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A review by cleolindbooks
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
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? No
4.0
Thank you Net Galley for the E-Arc.
READ TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING BOOK
This is an amazing book with really complex and difficult themes. They handled sensitively and hard seems extremely well and very respectfully. While I 100% loved the story there is R--- on page and mentioned throughout the story. Please read the triggers before picking up the story as it mentions not only this but self-harm and suicidal thoughts/actions. I think the author did a wonderful job conveying the pain and growth without trivializing or making a plot point of this topic. It feels purposeful and truly a story about healing.
In addition to this, the mystery/main plot is very well detailed and interesting to read about. There is magic and political intrigue. Velasin and Caethari are put into an arranged marriage and you get to see their love and emotions grow and strengthen. This is definitely a slow burn and rightfully so.
Velasin is smart and strong after dealing with so many hardships. As a reader, both Velasin and Caethari are characters that you want to see happy and safe by the end of the story. And while I did kinda guess the culprit there were other characters I guessed as well. Meadows does a wonderful job of creating suspects and leaving clues/red herrings
There is also a wonderful amount of diversity in the characters. There are transgender charters, nonbinary, BIPOC characters, and Markel, mute characters that use sign language. Not only is Markel you and there's a lot of sign language used in the story, but he is a beloved character and friend. He is smart, clever, and desirable; he is an accomplished archer and fighter. I am very glad that they did not adhere to stereotypes and gave him such a vibrant personality. Not only do they not make him stereotype they also address ableism and the tendency for people to look over people with disabilities.
Overall I think this is definitely a book to read and check out but only once looking at the trigger warnings as these topics can definitely be harmful if not prepared for or known about beforehand.
READ TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING BOOK
This is an amazing book with really complex and difficult themes. They handled sensitively and hard seems extremely well and very respectfully. While I 100% loved the story there is R--- on page and mentioned throughout the story. Please read the triggers before picking up the story as it mentions not only this but self-harm and suicidal thoughts/actions. I think the author did a wonderful job conveying the pain and growth without trivializing or making a plot point of this topic. It feels purposeful and truly a story about healing.
In addition to this, the mystery/main plot is very well detailed and interesting to read about. There is magic and political intrigue. Velasin and Caethari are put into an arranged marriage and you get to see their love and emotions grow and strengthen. This is definitely a slow burn and rightfully so.
Velasin is smart and strong after dealing with so many hardships. As a reader, both Velasin and Caethari are characters that you want to see happy and safe by the end of the story. And while I did kinda guess the culprit there were other characters I guessed as well. Meadows does a wonderful job of creating suspects and leaving clues/red herrings
There is also a wonderful amount of diversity in the characters. There are transgender charters, nonbinary, BIPOC characters, and Markel, mute characters that use sign language. Not only is Markel you and there's a lot of sign language used in the story, but he is a beloved character and friend. He is smart, clever, and desirable; he is an accomplished archer and fighter. I am very glad that they did not adhere to stereotypes and gave him such a vibrant personality. Not only do they not make him stereotype they also address ableism and the tendency for people to look over people with disabilities.
Overall I think this is definitely a book to read and check out but only once looking at the trigger warnings as these topics can definitely be harmful if not prepared for or known about beforehand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism and Animal death