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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
Content Warnings
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
angstifies's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
- 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
4.0
a really enjoyable book with a sort of cozy fantasy world and sweet characters who have to go on a journey together to end a magical plague and it’s SAPPHIC so i obviously liked it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Vomit, and Murder
cameronreads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
2.0
I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. In fact I was very close to dnf-ing it at one point after the first hundred pages put me in a month long reading slump, but I expected it to get better so I kept going. It didn't. I think it had a lot of potential, but the majority of the book was excessive (and somewhat repetitive) inner monologuing rather than plot, and that is my absolute pet peeve. It meant the the plot seemed to move so slowly, whilst the climax was completely rushed. Also, it may have just been because I was rushing to finish and missed something, but the climax seemed very anti-climatic. I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters, either; the main two girls were defined by one or two personality traits, and all of the background characters were literally just there to serve a purpose of the story and seemed completely one-dimensional. I did think the romance was sweet and was probably my favourite part, but I am really not a fan of the whole 'love saves the day and breaks the curses' trope. I was also expecting that to happen (whilst hoping it wouldn't) so that made me roll my eyes a little. The world-building and magic system was fairly lack-lustre, but the writing style was fine and concept was pretty good. It had potential, but just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Vomit
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"there was a difference between existing and living. that was something tamsin knew well."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Child death
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Grief, Murder, Torture, and Vomit
madamepincers's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Murder and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child death and Infertility
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