Reviews

Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton

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docpacey's review against another edition

5.0

I wasn't sure about this adaptation at first, but the more the characters and their relationships developed and the more tension mounted the more I came to trust Gratton's ability to deliver. Great story, great ending.

Q: 4
E: 5
I: 5

qxe + I = 25

juls0899's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

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

2.0

I *technically* finished this book but only because I skimmed through the last 300 pages. I got through half the book by reading paragraphs and just dialogue because I couldn’t stand how much description and unnecessary flashback and thrown-in lore there was. But I really did enjoy the characters, especially Hal and Hotspur. Banna Mora’s motivations didn’t make as much sense to me but I wanted to get to the end of the book, I just couldn’t take how brutally long the story was.

cupiscent's review against another edition

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My struggle with this book has been strange; it's beautifully written, on just about every level, as rich and evocative and tangled as Queens of Innis Lear, which makes longer and slower, and occasionally occludes the thrust of the story. Through the first half of the book, the balance was comfortably tipped in favour of the joy of reading, but in the middle - perhaps with the introduction of new viewpoints, perhaps the harkening back to elements from Queens that weren't my favourite, perhaps just Hal's inertia weighing upon me - I found it dragging the other way. I do enjoy the characters, and the style is just delightful, but I think if I'm continue I'm going to get irritated with all of it, so I'm leaving it here.

Beautiful, lush, excellent; not for me, right now.

alyram4's review against another edition

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2.0

I have seriously major issues with this book, and I can't in my right mind recommend it as of now. I felt nothing for these characters. Absolutely nothing. The writing was very off and just seemed to have trouble with tone and setting all throughout. It's a loose retelling, so I didn't expect it to be very similar. There is genderswapping that I was excited about, and that in itself was pretty well done so props. There's a lot of saying and not showing in the book though. Extensive dialogue and descriptions about people, places, history etc. It all seems overwhelming and it never truly comes together into a cohesive piece. It just felt like something to make the book even longer than it should be. In the end, if I don't like the characters or even get to SEE them interact as they're described, well it just sort of makes me feel like I wasted my time. I rely a lot on characters to make a book enjoyable for me, and this one just didn't do that for me. Others may absolutely love this book, but I wasn't a fan unfortunately.