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readabookortwo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed this book!! I loved Tamsin and Wren so much and there were so many clever things that were put in things I didn’t always notice until I processed them half an hour later and I enjoyed my time with this book so much!!
The only thing taking it down for me is that the ending felt super rushed I could have seen another 100 or so pages but other than that I would highly recommend!!
The only thing taking it down for me is that the ending felt super rushed I could have seen another 100 or so pages but other than that I would highly recommend!!
Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, Child death, Chronic illness, and Dementia
violet_pages's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
slow-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
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Death, Violence, and Dementia
Moderate: Chronic illness, Vomit, Murder, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent and Suicidal thoughts
kp_writ's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
3.0
Overall a good debut; I'll be keeping an eye out for this author in the future.
The story and worldbuilding starts strong, and the writing style is pretty solid. A fairly predictable plot, though that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. It does start to crawl towards the end, and I think this is mainly due to the lack of scenes and variety of conflict. Sweet and Bitter Magic read like the kinds of adventure quests I adored as a kid--it even has a map in the beginning of the book!-- but without as much of the adventure parts as I was hoping for.
I'd also say the biggest letdown for me was the romance. Wren and Tasmin just didn't have the kind of chemistry I was hoping for, and it made their relationship feel very out of place. Of course, that's the trouble with having to write chemistry when one half of the relationship has been cursed not to feel. Still, I think some more time spent with these characters, more scenes outside of conversation, would've helped that along.
The story and worldbuilding starts strong, and the writing style is pretty solid. A fairly predictable plot, though that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. It does start to crawl towards the end, and I think this is mainly due to the lack of scenes and variety of conflict. Sweet and Bitter Magic read like the kinds of adventure quests I adored as a kid--it even has a map in the beginning of the book!-- but without as much of the adventure parts as I was hoping for.
I'd also say the biggest letdown for me was the romance. Wren and Tasmin just didn't have the kind of chemistry I was hoping for, and it made their relationship feel very out of place. Of course, that's the trouble with having to write chemistry when one half of the relationship has been cursed not to feel. Still, I think some more time spent with these characters, more scenes outside of conversation, would've helped that along.
Graphic: Dementia and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Grief, Murder, Torture, and Vomit
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