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loafhart'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
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
If you have mommy issues. Beware.basementofbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, and Abandonment
kimwritesstuff'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
3.0
Hellevir leaves the town she grew up in and joins her family in the capital. Her mother is still wary of her, but her dad and brother are so excited to have her back. It's genuinely sweet the relationships Hellevir has with her dad and brother. From there, we get into the bones of the plot where Hellevir has a promise to raise Sullivan any time she dies in order to protect her family. At the same time, Hellevir makes a deal with Death to bring him treasures in a trade for raising the dead.
I thought the world-building felt really organic and described the history and religion of the book clearly without being a giant info dump. I wish there had been more info or history about the beings Hellevir was interacting with for the treasures. However, I think that leaving out that information set up a good plot for the next books in the series. I also loved that the queer characters in this book simply existed. There wasn't really any discussion of persecution or exile for being gay. I love a book where queer characters just are.
There were a few confusing plotlines for me. Like, were the treasures good enough for Death that Hellevir wasn't losing more pieces of her soul? Or were they just stand-ins for her limbs? I thought that was a little confusing. I also thought there should have been a little bit of a reveal about what the Onastian (sorry if I spelled it wrong) symbols meant. It was described over and over without actually giving any descriptions or meaning. I get that it sets up the next book, but I felt like it could have been fleshed out more. It just felt like for how good the world-building was, some of the background lore made no sense and could have been fleshed out more.
Overall, I thought this was a solid book, and I'm excited to see where the series goes.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
sadetanssija's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War
lover97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Hellevir has the ability to step into death and bring people back. But there is always a price, and she soon learns how steep the cost can be. I really liked the magic(?) System here. Every exchange with the being in death is intense and unsettling. It's also very clear that hellevir does not truly understand how it works even at the end of this first book.
Characterwise, I liked her brother and his Knight along with her father. Her relationship with her mother is complicated, but I grew to like her also. I also enjoyed the nightingales. I'll give it to the author she also knows how to write extremely unlikeable people. From the queen to the peer and to sullivan. Sully is complex, and while that is very much the point, it does make the subplot between her and our main girl a tad unconvincing. Clearly, they're connected, but its not a connection I'm dying to read more of.
As this book went on, it started to feel like a massive prologue setting up what is to come. I spent a long time trying to decipher what the overarcing plot of the series was actually going to be. Sadly, I'm still not sure. It looks like it's now a treasurehunt with a background of an upcoming war for both the throne and which religion will take hold.
Unfortunately, the book just didn't grip me. The first chapters that detail the MCs original exchanges with death were brilliantly written, but as it went on, I found myself struggling to care about what was happening. Even writing this review is difficult because my brain feels battered by everything that was going on. There's a lot that happens, and very few pieces felt explained or completed. I am unsure if I'll continue the series, but I don't think it was badly written, just maybe not the right series for me.
I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, marianne gordon, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sarrie'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? No
2.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Torture
theaceofpages'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a delightful book! I definitely felt transported back to some of the fantasy series I loved as a teenager. It reminded me a bit of Sabriel, although it's been many years since I read that one. And it's not just the necromancy (which are very different in the two books) either. Both have a similar dark fairy tale (or light if you go based off the originals!) atmosphere. Maybe also a bit of Narnia thrown in at times? I absolutely loved the world that the author created and am sure that she will do some interesting things with it later in the series. While this definitely wraps up in a satisfying way, there are still paths left open to keep exploring in further books.
I wish that the characters had been explored in more depth. Both Hellevir and the princess feel very young. Apparently they are meant to be in their twenties, but Hellevir in particular feels like a teenager (maybe around 16 or so?). It definitely feels like it should be being marketed as YA (although maybe there is a reason why it isn't in the later boos? I have no idea where this is going though so for now I'm just going to be surprised by the marketing choices). Obviously this isn't a massive issue, but I do wish that the author had assigned them a different age. Since I'm talking about the characters anyway, I thought I'd just mention that there isn't very much romance, especially since romantasy is so popular these days. I was happy with this as I prefer my fantasy being more fantasy heavy, but those who see this marketed as romance and are going in for this aspect will be disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opionions are my own.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury