Take a photo of a barcode or cover
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
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Classism
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief
Minor: Kidnapping, Abandonment
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
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Netgalley who provided me with an early copy. All opinions are my own.
Where Shadows Bloom is a high fantasy book inspired from French and Spanish nobility. It has cozy, dreamy prose perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. Ofelia and her brave knight Lope travel from the countryside to Le Chateau to escape the dangers of the Shadows: monsters that haunt the night and steal the breath and life of those who foolishly venture outside. While Ofelia adjusts to their new life at court, Lope still sees danger around every corner. Can their love overcome the monsters, secrets, gods, and the growing distance between them?
Things I Loved:
-The yearning (with dual POV). Where Shadows Bloom is perfect for readers who want some action but want the focus of the book to be on the main character’s inner monologue. This is a medium-paced book that centers on the yearning on both sides of a sapphic romance.
-The main theme. What makes this book so strong is its exploration of its main theme: what it means to be human. Experiencing love, experiencing grief, one of Ofelia’s tasks is to teach humanity to a lonely god. The evolution of the god’s character was just as compelling as the main characters’ character developments.
- While the flaws of the characters are definitely showcased, there is strong character development, and the ending redeemed my frustration with Ofelia throughout the book (see first bullet point below on my gripe with Ofelia).
Things I Didn’t Love:
-Ofelia’s cheerful outlook started off inspiring and understandable but became annoyingly obtuse as the novel went on.
-As in many fairy tales, there is a god to bargain with and it just felt like they bargained with them too many times.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail