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elizabethblue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
(3.5*/5*) Great potential.
Reminiscent of traditional folktales about encounters with the Fae, this book is very well researched in regards to Faerie lore from the Scottish Highlands. The Faerie characters themselves are rightfully ominous and delightfully non-human in appearance, which I enjoyed. However, what initially caught my interest was the unique time period; the author brings in post-WW1 grief and the Spanish flu outbreak into the mix, which had a lot of potential. But this element falls flat in comparison to the folklore aspects. Moira Jean’s days consist of endless lists of chores and underexplored bouts of grief when not dealing directly with the Fae. It would have benefitted from more intimate character moments, and more exploration into the culture of people in these rural areas outside of their work responsibilities. The beginning of this book is intriguing. But the middle section, particularly when it comes to characterisation of Moira Jean and the other human characters, comes off as underdeveloped due to the lack of these smaller details. Despite this, this book is still miles better than most Faerie related books out currently, the ending is beautifully bittersweet and fits Moira Jean’s character progression perfectly. Definitely worth reading.
Reminiscent of traditional folktales about encounters with the Fae, this book is very well researched in regards to Faerie lore from the Scottish Highlands. The Faerie characters themselves are rightfully ominous and delightfully non-human in appearance, which I enjoyed. However, what initially caught my interest was the unique time period; the author brings in post-WW1 grief and the Spanish flu outbreak into the mix, which had a lot of potential. But this element falls flat in comparison to the folklore aspects. Moira Jean’s days consist of endless lists of chores and underexplored bouts of grief when not dealing directly with the Fae. It would have benefitted from more intimate character moments, and more exploration into the culture of people in these rural areas outside of their work responsibilities. The beginning of this book is intriguing. But the middle section, particularly when it comes to characterisation of Moira Jean and the other human characters, comes off as underdeveloped due to the lack of these smaller details. Despite this, this book is still miles better than most Faerie related books out currently, the ending is beautifully bittersweet and fits Moira Jean’s character progression perfectly. Definitely worth reading.
Minor: Violence and Sexual harassment
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