really loved everything about this book.
A historical fantasy, set in a AU 1600s France. This book was such a mix of spooky, romance, and eloquence. When reading it, I started to see some connections with the political climate today (whomever says that books shouldn't be political doesn't know what they are talking about). The gaslighting of the villian is sometimes very obvious and othertimes makes you really second guess yourself. I found this to be very realistic, wven though the book is set in fantasy.
I really enjoyed all the characters, their development, the imagery, the imaginative situations, and the magic. I dont want to get too specific without spoilers, but I really loved everything about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder
Minor: Bullying, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Death of parent, Murder