passionatereader78's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
4.5
This book is well written. I liked the overall story. I was frustrating at times because the main character has all of the information in front of her but can't comprehend it. I loved the guilded prince, the princess, the forest folk, and the ghosts. The dark castle was spooky and creepy with the different creatures. Serilda is now cursed with the guilded prince. They are trying to find a way to break the curse and set everyone free.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Torture, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Confinement, Slavery, Violence, Animal death, Murder, and Toxic relationship
honuzbubbles's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Death of parent, War, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Blood, and Torture
katewheels13's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
2.0
I actually dnfed this book around 300 pages. It dragged on and it felt like I was just reading a series of psychological torture throughout. It just wasn’t enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Emotional abuse
kaz_brekkerrr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Blood
thattheatrekid's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
I liked this book! I read it in half a day. However, I agree with other reviews that it moved either very slow or very fast in parts and the whole pacing was very weird. Also, this had a darker tone than the last one (especially at the beginning) and there were a lot of moments that the situation seemed impossible. Normally I’d say that’s a great thing for a book but Meyer really walked the line between hopeless/depressing and tense/hopeful. Most of the book I wasn’t hopeful or excited to see how Serilda would navigate the situation; it was more like wondering which characters would get killed off next. I was so used to important characters dying that I didn’t get attached too quickly because for all I knew, the story could not have a happily ever after at all. It’s either good writing or bad writing and I can’t decide which. But Meyer as a writer is very gifted and I love her other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, and Violence
turnthepages_nl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
3.0
It's not bad, but the pacing was off for me. Too slow in most places and the action sequences were too fast. I also saw some plottwists coming which took the fun out.
Erlen was amazing tho and she made it more enjoyable.
Marissa Meyer had to fill in a nine month gap, because the original story doesnt tell about that time. But her version sadly did not satisfy me.
If she didnt do the plottwist at the end of book 1, gilded could be a standalone novel. It didnt work as a duology for me because I feel like I didnt get to know the characters better...
I was in a fantasy mood, but this book did not quench my thirst. And I'm so sad about it because I love Marissa's other books!
I hope you loved this story more than I did <3
Erlen was amazing tho and she made it more enjoyable.
Marissa Meyer had to fill in a nine month gap, because the original story doesnt tell about that time. But her version sadly did not satisfy me.
If she didnt do the plottwist at the end of book 1, gilded could be a standalone novel. It didnt work as a duology for me because I feel like I didnt get to know the characters better...
I was in a fantasy mood, but this book did not quench my thirst. And I'm so sad about it because I love Marissa's other books!
I hope you loved this story more than I did <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal cruelty, Death, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Child death, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
jburson's review
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Probably my own complete lack of maternal sentiments but I just couldn't get behind the sudden devotion to her unborn child when it wasn't something she wanted in the first place and when, because of magic
Spoiler
its growing completely separate from her inside her physical body and she's a spirit for 99% of the narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Pregnancy
clairew97's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
kaiyakaiyo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
this took me SO long. the first half dragged terribly, and the constant “twists” just felt like Serilda being so slow on the uptake it was out of character. I wouldn’t call her clever by any means in book 1; she mostly walks right into every trap set for her, but shes new to magic and does try to untangle the Erlkings web.
In this one she just straight up does not look before she leaps to an extremely unrealistic degree. She knows the consequences and yet let’s her guard down EVERY time. Every time she acted shocked by an evil thing the Erlking did i facepalmed; I’ve never seen such a sharp decrease in intellect in a main char between books before. Maybe the baby was rerouting oxygen from her brain? She’s blessed by the god of stories and lies but can’t pick apart very clear threats and lies said directly to her face? she does all this “investigating” but somehow never realizes the literal underworld gate is under her home? She realizes her “power” but continues spouting off bullshit that gets everyone in trouble? Her characterization is just incredibly weak in this book; there’s no way a “skillful liar” is that stupid? book 1 was okay but this one was just a total slog
also imma be real there was a gratuitous amount of child death in these books, and the use of the rumpelstiltskin name trope was incredibly cheesy and out of place. the ending was so cobbled together it doesn’t make sense! as someone who loved the lunar chronicles I am baffled that these books came from the same planet let alone the same author. just 0 interesting character development and a fascinating universe with no consistency
In this one she just straight up does not look before she leaps to an extremely unrealistic degree. She knows the consequences and yet let’s her guard down EVERY time. Every time she acted shocked by an evil thing the Erlking did i facepalmed; I’ve never seen such a sharp decrease in intellect in a main char between books before. Maybe the baby was rerouting oxygen from her brain? She’s blessed by the god of stories and lies but can’t pick apart very clear threats and lies said directly to her face? she does all this “investigating” but somehow never realizes the literal underworld gate is under her home? She realizes her “power” but continues spouting off bullshit that gets everyone in trouble? Her characterization is just incredibly weak in this book; there’s no way a “skillful liar” is that stupid? book 1 was okay but this one was just a total slog
also imma be real there was a gratuitous amount of child death in these books, and the use of the rumpelstiltskin name trope was incredibly cheesy and out of place. the ending was so cobbled together it doesn’t make sense! as someone who loved the lunar chronicles I am baffled that these books came from the same planet let alone the same author. just 0 interesting character development and a fascinating universe with no consistency
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
writer_egreene's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Blood, and Abandonment