savsturg's review against another edition
3.0
wow. this anitheroine is unlike any character I've read before. I flew through this book, but was hoping for a little bit more at every corner. not enough to take away from the story, but enough to leave me wanting more from the characters, the magic system, the world itself.
author gets bonus points for making me viscerally recoil at *the scene* #iykyk
author gets bonus points for making me viscerally recoil at *the scene* #iykyk
bettaagames201's review against another edition
4.0
I was intrigued by this story. It’s different than anything I’ve heard. But I love the strong characters. It really makes you question how far is too far with stubbornness and pride?
mgmaliska's review against another edition
4.0
Disturbing, dark tale with a take no shit lead
Dark and twisted, this is the sort of story where you don’t really like the main character but you sure as hell respect her determination. She’s a stone cold bitch in the truest sense of the word — she gets work done. No one is as powerful as she is, and how could they be? She can do anything, including discover new worlds, destroy lives, defy fate, and take no shit from anyone.
This book was good, fast paced, but overall felt sloppy. I never really knew where the story line was going as the reader stumbles along the path of discovery with the characters.
I do love that the main characters are clearly gay (with one being fully out) and that it’s the type of story where there is no true hero or villain — everyone is both bad and good.
I did not like that the main character is so cruel and vicious to her best friend but, hey, story building right?
Overall, I’d read this again as it was a fun quick read but surely a disturbing one — be warned.
Dark and twisted, this is the sort of story where you don’t really like the main character but you sure as hell respect her determination. She’s a stone cold bitch in the truest sense of the word — she gets work done. No one is as powerful as she is, and how could they be? She can do anything, including discover new worlds, destroy lives, defy fate, and take no shit from anyone.
This book was good, fast paced, but overall felt sloppy. I never really knew where the story line was going as the reader stumbles along the path of discovery with the characters.
I do love that the main characters are clearly gay (with one being fully out) and that it’s the type of story where there is no true hero or villain — everyone is both bad and good.
I did not like that the main character is so cruel and vicious to her best friend but, hey, story building right?
Overall, I’d read this again as it was a fun quick read but surely a disturbing one — be warned.
kdwolf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
heresthepencil's review against another edition
3.0
rep: lesbian mc, gay side character, wlw side character
tw: gore, blood, torture, eye horror/body mutilation including eating of an eyeball (chapter 16 & 18), murder, body horror (especially chapter 19)
rtc. maybe?
tw: gore, blood, torture, eye horror/body mutilation including eating of an eyeball (chapter 16 & 18), murder, body horror (especially chapter 19)
rtc. maybe?
elyana's review against another edition
2.0
(DNFed at 60%)
I've been on a book buying ban for a few weeks now and I am currently trying to focus on reducing my TBR.
I was really excited when I put this book on my wishlist and got it as a Christmas present, as it sounded cool and was marketed as "sapphic ruthless girls". Then I looked at the writing style and got... a little bit less excited. But I needed to know if it was worth the read or not so I started reading, and sadly it wasn't worth it.
It's a short fantasy book with quite a simple writing style, so I really thought I would finish it either way but it just got more and more ridiculous and I couldn't do it.
So what did I like about this book ?
- The world created by Mara Fitzgerald was honestly interesting. We have a city trapped under a red shadow veil with no source of water. They depend on a watercrea (a witch) to create water from the blood of people who are meant to die very soon. Then the MC kills the watercrea, run away and discover what's behind the ruby veil. I found it quite interesting and really wanted to see how the author was going to explain the things that were happening to our characters.
What did I not like about this book ?
- The characters : I tend to like morally grey characters and quite enjoyed Emanuela, our main character, at the beginning of the book. She was mean sometimes and really ambitious, but showed love to the people close to her and was quite funny. Then she just gradually became more and more infuriating, impulsive and all-around horrible to other people, even her supposed "bestfriend".
Let's talk about the bestfriend, Ale. He is the epitome of the "gay bff" who's just here as an accessory to the main character and has no brain of his own. He follows her everywhere and just keeps stuttering during all their conversations, while Emanuela constantly cuts him off and humiliates him for who he is. Here is a quote from page 54 :
What the heck. We never go back to the horrible things Emanuela says to him and he never defends himself (at least before the 60% mark). I wouldn't want to be a young gay boy reading this book, honestly.
We also have Verene and Theo, but I don't want to bother talking about them.
- The writing : As mentioned before, it's a fast-paced and easy book to read as the writing is quite simple. It could be a good thing, but some chapters and dialogues felt really unpolished.
The action scenes are weird too, everything happens way too fast and Emanuela gets out of every difficult situation way too easily. She's always saying "I'm superior, I'm not like other people blablabla" but if things are constantly made so easy for her it's difficult to believe in her so-called greatness.
Also some characters are just thrown to the side and we do not get answers for things that I think should be mentioned. (for example,)
Honestly I won't say this book wasn't entertaining. It was entertaining, but in such a ridiculous way I couldn't consider the story and those characters seriously anymore.
My Bookstagram
I've been on a book buying ban for a few weeks now and I am currently trying to focus on reducing my TBR.
I was really excited when I put this book on my wishlist and got it as a Christmas present, as it sounded cool and was marketed as "sapphic ruthless girls". Then I looked at the writing style and got... a little bit less excited. But I needed to know if it was worth the read or not so I started reading, and sadly it wasn't worth it.
It's a short fantasy book with quite a simple writing style, so I really thought I would finish it either way but it just got more and more ridiculous and I couldn't do it.
So what did I like about this book ?
- The world created by Mara Fitzgerald was honestly interesting. We have a city trapped under a red shadow veil with no source of water. They depend on a watercrea (a witch) to create water from the blood of people who are meant to die very soon. Then the MC kills the watercrea, run away and discover what's behind the ruby veil. I found it quite interesting and really wanted to see how the author was going to explain the things that were happening to our characters.
What did I not like about this book ?
- The characters : I tend to like morally grey characters and quite enjoyed Emanuela, our main character, at the beginning of the book. She was mean sometimes and really ambitious, but showed love to the people close to her and was quite funny. Then she just gradually became more and more infuriating, impulsive and all-around horrible to other people, even her supposed "bestfriend".
Let's talk about the bestfriend, Ale. He is the epitome of the "gay bff" who's just here as an accessory to the main character and has no brain of his own. He follows her everywhere and just keeps stuttering during all their conversations, while Emanuela constantly cuts him off and humiliates him for who he is. Here is a quote from page 54 :
"Nobody wants that with you. Nobody wants you at all. Do you even realize how pathetic your life is without me ?"
What the heck. We never go back to the horrible things Emanuela says to him and he never defends himself (at least before the 60% mark). I wouldn't want to be a young gay boy reading this book, honestly.
We also have Verene and Theo, but I don't want to bother talking about them.
- The writing : As mentioned before, it's a fast-paced and easy book to read as the writing is quite simple. It could be a good thing, but some chapters and dialogues felt really unpolished.
The action scenes are weird too, everything happens way too fast and Emanuela gets out of every difficult situation way too easily. She's always saying "I'm superior, I'm not like other people blablabla" but if things are constantly made so easy for her it's difficult to believe in her so-called greatness.
Also some characters are just thrown to the side and we do not get answers for things that I think should be mentioned. (for example,
Spoiler
what happened at the wedding after Emanuela was kidnapped by the watercrea? How was Ale married to someone else so fast?Honestly I won't say this book wasn't entertaining. It was entertaining, but in such a ridiculous way I couldn't consider the story and those characters seriously anymore.
My Bookstagram
angielucy's review against another edition
3.0
A magical world and captivating prose. I look forward to the next instalment.
kaylab's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
the_booksnom's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
I have a hate love relationship with this book
irma_lonnqvist's review against another edition
2.0
I didn’t like the main characters, she was so aware of being the MC but she had 0 reason to be. And why was she so mean!?! What did he ever do to her? She dragged down this book for me.