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bookcaptivated's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, Vomit, and Cursing
emwith's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Found this book difficult to get through even though i really like it. I just spent sooo long on it and i don’y know Why it was such a struggle to get through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Body horror, Death of parent, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Torture
courtsport3000's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
5.0
An absolutely addictive read that delivers on everything it promises.
It's got:
-dark academia vibes featuring a big old school on a cliff by the sea (with multiple libraries!)
-secret societies with eerie initiation practices
-a unique magic system boasting a diverse array of abilities, each influenced by phases of the moon
-a creepy sanitorium type facility where something sinister is happening
-family secrets on family secrets on family secrets
-dual POVs where both characters are actually equally engaging
-New Adult energy with YA grade romance (not in a bad way)
-betrayals, cover ups, murders, rescues - alll the drama
This is everything I want from a dark academia fantasy. It was thrill to experience and I cannot overstate how eagerly I'm anticipating the sequel later this year. I want to lose myself in this mysterious world again as soon as possible. Highly recommend.
Special thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for an ARC in exchange for review.
It's got:
-dark academia vibes featuring a big old school on a cliff by the sea (with multiple libraries!)
-secret societies with eerie initiation practices
-a unique magic system boasting a diverse array of abilities, each influenced by phases of the moon
-a creepy sanitorium type facility where something sinister is happening
-family secrets on family secrets on family secrets
-dual POVs where both characters are actually equally engaging
-New Adult energy with YA grade romance (not in a bad way)
-betrayals, cover ups, murders, rescues - alll the drama
This is everything I want from a dark academia fantasy. It was thrill to experience and I cannot overstate how eagerly I'm anticipating the sequel later this year. I want to lose myself in this mysterious world again as soon as possible. Highly recommend.
Special thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for an ARC in exchange for review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Drug use
batmayne_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book so much! It took awhile to get through but has an amazing storyline and magic system. Its a dual pov everyother chapter changing between Emory and Baz. I feel inlove with alot of side characters, Kai and Jae were in my top 5. After 8 students die, 4 washing up on shores, 4 missing, Emory is the only survivor that night. After a summer away, emory returns to college to try and find the mystery of the Dovermere Caves and ends up unlocking secrets and mysterys beyond what she expected. The magic system revolve around the Tides and Sun and Moon and Darkness(the Gods and Godesses) perfect story for the moon, space and water witches!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Drug abuse, Blood, and Self harm
luckykosmos's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I liked the pacing, the overall plot, the characters. Lacelle's prose is also really promising. There were two issues I had throughout.
One was just worldbuilding jargon - there was a point where it didn't feel natural, like something someone would say. It felt like Lacelle held on to the alignment/sign/etc verbiage with white knuckles and wouldn't let go. Maybe this is more a flaw of this kind of fantasy, but as much as I loved the magic system, tied to moon cycles in a very specific way, it did take me out.
The other wasthe mystery of how Emory came to be Eclipse-born. While I'm actually thrilled it wasn't just an oopsie, the assumption Emory had to make for most of the book (and what a coincidence there happened to be an eclipse the day before - I probably would have preferred it without this tidy distraction), it felt like the latent-Healer-to-Eclipse explanation was a little too tidy, especially packaged with the revelation that Emory's mother had a larger part in the narrative under a false name.
I loved the Collapsing switcheroo and the characters involved there. I think there's a lot of potential in book 2, because with a bit more editing, I would have adored this.
One was just worldbuilding jargon - there was a point where it didn't feel natural, like something someone would say. It felt like Lacelle held on to the alignment/sign/etc verbiage with white knuckles and wouldn't let go. Maybe this is more a flaw of this kind of fantasy, but as much as I loved the magic system, tied to moon cycles in a very specific way, it did take me out.
The other was
I loved the Collapsing switcheroo and the characters involved there. I think there's a lot of potential in book 2, because with a bit more editing, I would have adored this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Death of parent
tenderbench's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Body horror
theespressoedition's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Self harm, Murder, Toxic relationship, Cursing, and Death
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Sexual content, Torture, and Alcohol
novelshire's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.75
A dark academia fantasy with magic based on tides, the phases of the moon and eclipses.
Emory is the only survivor of a ritual gone wrong, one she wasn't supposed to have been a part of. Deep in the caves just down from the college, eight other students were lost to the tides but only four bodies were recovered.
Emory returns for a new term but is soon confused by a strange pull she feels back to the caves and a change to her magic. She seeks help from Baz, the brother of her drowned bestfriend Romie and an eclipse-born magic user. At the same time, Emory is drawn in to a secret society and drawn to Kieran, the society's golden-boy.
I really liked the mythology and magic system involved in this world, the author has obviously put a lot of thought into how all of it works together. The setting is also great, a magical college on the cliffs, a dangerous cave system - it's all very atmospheric and intriguing.
The story alternates between Emory and Baz, and I found Baz to be a much more sympathetic character. Emory had her moments, but she was also clearly obsessed with and jealous of Romie, manipulative and occasionally incredibly stupid.
My other complaint was that the chapters were very long and, especially in the first half, full of repeated, rambling, self-absorption and recounting past events.
Having said that, I liked the general progression of the story and the unfolding of the mysteries surrounding the cave and the magic connected to it and I'm interested to see where the story goes next.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK Children's for providing a netgalley copy for me to review
Emory is the only survivor of a ritual gone wrong, one she wasn't supposed to have been a part of. Deep in the caves just down from the college, eight other students were lost to the tides but only four bodies were recovered.
Emory returns for a new term but is soon confused by a strange pull she feels back to the caves and a change to her magic. She seeks help from Baz, the brother of her drowned bestfriend Romie and an eclipse-born magic user. At the same time, Emory is drawn in to a secret society and drawn to Kieran, the society's golden-boy.
I really liked the mythology and magic system involved in this world, the author has obviously put a lot of thought into how all of it works together. The setting is also great, a magical college on the cliffs, a dangerous cave system - it's all very atmospheric and intriguing.
The story alternates between Emory and Baz, and I found Baz to be a much more sympathetic character. Emory had her moments, but she was also clearly obsessed with and jealous of Romie, manipulative and occasionally incredibly stupid.
My other complaint was that the chapters were very long and, especially in the first half, full of repeated, rambling, self-absorption and recounting past events.
Having said that, I liked the general progression of the story and the unfolding of the mysteries surrounding the cave and the magic connected to it and I'm interested to see where the story goes next.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK Children's for providing a netgalley copy for me to review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Blood
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