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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
summerofchels's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this one bc the queer rep was AMAZING, but I’d be lying if I said the plot didn’t have my eyes glazing over for 90% of the book. It takes a lot for me to like fantasy and this just didn’t do it for me 😕 womp
laceanddaggerbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes a book is just fantastical, wonderful and means the world to you. This is one of those books for me.
The book follows Teodora - Teo - a young strega who has to travel to the capital as a boy to save her family with the help of a genderfluid strega and begins to discover her own gender identity along the way.
The world building in this book was fascinating, the use of language magical and this book was just wonderful. The political intrigue really drew you in and I'm looking forward to seeing where this all was going to go.
I'll just leave this on this note. As a genderfluid person who is still discovering herself...books like this are everything. There was a quote in here that summed things up perfectly:
"I'd often felt like I didn't fit into the boundaries of the word girl. It reminded me of a country I could happily visit, but the longer I stayed, the more I knew I couldn't live there all the time. There were times I sorely wished to be free of the confines of this body."
This quote spoke to me. This is why own voices books are so important because when the people it belongs to reads the book, they feel heard. They feel understood. Gender is something flexible, that can mean different things to different people but affects us all. Sometimes I feel like a fraud but this settled something good in my chest.
Thank you for writing this book Amy Rose.
The book follows Teodora - Teo - a young strega who has to travel to the capital as a boy to save her family with the help of a genderfluid strega and begins to discover her own gender identity along the way.
The world building in this book was fascinating, the use of language magical and this book was just wonderful. The political intrigue really drew you in and I'm looking forward to seeing where this all was going to go.
I'll just leave this on this note. As a genderfluid person who is still discovering herself...books like this are everything. There was a quote in here that summed things up perfectly:
"I'd often felt like I didn't fit into the boundaries of the word girl. It reminded me of a country I could happily visit, but the longer I stayed, the more I knew I couldn't live there all the time. There were times I sorely wished to be free of the confines of this body."
This quote spoke to me. This is why own voices books are so important because when the people it belongs to reads the book, they feel heard. They feel understood. Gender is something flexible, that can mean different things to different people but affects us all. Sometimes I feel like a fraud but this settled something good in my chest.
Thank you for writing this book Amy Rose.
storysapphic's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
leslie115's review against another edition
2.0
Lower rating because the book's exquisite premise gave me high expectations. Characters and prose are flat, and the plot has a number of holes.
melt_awayfromreality's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t even know what to say about this book except that I adore it! It was so different from any other YA, or even adult fantasy romance books that I’ve read in a long time.
Teodora’s strength, bravery and just overall being a badass delighted the hell out of me from the start. She never makes you feel like you’re reading about another bland, insecure heroine and it makes you fall in love with her right off the bat despite her youthful flaws.
I also greatly enjoyed the authors world building and political power struggle going on in the story. And it was magical how I completely fell in love with all of these characters, including the ones you are supposed to hate. I was honestly on edge at every turn worrying over their survival. I felt like there was no clear villain, everyone wants what they feel is best for themselves, their family or for their country.
Over the course of the story I bonded with both sides of Teodora and Cielo, just as Teodora learns to love all of herself. It just proves non-binary individuals aren’t difficult to understand or confusing. I honestly believe more people need to read this book especially those who claim pronouns are too difficult to comprehend.
Teodora’s strength, bravery and just overall being a badass delighted the hell out of me from the start. She never makes you feel like you’re reading about another bland, insecure heroine and it makes you fall in love with her right off the bat despite her youthful flaws.
I also greatly enjoyed the authors world building and political power struggle going on in the story. And it was magical how I completely fell in love with all of these characters, including the ones you are supposed to hate. I was honestly on edge at every turn worrying over their survival. I felt like there was no clear villain, everyone wants what they feel is best for themselves, their family or for their country.
Over the course of the story I bonded with both sides of Teodora and Cielo, just as Teodora learns to love all of herself. It just proves non-binary individuals aren’t difficult to understand or confusing. I honestly believe more people need to read this book especially those who claim pronouns are too difficult to comprehend.
wintersorbit's review against another edition
4.0
[4.5 ☆]
GAH i loved this so much, the characters and the world are so great, i couldn't get enough of them. i relate to teo so much and i adore cielo as well. the romance felt slightly underdeveloped at certain points, but was incredibly enjoyable regardless. i felt like the book used some awkward similes and metaphors at the beginning, but that got less and less as the book went on, so i'm not that bothered by it.
definitely recommended if you're looking for 19th century italy inspired fantasy that features genderfluid streghe, political intrigue, a cool magic system, and a fun romance.
GAH i loved this so much, the characters and the world are so great, i couldn't get enough of them. i relate to teo so much and i adore cielo as well. the romance felt slightly underdeveloped at certain points, but was incredibly enjoyable regardless. i felt like the book used some awkward similes and metaphors at the beginning, but that got less and less as the book went on, so i'm not that bothered by it.
definitely recommended if you're looking for 19th century italy inspired fantasy that features genderfluid streghe, political intrigue, a cool magic system, and a fun romance.
burstnwithbooks's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars
I REALLY enjoyed this. It was excellent and totally well done. The writing style was great and the magic system is so captivating. I’m definitely curious about what else this author writes.
I REALLY enjoyed this. It was excellent and totally well done. The writing style was great and the magic system is so captivating. I’m definitely curious about what else this author writes.
eliastheplant's review against another edition
*This text might contain mild spoilers*
DNF 130 pages in. I was so so excited about this book. But it turned out to be the biggest book disappointment of 2019 so far.
DNF 130 pages in. I was so so excited about this book. But it turned out to be the biggest book disappointment of 2019 so far.