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lucyatoz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It does not capture my imagination in the same way that A Discovery of Witches did, however it was still worth reading just to get the history of Matthew's son, Marcus and how they become fledgling vampires!
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Alcoholism
frenandjen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
Minor: Mental illness
cassandrareads_'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Violence
Minor: Colonisation and War
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
First of all, it’s more like 3 stories in one that bounce around the following POVs:
1 - Phoebe and her journey as a baby vamp
2 - Marcus and his backstory/history through the American & French Revolutions, as both warmblood and vampire
3 - Diana and the trials raising her Bright Born twins
Though there is attempted cohesion between the 3 storylines, it’s not executed well. Each perspective would have benefited as their own novella with a bit more fleshing out (separate from my next point), because they just seem to go nowhere.
Secondly, this book suffers from almost too much detail of non-importance. I understand that Ms. Harkness is a historian and revels in describing European history, but it gets to the point of rambling sometimes that doesn’t lend to plot or character development.
Thirdly, what is up with Phoebe?! I felt a disservice to her characterization was made - I don’t remember her being so petulant, and making her so for the sake of being a “baby vamp” missed the mark.
Minor: Racism, War, Violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Medical trauma
msjk427's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Slavery
Deals with pandemics, epidemics, and American and French Revolution/War.