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pollyhall's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
kshuler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The writing: absolutely beautiful
The story: heartbreaking
The cover: gorgeous
The vibes: immaculate
Summary - women with the gift of magic get back at the men who wronged them and find strength in themselves and each other
I picked this book up randomly at a library book sale. It's not what I usually would choose for myself but I bought it because it was 50 cents and I loved the cover art. I had zero expectations before reading it. Don't go into this book expecting fantasy, it's historical fiction with a touch of magical realism that deals with a lot of sensitive topics. The story was extremely slow-paced. It felt like nothing was happening for half of the book but I didn't even care because the writing was so beautiful. I would read Emilia Hart's grocery list. At times it was so lovely the way she described the garden, noting the bird and insect sounds, the sway of the breeze, the sunlight. At other times it was so hauntingly, heartbreakingly vivid when she described the tragic things happening to her characters.
I certainly would not recommend this to just anyone, considering the subject matter, genre, and pace.
Will this be everyone's cup of tea? No. Was it mine? Hell yes
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Incest, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and War
mzmegara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Rape and Abortion
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
elizas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Car accident
Minor: Alcoholism, Dementia, Abandonment, and Classism
lunablch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Murder
suttonhowell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
i understand the idea of trying to tie the stories of the ancestors together by similarly lived traumas, but I just don't think it does what the author thinks it does. the graphic depictions of the crimes against these women were not at all necessary to understanding the direness of this situation, and all of them using those traumas as pillars of their motivations felt icky. reading this book made me feel like i was violating these fictional women too. i think this was supposed to be empowering??? maybe???? it definitely missed the mark with that one.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and War
mal_dale's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcoholism, Murder, and Abandonment
crazybooklady89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is the story of 3 women whose lives are intertwined with one another. It is a beautiful piece of fiction that demonstrates divine feminine power.
It is a slow read and definitely took me longer than usual, but I am so glad I stuck it out. This is one of those stories that could be read multiple times, and the reader would likely find something new each time.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
basil_touche's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I like that with the audiobook the three women were narrated by three different narrators; helped them feel like distinct characters. Altha was my favourite. Her voice felt very of the period (1619), and her personality felt very distinct from Violet and Kate. The way that their stories linked up over the centuries was well done, though perhaps a tad too contrived at points (especially how Violet is linked with a certain event in the last chapter). The book is filled with heavy subject matter, but I think that it is treated with care. Fair warning that it does get very graphic at times. I did feel that most of the antagonists were a bit one note/dimensional
I'm not sure if I'm fully happy with how all their plot threads end
Overall I enjoyed this, probably won't read it again or other books similar to it. Kinda feels like if you've read one, you've read them all
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, War, and Injury/Injury detail
cplancke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder