Scan barcode
ttorisaurus's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Moderate: War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Pregnancy, Murder, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
oisinthewizard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The characters are robust and dynamic, even in their flaws. I appreciate Yaga's flaws and limited perception of time and place, even as the daughter of a god. It takes a deft hand to write a vulnerable immortal and Salnikova Gilmore pulled it off. The landscape of Ivan the Terrible's Russia draws the reader in with its starkness and brutality. I enjoyed the found family dynamics with the Skomorokhi Knights, although sensitive readers may find the brutality of the Oprichniki to be too much. (To be fair to the author, they were far more brutal in actual history than in this fantasy novel.)
As my issues with the book are primarily with the ending, I will write them as spoilers.
I also found Vasily's story from page 340 on to be unnecessarily complicated and without proper resolution. He could have just disappeared in the war against the Lithuanian and Polish armies. To have him under some unexplained spell and then just appear, perfectly fine, at the end of the book, despite Yaga and Marina waiting for him for months in Psok makes no sense.
Selica's anger at men does not have any textual support, as it was her mother who sold her into marriage and her husband, Morozko, who supported her escape from it. On page 344, she accuses Morozko of infidelity and punishes Vasily for "Yet he is a man, and how easily they forget. She is doing Yaga a favor. Look where men have gotten Selica. Like all women, her sister is better off on her own." None of this is supported by the text. We have no evidence prior to this of Morozko having any lover other than Selica and Vasily has loyal to Yaga.
Lastly, I was very disappointed that after Selica is banished to the lands of the dead, none of the characters who were participating in brutal massacres for basically the entire book have any responsibility to their actions and in fact, appear to just stop now that the Lady of Death is gone. Do they not have any agency of their own?
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Death, War, and Injury/Injury detail
alisonvh'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Abandonment, Death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, War, Blood, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Torture
imogenoakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Violence
lovosii'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: War, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Murder, Sexual content, Abandonment, Violence, Confinement, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Animal death, Classism, Gun violence, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
cookiecat73's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, War, Xenophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Classism, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Animal cruelty, Grief, Sexism, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Vomit, Self harm, Sexual content, Animal death, and Child abuse
pvbobrien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Religious bigotry, Blood, Pregnancy, War, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Misogyny
rhi_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Death, War, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Animal death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Torture, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury