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mostlyvoidpartiallystars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Finally, a recurring section I'm going to be adding to all my reviews going forward: Do they bury their gays?
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Deadnaming, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
20sidedbi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Transphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement and Sexism
zghutcheson01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Transphobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
tashtasher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Transphobia, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy
cattheteawitchfairy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Would recommend.
Graphic: Deadnaming, Death, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and War
christinakann's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury
laurajeangrace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Transphobia, Blood, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit
mooshake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Deadnaming, Gore, Transphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Death, Blood, Medical content, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
Minor: Pregnancy
simon_toast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Minor: Deadnaming
lilifane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Some of the very first fantasy books I've read as a child were the Albion/Avalon books by Marion Zimmer Bradley. And especially the beginning of this book reminded me SO much of them, it has the same vibes.
The story takes place in Ancient Britain between the departure of the Romans and the Saxons attacks. It's about 3 siblings, the children of a British king, about their life endangered by the Saxons, about their personal struggles, about magic (vs Christianity), about love and jealousy and betrayal and war and family and identity. Also, there is amazing LGBTQIA+ and disability representation.
The further I got into the story, the harder it was to put the book down. I loved the atmosphere, the (very flawed) characters, the plotting of the story as a whole. There was one plot that was painfully predictable. Like it made everything more cruel because you knew it was coming. But then there were parts of the story that totally took me by surprise.
So, if you don't want to ruin this surprise for you, don't research the ballad (The Twa Sisters), which the story is based on. I did after reading the book, and now I'm even more in awe by how well this retelling was done. Also, a modern version of the ballad is one of my favorite songs by Loreena Mckennitt... and I realized I had never paid enough attention to the lyrics before. Ooops.
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content