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badgerden's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I'll have a more expansive review later, but I'm very surprised that nobody seems to mention that this is essentially a Beauty and the Beast rewrite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
magicant's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I have to say, this book was a ride to put it simply. The hook at the beginning of the book really brings you in, but gives you no way of seeing what you were getting yourself into. This is a harrowing tale, a story of fighting for yourself in a world completely against you in every way. It has happy moments, but most of the time, you can never tell if there is more bad around the corner.
Rosa is a woman of knowledge, she knows how to read and write which is, of course, rather uncommon in the 1600s that this book takes place in. Iceland in this period is going through a change from their native religious teachings to that of Christianity, which is a big backdrop in this story and has quite a lot of the effect on the story. She is the daughter of a Bishop and after refusing marriage initially, she was to stay with the church and she had chosen to do so. However, when her father passed away, her and her mother were left with no way to really provide for themselves.
So when Jon comes to the village looking for a wife, despite her better judgement regarding the wicked rumours that she has heard, she accepts his request of taking her on as his wife in exchange for Rosa's sick mother to be fed and cared for. Little did she know that Jon has much to hide, not just in regards to his first wife's death, but also in regards to himself as a mysterious and distant man.
This book is a true thriller book, you can feel the unease that Rosa goes through trying to come to terms with the man that she married, and also her feelings about the people that she had to leave behind in her home village. I had absolutely no idea that the book was going to go where it did, and I am so happy to have stuck until the end even with the content warnings being as big as they were.
The glass woman was an ornament given to her by Jon, and it travels through the story being a grounding mechanism for Rosa. It also starts to reflect the hardships and changes that Rosa went through, making a very beautiful plot piece in this grand puzzle. I am glad that I read this book, as sad as it was at times, it was a ride I would love to go on again.
Rosa is a woman of knowledge, she knows how to read and write which is, of course, rather uncommon in the 1600s that this book takes place in. Iceland in this period is going through a change from their native religious teachings to that of Christianity, which is a big backdrop in this story and has quite a lot of the effect on the story. She is the daughter of a Bishop and after refusing marriage initially, she was to stay with the church and she had chosen to do so. However, when her father passed away, her and her mother were left with no way to really provide for themselves.
So when Jon comes to the village looking for a wife, despite her better judgement regarding the wicked rumours that she has heard, she accepts his request of taking her on as his wife in exchange for Rosa's sick mother to be fed and cared for. Little did she know that Jon has much to hide, not just in regards to his first wife's death, but also in regards to himself as a mysterious and distant man.
This book is a true thriller book, you can feel the unease that Rosa goes through trying to come to terms with the man that she married, and also her feelings about the people that she had to leave behind in her home village. I had absolutely no idea that the book was going to go where it did, and I am so happy to have stuck until the end even with the content warnings being as big as they were.
The glass woman was an ornament given to her by Jon, and it travels through the story being a grounding mechanism for Rosa. It also starts to reflect the hardships and changes that Rosa went through, making a very beautiful plot piece in this grand puzzle. I am glad that I read this book, as sad as it was at times, it was a ride I would love to go on again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Incest, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
spiderwitch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Pregnancy, Death, Incest, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Confinement
Moderate: Xenophobia, Miscarriage, and Vomit
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Cancer
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.5
This historical novel is character driven, with the mysterious plot slowly unraveling. I’m usually picky with character driven novels since they tend to be slower/less interesting for me, but this one held my attention. The setting of Iceland in the 17th century felt perfect for winter!
I enjoyed the mythology/cultural background about Icelandic peoples and their beliefs. It piqued my interest in reading more about the country. This was my first book set in Iceland and I loved being transported to the country and set in the past. I also liked watching the story unfold as secrets are revealed through duel POVs.
The husband Jón’s POV could be confusing at times as it looked at the last at times but still indicated the same year as Rósa’s chapters. It was amazing to watch all the characters develop throughout the novel, and I loved how the landscape became a sort of character too!
If you enjoyed The Familiars, Jane Eyre, or books set in the 17th century then I think you’ll enjoy this one. Also the cover is just gorgeous!
I enjoyed the mythology/cultural background about Icelandic peoples and their beliefs. It piqued my interest in reading more about the country. This was my first book set in Iceland and I loved being transported to the country and set in the past. I also liked watching the story unfold as secrets are revealed through duel POVs.
The husband Jón’s POV could be confusing at times as it looked at the last at times but still indicated the same year as Rósa’s chapters. It was amazing to watch all the characters develop throughout the novel, and I loved how the landscape became a sort of character too!
If you enjoyed The Familiars, Jane Eyre, or books set in the 17th century then I think you’ll enjoy this one. Also the cover is just gorgeous!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Animal death and Homophobia
Minor: Rape and Incest
Stillbirth
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