A review by kivt
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Dark fantasy with a ton of queer angst. Definitely projects current-day understandings of gender & queer identity onto the past. But that’s also kind of the point of some queer historical-ish fiction, and this is a fine example. Felt overly bleak at times, had that omnipresent threat of sexual violence/“the worst possible thing is always what happens” vibe that I find unique to queer writing. I have less interest in that as I age, but I think I would have loved this book in my 20s.