A review by displacedcactus
Saint Death's Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney

dark emotional hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

This is one of those very weird books that you're probably going to either love or hate. I personally loved it. But I don't even know where to begin with describing it. It's got violence and necromancy and assassins and revenge and shapeshifters and a magic puppy and a festival where almost everyone cross-dresses and a fire deity and politics and theology... There's family, by blood and marriage and choice. 

If you like books with rich world building, complicated characters and relationships, and you can handle the massive pile of trigger warnings, go ahead and give this book a try.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Child abuse, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Slavery and Death of parent

Animal cruelty/violence against animals:

There's a magic puppy who has a bond to someone and evildoers use that bond to hurt the dog, but the dog survives! He's a very good boi, too.

Compulsion/enthrallment/non-consensual relationship:

Through fascination magic, several characters compel others to be in romantic/sexual relationships with them. This is seen as a bad thing by the MC.

Slavery:

The main character's family has an undead servant who has been bound to their family line for so long she has forgotten her own name.