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lollymac's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Bullying, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Homophobia, Murder, and Grief
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
And, of course, the mark of a good reader, IMO, is how well a villain is written, and how they can piss you off with their existence in a book, and Marske was able to do that very easily. One of the reasons I kept reading this trilogy was to read the Big Bad have his ass handed to him, though how he went at the end of this book was also somewhat satisfying.
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse and Confinement
bergha1998's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Fantasy Mystery, MLM Romance, 2 1/2 🔥
“You look like a Turner painting and I want to learn your textures with my fingertips. You are the most fascinating thing in this beautiful house. I’d like to introduce my fists to whoever taught you to stop talking about the things that interest you.”
“I am nothing like you, and yet I feel more myself with you.”
“And I’m sick to death of being afraid, and I want you. Enough to risk it. More than enough. You make me feel like something—extraordinary.”
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Colonisation, Alcohol, Cursing, Violence, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Misogyny
ramakn22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Murder, Confinement, and Physical abuse
Minor: Homophobia
maryellen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Bullying, and Confinement
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Blood, Grief, and Chronic illness
embarcaderosky'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Suicide, Outing, Racism, Sexism, Confinement, Classism, and Homophobia
carolined314's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Bullying
Moderate: Confinement, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Outing and Torture
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The rapport between Edwin and Robin slowly builds, lagging behind the intensity of each man’s buried attraction to the other. Robin adjusts pretty quickly to the existence of magic (a situation made much harder to ignore by the harsh nature of his introduction). Edwin’s focus is on trying to remove Robin’s curse, initially thinking of their acquaintance as very temporary and somewhat reversible. Much of the book is spent on Edwin’s family’s estate, with his siblings whose pranks range from frustrating to cruel.
The worldbuilding is pretty subtle about placing the era, the setting is one where magic exists within the otherwise real history of the British Isles. Since I wasn't trying very hard to place it I was content to know it's a while ago, but after the invention of cars. I'm sure there are clues to place it more precisely if I looked hard, but the story wasn't trying to trouble me with those. It did more with the ways that magic could be secret, and the key seems to be that (in England, specifically), it's tied up in old money and old families since magic is passed through bloodlines.
I enjoyed this immensely and will definitely read the rest of the series. The ending sets up a clear idea for the arc of the series, and I'll happily read more in this setting even if Edwin and Robin don't stay as the protagonists.
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Torture, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Ableism, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Violence, Blood, Bullying, and Drug use
Minor: Self harm, Suicide, Child death, Death of parent, and Vomit
breadbees'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
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Torture
Minor: Abandonment, Outing, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Confinement
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Death, Murder, Grief, Homophobia, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Confinement, and Death of parent