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A review by bookstarbri
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
4.75
I don't know where to begin. This book had everything I could possibly want. I knew I would enjoy it but I didn't quite understand, or prepare, for just how much. It is a political fantasy with truly high stakes. It has a brilliantly, well-developed characters, an incredible mystery, an exciting plot, and a romance rooted in healing. Though this book is dark and deals with some heavy themes (the author does list CWs in the book), all of this heaviness is done with immense care.
So rarely do we get a fantasy structured quite like this, where we're literally going through the day with the characters so seamlessly. There was very little jumping around and yet I never felt bored by the slow passage of time. My FAVORITE thing about this book is that it didn't feel the need to rush through anything simply to get to the climax. It took its time to develop characters, bring us into the world, and let us meet Velasin and Caethari properly. Those two are some really wonderful characters and it was such a joy to be with them in this book. I also liked the many side characters we meet as well. It's a diverse set of characters that felt natural. And though the culture Vel came from was very much not safe for queer people, the world we're in for the majority of the book very much is queer normative so it was nice to have different gender identities, sexualities, etc. represented. Markel, Ru Telitha, Ren Zairin, Ren Taiko, Keletha, Riya--all of these characters were great. Vel's relationship with Markel was especially touching and I loved that signing was such a big piece of this story.
What was interesting in this book was that it went back and forth between Vel and Cae's POVs, but Cae's POV was third and Vel's was first. Some people might not like this, but I actually appreciated the author's ability to do this so smoothly. The first time it shifted, I scarcely noted the difference at all, which I think is a testament to their writing ability. Which by the way is some of the best writing I've ever read. It was beautiful, stunning prose and some lines truly had me gasping at their beauty. I am for sure adding For Meadows to my list of authors to look out for. I wish this was a series so that I could return to this world and these characters!! This book is gorgeous and will absolutely be a top favorite of the year.
Thanks so much to Tor Books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
So rarely do we get a fantasy structured quite like this, where we're literally going through the day with the characters so seamlessly. There was very little jumping around and yet I never felt bored by the slow passage of time. My FAVORITE thing about this book is that it didn't feel the need to rush through anything simply to get to the climax. It took its time to develop characters, bring us into the world, and let us meet Velasin and Caethari properly. Those two are some really wonderful characters and it was such a joy to be with them in this book. I also liked the many side characters we meet as well. It's a diverse set of characters that felt natural. And though the culture Vel came from was very much not safe for queer people, the world we're in for the majority of the book very much is queer normative so it was nice to have different gender identities, sexualities, etc. represented. Markel, Ru Telitha, Ren Zairin, Ren Taiko, Keletha, Riya--all of these characters were great. Vel's relationship with Markel was especially touching and I loved that signing was such a big piece of this story.
What was interesting in this book was that it went back and forth between Vel and Cae's POVs, but Cae's POV was third and Vel's was first. Some people might not like this, but I actually appreciated the author's ability to do this so smoothly. The first time it shifted, I scarcely noted the difference at all, which I think is a testament to their writing ability. Which by the way is some of the best writing I've ever read. It was beautiful, stunning prose and some lines truly had me gasping at their beauty. I am for sure adding For Meadows to my list of authors to look out for. I wish this was a series so that I could return to this world and these characters!! This book is gorgeous and will absolutely be a top favorite of the year.
Thanks so much to Tor Books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, and Blood
Minor: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny