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amy_reading_23's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
This book is as dark as it is beautiful. I enjoyed the descriptions and the main character's connection to nature. It's a shame though, I think this novel could have been a lot longer. Parts of it definitely felt rushed, especially the ending. The end didn't feel satisfying or fitting for the sisters' journey.
I also wouldn't really say it's a vampire book as the vampires don't come into it until the very end. It's more of a historical novel about two sisters trying to survive tyranny and hardship.
Something that concerns me is I am not aware if the author is a traveller or has consulted with travellers for sensitivity reading. The community seemed to be portrayed well to me, however I know this community has a lot of closed practises and as someone who is not a traveller myself I can't really say whether the representation is accurate or not.
Overall though it was a good book, just be prepared that is is very dark and has a lot of triggering and sad bits.
I wasn't really surprised by Kizzy's decision at the end, I found her character pretty arrogant and annoying, but still I'm sad her sister joined her instead of joining Mira. I didn't feel like her and Mira's relationship was as rushed as others said, I think they had a spark from the beginning and there were definitley signs leading up to it.
I also wouldn't really say it's a vampire book as the vampires don't come into it until the very end. It's more of a historical novel about two sisters trying to survive tyranny and hardship.
Something that concerns me is I am not aware if the author is a traveller or has consulted with travellers for sensitivity reading. The community seemed to be portrayed well to me, however I know this community has a lot of closed practises and as someone who is not a traveller myself I can't really say whether the representation is accurate or not.
Overall though it was a good book, just be prepared that is is very dark and has a lot of triggering and sad bits.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Misogyny, Trafficking, Alcohol, Body horror, Kidnapping, Violence, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Slavery, Racism, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Slavery and Vomit
auteaandtales's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
3.5
'm not sure what to give this, but I think it's a 3.5 - I'm very confused, because some parts I absolutely loved and so much of this was beautifully written, and other parts I just didn't stick to well. It was a very "slow burn", character driven story for most of the book, and things only really picked up right at the end, maybe the last third of the book. There was so much unsaid that I feel like a whole new book could have been written to expand on what they got up to.
It was obvious and how this book is marketed, but I've had this book for a long time and completely forgot what it was about, so I went into it not knowing it was about the wives of Dracula, and that was a nice surprise. I love the authors' interpretation of who those women were, I loved that she had given them a voice to otherwise faceless people (I'm assuming, I have not read Dracula). I loved that they were sisters, and I loved their relationship. I also loved the queer relationship that had developed, although it felt quite sudden. There was a very slow, subtle build up going on in the background and then it just suddenly hit. I'd have liked that to become more central.
The negatives were just that the first two thirds and the last third are like two different books, they don't ease into each other, it's like a Part One and Part Two. The first part was boring me a little, I'd put the book down and feel little urge to pick it back up again and my interest kept dropping. The second part was hard to put the book down, so I didn't. The pacing feels off. These were my main issues, really, just that it was so beautifully written but it just wasn't flowing into each other well enough for me.
This book covers some dark themes so content warnings for rape, sexual assault, misogyny, racism, antiziganism, torture/abuse, and animal abuse/death.
I will absolutely read something from this author again. I overall enjoyed it.
It was obvious and how this book is marketed, but I've had this book for a long time and completely forgot what it was about, so I went into it not knowing it was about the wives of Dracula, and that was a nice surprise. I love the authors' interpretation of who those women were, I loved that she had given them a voice to otherwise faceless people (I'm assuming, I have not read Dracula). I loved that they were sisters, and I loved their relationship. I also loved the queer relationship that had developed, although it felt quite sudden. There was a very slow, subtle build up going on in the background and then it just suddenly hit. I'd have liked that to become more central.
The negatives were just that the first two thirds and the last third are like two different books, they don't ease into each other, it's like a Part One and Part Two. The first part was boring me a little, I'd put the book down and feel little urge to pick it back up again and my interest kept dropping. The second part was hard to put the book down, so I didn't. The pacing feels off. These were my main issues, really, just that it was so beautifully written but it just wasn't flowing into each other well enough for me.
This book covers some dark themes so content warnings for rape, sexual assault, misogyny, racism, antiziganism, torture/abuse, and animal abuse/death.
I will absolutely read something from this author again. I overall enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Death, and Animal death
Minor: Grief and Homophobia
kirareads02's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I debated this a while. For so much of the book I was giving a five star review but then the romance part came and as someone who doesn't much enjoy romantic novels it was kind of something I just read past. I acknowledge and appreciate how important the romantic storyline is though and I am glad it was there for audiences.
This book takes a classic story and tells it from the perspective of marginalised women and I think that's amazing. The book is beautifully written and the characters are so full and special you can't help but love them or hate them with everything you have. I could picture the characters so well and if I had to pick someone to play them in a film it would be so easy. The plot was well paced and never felt pointless or as though it was rushed or dragged out.
This book takes a classic story and tells it from the perspective of marginalised women and I think that's amazing. The book is beautifully written and the characters are so full and special you can't help but love them or hate them with everything you have. I could picture the characters so well and if I had to pick someone to play them in a film it would be so easy. The plot was well paced and never felt pointless or as though it was rushed or dragged out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Animal death, Genocide, Rape, and Sexual violence
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