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littlebookterror's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
This was a wild romp through one of the queerest Cinderella retellings I have ever read.
Cyn was a lovely protagonist with a strong voice and convictions. None of the other characters could quite hold up to her but they were still entertaining. Myrick as our resident fairy certainly lived up to their mischievous ways.
We have several point of views which meant a few times things were overly explained or clarified to get the story across.
Cyn was a lovely protagonist with a strong voice and convictions. None of the other characters could quite hold up to her but they were still entertaining. Myrick as our resident fairy certainly lived up to their mischievous ways.
We have several point of views which meant a few times things were overly explained or clarified to get the story across.
candidceillie's review against another edition
5.0
Dithered Hearts is a polyamorous historical fantasy romance between adult step-siblings who are nonbinary, female and female. It also features a side m/m romance. The main character is questioning their gender and uses multiple pronouns throughout the story, but for clarity’s sake, I’m going to use they/them pronouns.
It also deals with a lot of topics that are potentially triggering including abuse toward queer characters, including mental, emotional, and on-the-page physical abuse; abuse toward a disabled character; anti-queer rhetoric and microaggressions; excessive swearing, including gendered insults; mentions of deceased parents; mentions of substance abuse and addiction; misgendering, including accidental and willful instances.
Our main character, Cyn, is trying to get out from under their abusive step-parents and bring life back to the land that has kept their family alive for centuries. I loved Cyn a lot, both because and despite the lack of thought they put into their decisions. They never read the fine print or take time to think through the possible consequences of their actions except when it came to making sure they were safe from their step-parents. There’s also a great political subplot that has a huge impact on everything for Cyn.
Each of the other characters in this story were incredibly real people, even the fae. My personal favorite side character was Lord Gafford who was so terribly bad at pretending to be a human that it left me literally laughing out loud. I loved the political villain’s motivation and I love that Cyn and their step-sisters get justice and a happy ending. It made a great change from what I expected. I would absolutely love to see another story set in this world.
I loved so much about Dithered Hearts, and I think you will, too.
It also deals with a lot of topics that are potentially triggering including abuse toward queer characters, including mental, emotional, and on-the-page physical abuse; abuse toward a disabled character; anti-queer rhetoric and microaggressions; excessive swearing, including gendered insults; mentions of deceased parents; mentions of substance abuse and addiction; misgendering, including accidental and willful instances.
Our main character, Cyn, is trying to get out from under their abusive step-parents and bring life back to the land that has kept their family alive for centuries. I loved Cyn a lot, both because and despite the lack of thought they put into their decisions. They never read the fine print or take time to think through the possible consequences of their actions except when it came to making sure they were safe from their step-parents. There’s also a great political subplot that has a huge impact on everything for Cyn.
Each of the other characters in this story were incredibly real people, even the fae. My personal favorite side character was Lord Gafford who was so terribly bad at pretending to be a human that it left me literally laughing out loud. I loved the political villain’s motivation and I love that Cyn and their step-sisters get justice and a happy ending. It made a great change from what I expected. I would absolutely love to see another story set in this world.
I loved so much about Dithered Hearts, and I think you will, too.
matth's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Oh dear. Where to begin?
This review contains spoilers. Beware.
It’s not bad. Far from it. In fact I’d call this one of the author’s best works so far. There’s one aspect to it that might make it a dealbreaker for many:
It’s kind of a taboo romance.
Hold on. Before you murder my face, hear me out. The main love triad consists of the protagonist and their two stepsisters. It’s about as well handled as I can imagine but I don’t blame anyone for saying no because of this alone.
That being said, it’s good. I enjoyed my time with the book. As by the author’s usual standards, it’s quite queer and sensitive to its delicate subject matters. Gets dark and heavy at times. Not a detriment.
This review contains spoilers. Beware.
It’s not bad. Far from it. In fact I’d call this one of the author’s best works so far. There’s one aspect to it that might make it a dealbreaker for many:
It’s kind of a taboo romance.
Hold on. Before you murder my face, hear me out. The main love triad consists of the protagonist and their two stepsisters. It’s about as well handled as I can imagine but I don’t blame anyone for saying no because of this alone.
That being said, it’s good. I enjoyed my time with the book. As by the author’s usual standards, it’s quite queer and sensitive to its delicate subject matters. Gets dark and heavy at times. Not a detriment.
otterpebbles's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this, it was mostly pretty charming, with characters who mostly meant well (except the villains!), and who cared for each other, even when they didn't know how or if they should show it. I really liked the variety of characters and relationships. It generally just made me feel very happy, which made it a lovely read!
sirsangel's review
3.0
This was an interesting read. Cinderella story with a few twists. The main character is non binary (she/they) Step sisters turn out to both be lesbians. Fairy God-father says he's trans. Prince and his personal body gaurd/knight are both gay, but must hide it.. including from each other.
We've got villains and heroes. Twists and turns.
I recieved an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
We've got villains and heroes. Twists and turns.
I recieved an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
solly's review
4.0
I loved this a lot <3
I generally love Chace Verity’s work because it’s unapologetically queer and otherwise diverse and this was no exception. It filled my little queer heart with happiness to see so many queer IDs represented, without it being a big deal. An aromantic pansexual trans guy fairy, a nonbinary sapphic MC, a black gay prince (and a side m/m romance with his knight), a fat lesbian and a disabled lesbian. It was super heartwarming and I loved it.
Now to get into the story a little more, I was a little bit sceptical at first. Cinderella retelling but she falls in love with her stepsisters? Could have easily been messed up. But I didn’t really have a problem with it. None of the sisters are related, and since they live in a super toxic household, they barely interact with each other before the story starts. They don’t have a sisterly bond, so I was mostly fine with the romance between the three of them.
I really loved the characters. Lord Gafford has my eternal love and devotion. He was extremely funny, super anxious, and I related to him in many many ways. His relationship with Cyn was great, and my aro heart was happy to have this rep. Cyn was an awesome MC, determined to save everything and everyone she loves. And I was so happy to see that in this retelling, ‘Cinderella’ had an awesome friendship with the prince.
I think my main issue is with the pacing which wasn’t always great. I loved the storyline and I wanted to know how things would be resolved, but things were sometimes a bit long to click into place and move forward. I still had a great time because the plot was cool, and I loved the characters so much, but the pacing held me back a little.
One of the things I really loved, too, was the abuse rep. It’s a little harsh sometimes, but I think it was well-handled. A lot of characters have abusive parents or stepparents, and the abuse is different every time, and no matter if it’s just mentioned a few times or more in-depth, it always rang true to me, and I liked how the resolution of that part of the plot was handled.
TW: abuse toward queer and disabled character, violence, on-page physical abuse, explicit sex (chapters which include sex scenes are marked by a '*' at the beginning), queerphobia, swearing, mention of parental death, mention of substance abuse and addiction, misgendering. (all TWs are listed at the beginning of the book!)
I generally love Chace Verity’s work because it’s unapologetically queer and otherwise diverse and this was no exception. It filled my little queer heart with happiness to see so many queer IDs represented, without it being a big deal. An aromantic pansexual trans guy fairy, a nonbinary sapphic MC, a black gay prince (and a side m/m romance with his knight), a fat lesbian and a disabled lesbian. It was super heartwarming and I loved it.
Now to get into the story a little more, I was a little bit sceptical at first. Cinderella retelling but she falls in love with her stepsisters? Could have easily been messed up. But I didn’t really have a problem with it. None of the sisters are related, and since they live in a super toxic household, they barely interact with each other before the story starts. They don’t have a sisterly bond, so I was mostly fine with the romance between the three of them.
I really loved the characters. Lord Gafford has my eternal love and devotion. He was extremely funny, super anxious, and I related to him in many many ways. His relationship with Cyn was great, and my aro heart was happy to have this rep. Cyn was an awesome MC, determined to save everything and everyone she loves. And I was so happy to see that in this retelling, ‘Cinderella’ had an awesome friendship with the prince.
I think my main issue is with the pacing which wasn’t always great. I loved the storyline and I wanted to know how things would be resolved, but things were sometimes a bit long to click into place and move forward. I still had a great time because the plot was cool, and I loved the characters so much, but the pacing held me back a little.
One of the things I really loved, too, was the abuse rep. It’s a little harsh sometimes, but I think it was well-handled. A lot of characters have abusive parents or stepparents, and the abuse is different every time, and no matter if it’s just mentioned a few times or more in-depth, it always rang true to me, and I liked how the resolution of that part of the plot was handled.
TW: abuse toward queer and disabled character, violence, on-page physical abuse, explicit sex (chapters which include sex scenes are marked by a '*' at the beginning), queerphobia, swearing, mention of parental death, mention of substance abuse and addiction, misgendering. (all TWs are listed at the beginning of the book!)
copiouspep's review
4.0
Content Warnings: Abuse towards queer characters, including mental, emotional, and on-the—page physical abuse; abuse towards a disabled character; anti-queer rhetoric and microaggressions; excessive swearing, included gendered insults; mentions of deceased parents; mentions of substance abuse and addiction; and misgendering, including accidental and willful instances.
A wonderful polyamorous, diverse and queer Cinderella retelling featuring a nonbinary/f/f pairing with gay side characters and a transgender aromantic pansexual side character. One of Cyn’s step sisters has a chronic illness and she’s often seen in a wheelchair, though she can walk with a cane when the pain is tolerable.
It’s always refreshing to see a story that portrays label fluidity as positive. Someone doesn’t have to know who they are 100% of the time and that’s perfectly fine. Cyn has weird gender feelings (forever mood) and all she knew was that she wasn’t a woman. Through talking with her fairy godfather, she discovers the term “nonbinary” and feels that she’s not alone in her feelings. Cyn’s pronouns are mostly she/her, though she doesn’t mind the use of they/them which I really liked because gender and pronouns are definitely a complicated thing.
It was easy to relate to Cyn. She was anxious to come out to her friend and two stepsisters until she felt comfortable around them. She acted irrationally even when she knew better and wanted a better life for her and for those that she loved. As always in Verity books, the found family trope is well written and I was rooting for everyone to get their happy ending. And a “happy ending” doesn’t always mean a romantic ending, which was a very lovely thing for this aro-spec person to see. Bless.
There is a lot of abuse in this story. Cyn’s stepfather is physically abusive and her stepmother is emotionally and verbally abusive. It’s not only limited to Cyn either – we see the ways that Harlow, Elodie, and Dexter are also treated by their parents. It was nice how this story played out at the end – how scared Cyn was of reporting them even though she knew her friends had her back. It really portrayed how difficult it was to get out of an abusive relationship when it’s all you’ve known for a long time.
I loved all of the side characters and their flaws. The disaster fairy who curses a lot and doesn’t know how to express his feelings or how to do mundane tasks without magic, Harlow and how she didn’t want to leave her father because she thought he would end up dead, Elodie’s subtle kindness when it comes to her stepsisters and making sure they’re taken care of, and Dexter as he discovers truths about himself.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
A wonderful polyamorous, diverse and queer Cinderella retelling featuring a nonbinary/f/f pairing with gay side characters and a transgender aromantic pansexual side character. One of Cyn’s step sisters has a chronic illness and she’s often seen in a wheelchair, though she can walk with a cane when the pain is tolerable.
It’s always refreshing to see a story that portrays label fluidity as positive. Someone doesn’t have to know who they are 100% of the time and that’s perfectly fine. Cyn has weird gender feelings (forever mood) and all she knew was that she wasn’t a woman. Through talking with her fairy godfather, she discovers the term “nonbinary” and feels that she’s not alone in her feelings. Cyn’s pronouns are mostly she/her, though she doesn’t mind the use of they/them which I really liked because gender and pronouns are definitely a complicated thing.
It was easy to relate to Cyn. She was anxious to come out to her friend and two stepsisters until she felt comfortable around them. She acted irrationally even when she knew better and wanted a better life for her and for those that she loved. As always in Verity books, the found family trope is well written and I was rooting for everyone to get their happy ending. And a “happy ending” doesn’t always mean a romantic ending, which was a very lovely thing for this aro-spec person to see. Bless.
There is a lot of abuse in this story. Cyn’s stepfather is physically abusive and her stepmother is emotionally and verbally abusive. It’s not only limited to Cyn either – we see the ways that Harlow, Elodie, and Dexter are also treated by their parents. It was nice how this story played out at the end – how scared Cyn was of reporting them even though she knew her friends had her back. It really portrayed how difficult it was to get out of an abusive relationship when it’s all you’ve known for a long time.
I loved all of the side characters and their flaws. The disaster fairy who curses a lot and doesn’t know how to express his feelings or how to do mundane tasks without magic, Harlow and how she didn’t want to leave her father because she thought he would end up dead, Elodie’s subtle kindness when it comes to her stepsisters and making sure they’re taken care of, and Dexter as he discovers truths about himself.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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