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frenchleigh's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! CW: domestic and sexual violence, trauma, substance use, war.
This book had a really interesting concept, and I don't read or know much about Jewish lore so I was excited for that aspect. I thought it was important that the book showed an abusive relationship between two men, because this is not talked about much and men have unique experiences with DV. That said, I really wish that this part was own-voices and I thought the normalization of queerness in the book kind of prevented a deeper discussion of what that experience and healing means for a lot of people in real life. I also did not like the role of the "best friend" in repeating the sexual trauma of the MC because it was "what he needed." It just felt like trauma was a plot device.
Overall, the book felt repetitive and lacked depth in its characters, world-building and plot. It read like a sequel to a book that would have actually established deep relationships between the characters and relationships between the reader and the characters, but starting "in the aftermath" didn't work in this book in my opinion because the narration doesn't take the time to really show you why you should care. The first half of the book is just expository backstory and the political intrigue wasn't there for me. I didn't think there were enough visual details to feel engrossed in the actual plot whenever there was an actual scene written.
I also thought the relationships between a tsar and his political consort were very oddly intimate and tangled. It doesn't seem appropriate for the main relationship/emotions to be based on deep love and friendship with nothing else. The Jasmine Throne or Black Sun, for example, do a good job of exploring what love and friendships can look like in political alliances that are more nuanced and based on mutual respect and difficult choices--but this book seemed more like a group of teenage friends who we're supposed to believe are competent.
This book had a really interesting concept, and I don't read or know much about Jewish lore so I was excited for that aspect. I thought it was important that the book showed an abusive relationship between two men, because this is not talked about much and men have unique experiences with DV. That said, I really wish that this part was own-voices and I thought the normalization of queerness in the book kind of prevented a deeper discussion of what that experience and healing means for a lot of people in real life. I also did not like the role of the "best friend" in repeating the sexual trauma of the MC because it was "what he needed." It just felt like trauma was a plot device.
Overall, the book felt repetitive and lacked depth in its characters, world-building and plot. It read like a sequel to a book that would have actually established deep relationships between the characters and relationships between the reader and the characters, but starting "in the aftermath" didn't work in this book in my opinion because the narration doesn't take the time to really show you why you should care. The first half of the book is just expository backstory and the political intrigue wasn't there for me. I didn't think there were enough visual details to feel engrossed in the actual plot whenever there was an actual scene written.
I also thought the relationships between a tsar and his political consort were very oddly intimate and tangled. It doesn't seem appropriate for the main relationship/emotions to be based on deep love and friendship with nothing else. The Jasmine Throne or Black Sun, for example, do a good job of exploring what love and friendships can look like in political alliances that are more nuanced and based on mutual respect and difficult choices--but this book seemed more like a group of teenage friends who we're supposed to believe are competent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, War, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship
tonyaf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
3.75
I had no idea what to expect when I started The Sins On Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin. I saw that it was blurbed by several queer romantasy authors that I like, so I requested it from NetGalley on a whim and was happy to dive in. I’m so glad I did. It was not what I was expecting but it is an interesting and dark fantasy that I enjoyed discovering.
First of all, if there are things that could trigger you, be sure to read the content warnings before you start this book! This novel deals with some very heavy topics!
The Sins On Their Bones is inspired by Jewish mysticism and folklore and is a high fantasy set in a world similar to Eastern Europe in the 19th century. Dimitri Alexeyev, one of the main POV characters and a former Tszar, has recently lost a brutal civil war to his vicious and newly immortal ex-husband, Alexey Balakin.
At the story’s start, Dimitri is in hiding in the Free States with his closest friends and former members of his royal court: Vasily, his most trusted spy; Annika, who once led his army; Ladushka, his political advisor, and Mischa, his royal physician. Dimitri still harbors a lot of guilt (and other complicated feelings) about Alexey, the war, and the consequences of it. When Vasily brings word that Alexey is building an army to invade the Free States the group hatches a dangerous plan to finally defeat Dimitri’s monstrous ex.
The novel cycles through three POVs. Along with Dimitri, we also get chapters from Alexey and Vasily. All three POVs are engaging and each adds different things to the story. Jumping back and forth through their parts of the story moved the plot along steadily while also filling in the needed backstory. Vasily’s chapters, in particular, give a lot of clarity to the backstory which was one of the many reasons that his chapters quickly became my favorite.
The plot of this is fast-paced, dark, and full of religious and political themes. I also found it surprising and not predictable at all. Multiple moments shocked me and had me frantically flipping pages to see what would happen next.
The characters are also likable. Vasily, as I’ve already mentioned, is a fantastic character. Dimitri is sympathetic and has a nice arc of growth and healing. Alexey is a terrifying and well-written villain. Annika, Ladushka, and Mischa round out the main cast as dynamic characters with a lovely “found family” relationship (together with Dimitri and Vasily).
The Sins On Their Bones is a unique and very queer dark fantasy. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic tales of good versus evil in their fantasy!
OTHER POINTS:
- Alexey reminds me of The Darkling from the Shadow and Bone trilogy.
- There may be a Doctor Who reference.
- There is an asexual character and a non-binary character along with the many same-sex relationships that the book features.
- The whole book is delightfully queer normative with most of the main characters and several side characters being casually queer. There’s no drama or trauma around their identities.
- I also liked how the author wove Judaism into the world.
- Did I mention how much I love Vasily?
- The last 25% of the book is tense, action-packed, emotional, and surprising. It is almost impossible to put down!
- The ending is satisfying while also setting up issues for a future sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Sexual content, Murder, Domestic abuse, War, Gore, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Blood
peacheyprince's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
I was fortunate to be able to read this as an ARC through netgalley, and for that, I am greatful. When I began reading this novel, I began writing down every thought I had to be able to compose this review. Straight away, I adored the art at the front of the copy, thinking about how I would buy them as prints, as well as the etchings on the chapter title pages. I love that the author has chosen to add content warnings before the beginning (and on StoryGraph). This is something that is all too overlooked in media today. Upon reading the words, I straight away fell in love with the imagery used within the writing, and if this was a physical copy I'd have been marking every few pages to return to. However, my attention to detail quickly fell away as I became entirely entranced within this novel.
The plot is captivating, almost from the start. I have seen other reviews, and I can understand how it may be slower for some people, but, in my opinion, this is down to a matter of one's personal likes, rather than writing skill. I loved the fact the plot picked up from the back-end of a major tragedy - it wrote into the characterisation of Dimitri, and it provided a backdrop to build the world around. But above all, I fell in love with the characters, quickly, and there may lie bias in how well a queer-normative world was built up (to even see this representation at all!), but the introduction of a non-binary character, with neutral pronouns, so casually, just existing, was truly beautiful to read, despite the affliction the plot is built upon.
From here on I may spoil some parts of the novel. I will try to be as ambiguous as possible, but please read on with concern if the novel is unread for you.
All the reveals within this novel, every single one, struck me, such as finding out what the illustrations in the front of the novel are, and how this so subtly, but so wonderfully, revealed the relations from Vasily towards Dimitri, for example. But also finding out what Alexey has done - I don't know if I can say all of it was a shock, as you gradually learn enough of his character to predict the actions he is capable of, but it was still done so well, and with care. There lies concern writing from the point of view of a manipulator, or a villain, and particularly with one of Alexey's demise, but I think the author has done this brilliantly. Firstly, even balancing all three perspectives was seamless, and there was no hitch or break in the story telling that you can sometimes find in multiple-pov novels. But even so, reading Alexey's pov in particular, you understand his thinking, you understood his motivations, so well that it wasn't question, and yet it was still obvious that he was the villain, the manipulator (with the author even explicitly using words such as this) without ruining the character of his point of view.
Some of the moments in particular which got me, that I was present enough to stop and write down in my notes, include: the end of chapter 7, where I have written how happy I was, and how the author has already managed to create such strong connections to the characters; how i already was emotional with tears within the first one hundred pages of the book; and then a jump to the end of chapter 32, because I become so enhanced with the plot and characters, where, and i quote my own notes, 'i am screaming'; the transmission to the next chapter... it was captivating.
I think the only hinderance I held throughout the plot was in chapter 34, following Alexey and Ivan's following interactions, there is a sentence that reads on p. 336 immediately following the scene break, the illicit use of this word, made me believe a major plot point which, actually, never happened. Considering his character, this was entirely believable to me, and this may fully be a reflection of me finishing this novel late at night, because I went back and reread this paragraph when I realised. It did not dictate from the story, and nor did it ruin the unveiling of events in any way, but I wish to include it in an honest review. Nevertheless, for a debut novel, I have fallen in love, and I truly truly look forward to (what I hope will be!) the second instalment in this series. And finally, I admired the explanation at the end, and I respect the choice to include the further reading. This book was an easy five stars, no questions asked.
The plot is captivating, almost from the start. I have seen other reviews, and I can understand how it may be slower for some people, but, in my opinion, this is down to a matter of one's personal likes, rather than writing skill. I loved the fact the plot picked up from the back-end of a major tragedy - it wrote into the characterisation of Dimitri, and it provided a backdrop to build the world around. But above all, I fell in love with the characters, quickly, and there may lie bias in how well a queer-normative world was built up (to even see this representation at all!), but the introduction of a non-binary character, with neutral pronouns, so casually, just existing, was truly beautiful to read, despite the affliction the plot is built upon.
From here on I may spoil some parts of the novel. I will try to be as ambiguous as possible, but please read on with concern if the novel is unread for you.
All the reveals within this novel, every single one, struck me, such as finding out what the illustrations in the front of the novel are, and how this so subtly, but so wonderfully, revealed the relations from Vasily towards Dimitri, for example. But also finding out what Alexey has done - I don't know if I can say all of it was a shock, as you gradually learn enough of his character to predict the actions he is capable of, but it was still done so well, and with care. There lies concern writing from the point of view of a manipulator, or a villain, and particularly with one of Alexey's demise, but I think the author has done this brilliantly. Firstly, even balancing all three perspectives was seamless, and there was no hitch or break in the story telling that you can sometimes find in multiple-pov novels. But even so, reading Alexey's pov in particular, you understand his thinking, you understood his motivations, so well that it wasn't question, and yet it was still obvious that he was the villain, the manipulator (with the author even explicitly using words such as this) without ruining the character of his point of view.
Some of the moments in particular which got me, that I was present enough to stop and write down in my notes, include: the end of chapter 7, where I have written how happy I was, and how the author has already managed to create such strong connections to the characters; how i already was emotional with tears within the first one hundred pages of the book; and then a jump to the end of chapter 32, because I become so enhanced with the plot and characters, where, and i quote my own notes, 'i am screaming'; the transmission to the next chapter... it was captivating.
I think the only hinderance I held throughout the plot was in chapter 34, following Alexey and Ivan's following interactions, there is a sentence that reads on p. 336 immediately following the scene break, the illicit use of this word, made me believe a major plot point which, actually, never happened. Considering his character, this was entirely believable to me, and this may fully be a reflection of me finishing this novel late at night, because I went back and reread this paragraph when I realised. It did not dictate from the story, and nor did it ruin the unveiling of events in any way, but I wish to include it in an honest review. Nevertheless, for a debut novel, I have fallen in love, and I truly truly look forward to (what I hope will be!) the second instalment in this series. And finally, I admired the explanation at the end, and I respect the choice to include the further reading. This book was an easy five stars, no questions asked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Gore, and War
atlastheninth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
I received a free ARC of this book and here's my honest review.
The author told me that if I like pain, I'll love this book and she was right. This was very painful and I loved every page.
I love the world building, the plot was good and I really love the characters. I cried and I'm very much looking forward to the next book. I don't know what else to tell you, I have no notes.
Be aware if you want to read this check the CW! Because this is a dark fantasy and deals with a lot of heavy topics, especially the domestic abuse (It features the POV of victim and abuser).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Alcohol, Blood, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, and War
Minor: Child abuse and Panic attacks/disorders
mint_the_muffin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I want to like this book so much, but the truth is I only finished it out of sheer stubbornness (and maybe a sliver of hope that it will get better.)
This is a story of a tsar who gets overthrown by his own husband - even though his husband loves him so much - and has to go into hiding. His husband is a fan of black magic that goes against the tsar's religion, so he has to try and fight back - even though he also loves his husband so much. To this end, his spymaster, who is head over heels in love with him will find journey back to the palace alone under a disguise and try to find a way to kill the usurper - whom he hates so much he can't go one second without thinking about a thousand ways to kill him.
Let me talk about the things I like about this book first. It has a very beautiful prose. This is the book's main strength. It's very flowery and poetic. It's clear that the author puts in a lot of work into researching and crafting the Russian-inspired settings. And I can feel that the author really cares about the themes discussed in the book, like the struggle to love yourself after getting gaslighted for so long, finding a family that you belong, and overcoming your traumas. I can feel the beating heart through the letters of this book, and I really appreciate that.
Now, my problem, though, is that I didn't enjoy the story. And when I say it's my problem, I mean it's a matter of preferences. And there are two layers to this. Firstly, at the idea level, no one is competent at their jobs. Or if they're supposed to be, then I'm not convinced. It's awkward to be in the head of a spy who is constantly struggling to not be overwhelmed by his emotion and maintain his disguise. It's also hard to root for a man to reclaim his throne when you're not convinced he would make a good king. Like, he literally balks at making any decisions. Now, I know there's a point about anxiety and depression that come from domestic abuse, physically, emotionally, and sexually. As a person, he's a kind person who deserves all the nice and pretty things in the world. I root for him to heal, to take his time, to be surrounded by people he love and not have to stress about how his abusive husband is going to destroy the world. As a king, though, being nice is just not enough - I don't really trust the country in his hands.
The other level of my problem is how the idea is told. The story alternates between 3 POVs: the tsar, the usurper husband, and the spymaster. From the beginning, in each and every chapter, these characters never hold back on pouring all their thoughts and emotions onto the pages. This means, that, one, all their incompetency and foil are exposed to the readers very early on; and two, from the beginning, I know who they are. Maybe not all their histories exactly, but more than enough to predict what they're going to do in any situations. And then, the next time the character's chapter comes around, they are still wallowing in their emotions! Nothing happens until about 40% into the book because every chapter consists of a short dialogue that leads nowhere plus an endless turmoil of repetitive emotions. This style of writing makes me numb because when you start at maximum emotion - the grief, the anger, the fear, the yearning, and the yearning, and more yearning - there is just nowhere else to go. Not for the enmity nor the romance. So, the only thing left to keep me going was the plot which progresses at a snail pace and only picks up around the 70% mark, at which point the story does become significantly more entertaining.
I would still recommend this book if you're someone who enjoy characters with overflowing emotions and beautiful writing. I would also recommend it if you're looking books that explore the themes that I said I appreciated above. But if you're looking for court intrigue, complex schemes, or nuanced characters, I don't think you'll get that from here.
I want to like this book so much, but the truth is I only finished it out of sheer stubbornness (and maybe a sliver of hope that it will get better.)
This is a story of a tsar who gets overthrown by his own husband - even though his husband loves him so much - and has to go into hiding. His husband is a fan of black magic that goes against the tsar's religion, so he has to try and fight back - even though he also loves his husband so much. To this end, his spymaster, who is head over heels in love with him will find journey back to the palace alone under a disguise and try to find a way to kill the usurper - whom he hates so much he can't go one second without thinking about a thousand ways to kill him.
Let me talk about the things I like about this book first. It has a very beautiful prose. This is the book's main strength. It's very flowery and poetic. It's clear that the author puts in a lot of work into researching and crafting the Russian-inspired settings. And I can feel that the author really cares about the themes discussed in the book, like the struggle to love yourself after getting gaslighted for so long, finding a family that you belong, and overcoming your traumas. I can feel the beating heart through the letters of this book, and I really appreciate that.
Now, my problem, though, is that I didn't enjoy the story. And when I say it's my problem, I mean it's a matter of preferences. And there are two layers to this. Firstly, at the idea level, no one is competent at their jobs. Or if they're supposed to be, then I'm not convinced. It's awkward to be in the head of a spy who is constantly struggling to not be overwhelmed by his emotion and maintain his disguise. It's also hard to root for a man to reclaim his throne when you're not convinced he would make a good king. Like, he literally balks at making any decisions. Now, I know there's a point about anxiety and depression that come from domestic abuse, physically, emotionally, and sexually. As a person, he's a kind person who deserves all the nice and pretty things in the world. I root for him to heal, to take his time, to be surrounded by people he love and not have to stress about how his abusive husband is going to destroy the world. As a king, though, being nice is just not enough - I don't really trust the country in his hands.
The other level of my problem is how the idea is told. The story alternates between 3 POVs: the tsar, the usurper husband, and the spymaster. From the beginning, in each and every chapter, these characters never hold back on pouring all their thoughts and emotions onto the pages. This means, that, one, all their incompetency and foil are exposed to the readers very early on; and two, from the beginning, I know who they are. Maybe not all their histories exactly, but more than enough to predict what they're going to do in any situations. And then, the next time the character's chapter comes around, they are still wallowing in their emotions! Nothing happens until about 40% into the book because every chapter consists of a short dialogue that leads nowhere plus an endless turmoil of repetitive emotions. This style of writing makes me numb because when you start at maximum emotion - the grief, the anger, the fear, the yearning, and the yearning, and more yearning - there is just nowhere else to go. Not for the enmity nor the romance. So, the only thing left to keep me going was the plot which progresses at a snail pace and only picks up around the 70% mark, at which point the story does become significantly more entertaining.
I would still recommend this book if you're someone who enjoy characters with overflowing emotions and beautiful writing. I would also recommend it if you're looking books that explore the themes that I said I appreciated above. But if you're looking for court intrigue, complex schemes, or nuanced characters, I don't think you'll get that from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol
kiandrareadsbooks's review
Just not for me- compelling characters and interesting plot, but since I’m not a romantasy fan this just wasn’t landing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Grief, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, and Domestic abuse
Grooming by an older partner (not adult/minor, but large age gap)beforeviolets's review
challenging
dark
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
SHADOW AND BONE meets FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST but make it Jewish and about sexual trauma in this gorgeous and complex new queer, Jewish, dark fantasy (NOT a romantasy!).
Our story takes place in a post-war world, scattered with hefty debris of trauma and scars.
Dimitri, the self-exiled Tsar, is struggling as he copes with the loss of his husband, Alexey, in more ways than one. He's surrounded by his friends who all want to support and love him the best they can, but his violent past with Alexey makes it hard for him to accept tenderness.
Alexey is now the acting Tsar, furious at his husband's betrayal and hungry for power. With the help of the Holy Science, he intends to remake the world as he remade himself, as the Chosen One of the Lord, a vessel between realms.
Vasily watches Dimitri ache, determined to take down Alexey and provide Dimitri with the happiness and freedom he deserves. But in order to make that happen, he'll have to craft an elaborate plan. One that involves risking his life and getting incredibly close to the enemy.
This violent yet resilient story wonderfully explores the effects of trauma, especially from abusive relationships, and how we write our scars deep into the bones of our identity, carrying the blame of a fault that was not our own.
My only critique of this book is less of a critique, but more something that if I was editing this book, I would suggest as a way to elevate the narrative. The story begins in the aftermath of a war, with most of the present stakes and circumstances informed by a complex backstory. With that in mind, I wish information about what exactly occurred in the past was divulged slowly in small, intentional moments. This post-war environment could have had a stronger impact and helped with pacing if the audience had been kept stewing in obscurity for longer, gathering up the shattered pieces bit by bit to make a full picture. Especially if Alexey had been kept vague, with only hints at his POV up until a certain point in the story. It definitely would have allowed for a stronger balance of intrigue and drama.
But other than that, I really enjoyed this story and found it full of such vivid and nuanced commentary about trauma and abuse.
I don't recommend this book lightly, as I found myself often nauseous from the violence and gore or deeply upset by the graphic sexual abuse. A third of the narration is told from the mind of an abuser, and witnessing his cruelty in high definition is not the easiest feat, nor is that of witnessing the other characters sacrifice their all in the name of their country's freedom and safety. But if these contents are something you're able to handle, it really is all worth it in the end. I can't wait to see how the story continues in the sequel.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
CW: sexual violence, abusive relationship, blood & gore, violence, injury detail (graphic), body horror, human experimentation, trauma, sexual content, character death, gun violence, drug use, war (past), torture (mention), child death (mention), death of father (past), emesis, alcohol
Our story takes place in a post-war world, scattered with hefty debris of trauma and scars.
Dimitri, the self-exiled Tsar, is struggling as he copes with the loss of his husband, Alexey, in more ways than one. He's surrounded by his friends who all want to support and love him the best they can, but his violent past with Alexey makes it hard for him to accept tenderness.
Alexey is now the acting Tsar, furious at his husband's betrayal and hungry for power. With the help of the Holy Science, he intends to remake the world as he remade himself, as the Chosen One of the Lord, a vessel between realms.
Vasily watches Dimitri ache, determined to take down Alexey and provide Dimitri with the happiness and freedom he deserves. But in order to make that happen, he'll have to craft an elaborate plan. One that involves risking his life and getting incredibly close to the enemy.
This violent yet resilient story wonderfully explores the effects of trauma, especially from abusive relationships, and how we write our scars deep into the bones of our identity, carrying the blame of a fault that was not our own.
My only critique of this book is less of a critique, but more something that if I was editing this book, I would suggest as a way to elevate the narrative. The story begins in the aftermath of a war, with most of the present stakes and circumstances informed by a complex backstory. With that in mind, I wish information about what exactly occurred in the past was divulged slowly in small, intentional moments. This post-war environment could have had a stronger impact and helped with pacing if the audience had been kept stewing in obscurity for longer, gathering up the shattered pieces bit by bit to make a full picture. Especially if Alexey had been kept vague, with only hints at his POV up until a certain point in the story. It definitely would have allowed for a stronger balance of intrigue and drama.
But other than that, I really enjoyed this story and found it full of such vivid and nuanced commentary about trauma and abuse.
I don't recommend this book lightly, as I found myself often nauseous from the violence and gore or deeply upset by the graphic sexual abuse. A third of the narration is told from the mind of an abuser, and witnessing his cruelty in high definition is not the easiest feat, nor is that of witnessing the other characters sacrifice their all in the name of their country's freedom and safety. But if these contents are something you're able to handle, it really is all worth it in the end. I can't wait to see how the story continues in the sequel.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
CW: sexual violence, abusive relationship, blood & gore, violence, injury detail (graphic), body horror, human experimentation, trauma, sexual content, character death, gun violence, drug use, war (past), torture (mention), child death (mention), death of father (past), emesis, alcohol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Drug use, Torture, War, and Gun violence
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Child death
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