Scan barcode
srm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Blood and Murder
Minor: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, Miscarriage, Alcohol, and Gun violence
jelliestars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Murder, Racism, Blood, Death, Racial slurs, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Violence
Minor: Suicide attempt, Torture, Islamophobia, Suicide, Car accident, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Stalking, Medical content, Rape, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Mental illness, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, War, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
spellbookspines's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Death, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
eleanora's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Blood, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: Suicide, Genocide, Grief, Miscarriage, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Murder, Racism, and War
prettiestwhistles's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Animal death, and Confinement
Minor: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Sexism, Death of parent, Genocide, Miscarriage, Alcohol, and War
malloryfitz's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Miscarriage, and Torture
Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery
lilifane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If you want to read a scary vampire story, some kind of Dracula retelling or a fast paced adventure. This book is not for you. If - like me - you love reading, research, solving mysteries by visiting old libraries and reading old books and travel. Well, this is perfect.
The structure of this book is a little complicated. Basically it's a story within a story within a story, told mostly in letters and book excerpts, spanning several decades (between 1930s and 1970s) and countries (UK, Netherlands, France, Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria...). It's about the search for the grave of the historical figure Vlad III, Dracula, but also for some historians lost during their research. (Basically Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones for people who hate action. ^^v)
This book is extremely slow paced and looooong and story driven. The main characters are some of the flattest characters I've ever encountered (I had trouble remembering who was telling parts of the story because their voices were basically identical) but I loved most of the people they met on their way and got help from. And when the story is the main focus of the book, I don't mind when there is no character development. Maybe the book also could have been a little shorter by eliminating the daughters story line... completely? That didn't interest me very much tbh. And my main problem with the book was the writing. I didn't enjoy it at all. But after reading some quotes from the English original, I think the issue is with my German translation.
I get btw that the whole resolution why all of this happened in the first place was a little ridiculous. But I thought it was refreshing and I like how it explains the book title. :D (I alsway love when the book title has more than one meaning)
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts