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A review by safiewafie
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowenna Miller
adventurous
dark
hopeful
slow-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
4.0
I wasn't expecting to like this book nearly as much as I did, but I fell into the story the further I read.
The novel starts off rather slow, but I really enjoyed this early pacing. I felt I had time to get to know the characters; to understand their place in the world and their relationships to one another. I especially enjoyed the strong focus on the bond between Delphine and Alaine.
The sister's relationships with their loved ones was what really solidified this book for me. While the turn towards the fantastical realm of the fae felt abrupt, Delphine's drive to bring her family together created strong thematic throughline. I found this version of the fae realm to be especially interesting. The visual descriptions of the environment, as well as the unique magic that the fae utilize created strong imagery, which I imagine will stick with me for some time.
This wasn't quite a five star book for me, mainly due to the fact that in the earlier portions of the book, I often found I was more interested in one sister's POV over the other (in my case, I was more interested in Delphine). This made getting through some portions of the slow beginning a bit of a challenge.
While I think the exploration of feminism well crafted in this novel, I felt it lacked intersectionality. This is something I really look for in books, especially historical fiction, so the lack of POC really stood out to me. This didn't take away from the narrative itself, but did impact my personal enjoyment.
Overall, very strong! A great read.
(I think I might be a bit biased about the abrupt cut from real world to fantastical fae, because there was a two week gap between the first half and second half of the book for me due to finals season...)
The sister's relationships with their loved ones was what really solidified this book for me. While the turn towards the fantastical realm of the fae felt abrupt, Delphine's drive to bring her family together created strong thematic throughline. I found this version of the fae realm to be especially interesting. The visual descriptions of the environment, as well as the unique magic that the fae utilize created strong imagery, which I imagine will stick with me for some time.
This wasn't quite a five star book for me, mainly due to the fact that in the earlier portions of the book, I often found I was more interested in one sister's POV over the other (in my case, I was more interested in Delphine). This made getting through some portions of the slow beginning a bit of a challenge.
While I think the exploration of feminism well crafted in this novel, I felt it lacked intersectionality. This is something I really look for in books, especially historical fiction, so the lack of POC really stood out to me. This didn't take away from the narrative itself, but did impact my personal enjoyment.
Overall, very strong! A great read.
(I think I might be a bit biased about the abrupt cut from real world to fantastical fae, because there was a two week gap between the first half and second half of the book for me due to finals season...)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Kidnapping