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maeverose's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pretty, atmospheric writing. Cute romance. I liked the characters. Overall I liked it but didn’t love it.
Tropes/Themes:
-mm romance
-forest setting
-historical
-folklore/fairtale elements
-dryads
-dark academia (a little bit)
Tropes/Themes:
-mm romance
-forest setting
-historical
-folklore/fairtale elements
-dryads
-dark academia (a little bit)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
Eye trauma (but very mild bc it happens to a spirit of sorts, though I think there is still blood) Description of a very old corpse. Loss of a romantic partner (kind of)frenchsnail's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
As someone who almost always picks the druid character when it is available, the quiet, unexplained nature magic oozing from this book is extremely interesting to me. I loved that Tobias seems to breathe damp earth and leave behind moss stains on everything. The way that time had a variable flow, depending on the beings that were around him. And how the metaphor of his "curse", if you would like to call it that, plays out.
I find it so interesting that while Tobias is demonstrably 'cursed' to be the Wild Man, he accepts that role and even finds beauty and purpose in it. He becomes something on the border of humanity and the magical forces of nature. He tasks himself with protecting the village, even despite their fear of him, perhaps in penance for his past life. A thing that also stood out to me was the extended metaphor of the affect abusive relationships can have on survivors. Tobias is stuck in a cycle, reliving the worst things Fabian inflicted on him. He has to bear witness to Fabian inflicting the same on the people he takes from the village each summer. He cannot leave the boundaries of the forest, which represent the mental place space he is confined to, due to Fabian's abuse. It is only through Silver shaking up his world and being taken that Tobias has the courage to break through the comfort zone he had established and uproot the Oak tree that had at once been a comfort but also housed the ultimate site of corruption. Like finally getting a root canal for a long unaddressed rotting tooth. Tobias finally confronts what he would not face many years and is able to heal. He rejoins the human world. In some ways he misses the solitude, the connection to the woods, but ultimately knows he must be among his kind.
And can we TALK about the queer romance! I was not expecting from a dark looking book on the outside, such a light-hearted flirtation and courtship. Silver makes no bones about his attractrion, and while Tobias is slow to reciprocate, it is from long disuse and feelings of unworthiness rather than from disgust of the attractions of a man. I am LIVING for all the queer reinterpretations of classic folk tales and cannot wait for more in the Drowned Country
And can we TALK about the queer romance! I was not expecting from a dark looking book on the outside, such a light-hearted flirtation and courtship. Silver makes no bones about his attractrion, and while Tobias is slow to reciprocate, it is from long disuse and feelings of unworthiness rather than from disgust of the attractions of a man. I am LIVING for all the queer reinterpretations of classic folk tales and cannot wait for more in the Drowned Country
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
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