tinyelfarcanist's reviews
321 reviews

Clytemnestra's Bind by Susan C. Wilson

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I love feminist retellings, and Clytemnestra’s Bind is an exemplary representative, where our protagonist gets to tell her side of the story as a fully nuanced person: She is not painted as the hero, just as human.

We see her dealing with the hardships of motherhood in a hostile environment despite living in luxury. Sometimes, she seems more worried about the status and potential glory of her children than their own safety and healthy upbringing, resenting those who take after their father’s brutality. She makes sure her kids stick to gender roles (men as leaders, women as wives and childbearers) to avoid awakening her husband’s ire, in her mind guaranteeing their happiness and success.

The prose transfixed me from the start and I was instantly transported to the setting. The book elicits strong emotions with the blatant misogyny and cruelty Clytemnestra suffers, making her not justified but at least understood for her decisions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Torture, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Incest, Sexual harassment, Grief, Murder, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Classism

Moderate: Slavery, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Death, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Bullying, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: War, Trafficking, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Confinement, Animal death, and Ableism

child marriage, intersexphobia, childbirth

The White Road by Lynn Flewelling

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

Minor: Torture

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Death

Renia by Karl Forshaw

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Vomit, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage, Death, Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Ableism, Stalking, Grief, Medical content, and Fatphobia

Cuckoos Three by Cassandra Jean, Mosskat

emotional informative medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Medical content and Violence

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

The Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Sexism

Minor: Grief and Death

The Dryad's Crown by David Hopkins

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Murder, Blood, Gore, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Violence

Minor: Child death

drowning

The Djinn's Apple by Djamila Morani

mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Sexism, and Death

Moderate: Grief, Child death, and Misogyny

Minor: Slavery, Animal death, Blood, Violence, and Medical content

Squires by Jeanne Roland

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Gore, Blood, Death, Animal death, and Torture

Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Minor: Sexual content, Biphobia, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia

A Necromancer Called Gam Gam by Adam Holcombe

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Child death