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honnari_hannya's review against another edition
1.0
A book with incredibly spare prose, and not necessarily in a good way. It was too short for much to develop, and felt more like a draft rather than a finished story. The plot, characters, and atmosphere were barely described, as if Sharma was trying to rush through the story. The family drama was unbearably dull, the resentments half-formed, the mystique of Ormeshadow as thin as paper. Overall an attempt at a gothic that wasn't successful. Still, not the worst thing I've ever read. A solid, "Meh."
cj13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Classism, Bullying, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
annaavian's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
A dark and gloomy novella that failed to deliver.
I was expecting a fantasy with dragons, but instead got a mundane story focused on toxic masculinity and power struggles over women with little to no fantastical elements. The story felt a bit bleak with a rushed portrayal of a boy's life after losing his father, surrounded by a cold-hearted, distant mother and cruel relatives. The writing style is sparse, and the characters are unlikable at best. And after all that build-up, the ending left me disappointed.
I was expecting a fantasy with dragons, but instead got a mundane story focused on toxic masculinity and power struggles over women with little to no fantastical elements. The story felt a bit bleak with a rushed portrayal of a boy's life after losing his father, surrounded by a cold-hearted, distant mother and cruel relatives. The writing style is sparse, and the characters are unlikable at best. And after all that build-up, the ending left me disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Violence, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual content, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Suicide
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
goldenglitterydusk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
erinrosalee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
olivia_lauren_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved this novella. I hope that Priya Sharma continues to write so I can find and read and love those stories as well.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
Think of a rural David Copperfield with sheep and a dragon fairytale.
The writing was lovely but for such a short book I wished for more fantasy elements.
The writing was lovely but for such a short book I wished for more fantasy elements.
zellm's review against another edition
4.0
This was an absolutely fantastic novella. The writing was beautiful, the plot was heartwrenching, and the conclusion was everything I wanted it to be. This draws you in, breaks your heart, then spits you back out with just enough of a happy ending to make up for it all.
lynnelovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was an absolutely delightful, dark, and deeply complex fairy tale.