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g_monaghan'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
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Abandonment
Minor: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Grief
jhbandcats's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
The author does a great job at showing the different personalities, not so easy when there are a lot of characters. The women are no longer close like in childhood; there’s friction between the power-hungry head of England’s coven, the mild witch who pretends to be a simple housewife, the Black lesbian who started her own LGBTQ-friendly coven, and the veterinarian consumed with grief at the loss of her fiancé during the witch war eight years ago. There are spouses and lovers and children and parents and, new to the group, a trans orphan who’s terrified and lashing out in fear. The story is told from four points of view and the voices are distinct.
I read reviews where the readers felt the race and gender issues overshadowed the story. I thought the author raised really important points relevant to current racism, homophobia, and transphobia. The transphobia was heavy-handed but it seemed realistic given what I read online.
I liked it enough where I’m about to start the second in the series. I want to see what happens to these people.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
queerreaderchaos's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
shae_purcell's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
A word of warning: Don't go into this expecting a tidy ending. It ends on a huge cliffhanger. I was ready to start the second book until I was halfway through that last chapter. Now I'm really irritated and thinking about taking a break. I'm sure as an author you want readers to be so excited for the next book that they'll run out and pick up a copy immediately. This ending didn't make me excited for the next book. It makes me dread reading it, even though I still kind of want to hang out with the characters a bit more. I may pick it up eventually but I'll feel sour about it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
There is a lot of intentional misgendering in the chapters told from theraccoonteeth'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Outing, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Racism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism
minervacerridwen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The metaphors, painfully relevant to our current society and the rising transphobia in the UK, were delightfully unsubtle. However, sadly, the book seemed to come with its own set of issues. I was puzzled by how a book that's rooted so firmly in the theme of inclusion apparently still views being non-binary as something weird and "difficult to get right", without that ever coming back to bite any of the characters. And then there was the ending...
Please mind the content warnings.
Graphic: Death, Transphobia, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Hate crime, Racism, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism
chrisb913's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I really wish I liked the book better. Unfortunately the villain of the story was so realistic and believable I found myself upset and pissed for most of the story. On top of that, for a book all about sisterhood and feminism, for 2 of the main characters to be so meh about letting one of their "sisters" be treated like absolute garbage because they don't want to upset her? Where was the outrage?
Lastly, that ending was just utter crap. I do want to read the 2nd book and HOPEFULLY the character development in book 2 will turn the series around (or at least be present).
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
(I am also very tired of books that go "covid happened but we used magic to make it go away" ugh! And blaming the anti-vax movement on warlocks is so distasteful.)
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Outing
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Murder, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
TW: transphobic, misogynistic, and ableist slurs. Internalized misogyny. Mention of drowning.mariajustmary'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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
reb_curt's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Gaslighting, and Classism