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amandalachelle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Dysphoria, Murder, Transphobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Death of parent, Torture, Ableism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
language_loving_amateur's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Transphobia, Gun violence, Blood, Dysphoria, and Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent, Deadnaming, and Murder
booksthatburn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Closing out the trilogy, AN UNSUITABLE HEIR expertly weaves together the remaining story threads left open from AN UNNATURAL VICE. Pen and Greta are twins, trapeze artists, and most commonly known as the "Flying Starlings", present since the beginning of the series. The timeline overlaps between scenes are artfully done, giving new context and perspective to the exact same events by showing them through a different character’s perspective. Even reading the whole trilogy in two days, the repetitions of some scenes felt poignant and fresh at the same time. The trilogy as a whole (and this book in particular) have many discussion of class, privilege, and the ways that bigotries have similar echoes, even when shaped to hit different targets. Pen is some variety of genderqueer by modern standards, the historical setting means he doesn’t have access to that specific language. Pen's pronouns are the best he can get as both "she" and "it" are wholly unsuitable, and "he" works well enough when necessary. Mark is generally described as one armed, with one full arm and another that ends in a stump at the elbow. It’s a congenital limb difference, not something he lost, and he and Penn have several long conversations about the weight of social expectations and the dissonance that’s caused when other people are upset that their bodies are not what was assumed.
I love AN UNSUITABLE HEIR as an end of the trilogy. There’s genuine tension in what Pen will choose, hemmed in by inheritance laws, the desire to do what’s best for his sister, and the need to be himself. Mark is caught between promises already made, and his growing attraction to Pen and care for Pen's wellbeing.
Graphic: Dysphoria
Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, Homophobia, and Deadnaming
Minor: Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Child death, and Transphobia
kharlan3's review
Graphic: Transphobia, Murder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Death of parent
Minor: Torture and Pregnancy