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1234_rowan_1234's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Alcohol
craftysnailtail's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was pretty excited for a sapphic novel by this author, but to be honest, I wasn't sold on the romance. The main characters are likeable and unique, I'm just not sure they make sense together. The plot was interesting, but this book felt like two novels squished together. I think it would've been better split up into two. It was still a fun and slightly creepy read, just like the first in the series. I highly recommend listening rather than reading this one. The slang would've been a nightmare without the talented VA they got for the audiobook.
It's a bummer the romance fell flat for me because the characters were well developed. It almost makes me feel like the author wasn't entirely comfortable writing a gay couple. The first book had quite a bit of explicit material, but this one has zero spice. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just felt odd to me when compared to the first in the series. Overall, I would read more from this series because I enjoy the characters and atmospheric plots. They're great autumn reads.
It's a bummer the romance fell flat for me because the characters were well developed. It almost makes me feel like the author wasn't entirely comfortable writing a gay couple. The first book had quite a bit of explicit material, but this one has zero spice. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just felt odd to me when compared to the first in the series. Overall, I would read more from this series because I enjoy the characters and atmospheric plots. They're great autumn reads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Confinement
littlelizzieborden's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
clarabooksit's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide
rachtmh's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wickedly funny and very much a page turner. I barely wanted to put this book down!
The characters are brilliant, the plot is explosive, the representation is great, and the ending is pleasing.
You do need to be able to pay attention whilst reading to make the most of the ‘accent’ and language used in the writing/conversation.
I was pleased how the book turned out for most of the characters and didn’t feel like there were any loop holes or obvious loose threads.
Overall very funny and enjoyable.
The characters are brilliant, the plot is explosive, the representation is great, and the ending is pleasing.
You do need to be able to pay attention whilst reading to make the most of the ‘accent’ and language used in the writing/conversation.
I was pleased how the book turned out for most of the characters and didn’t feel like there were any loop holes or obvious loose threads.
Overall very funny and enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Representation: Infertility, LGBTQIA+, mental and physical illness.basil_touche's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I'll just say right off the bat that I found this book extremely disappointing.
At first I was really into the victorian style of writing and a story involving magical female bodyguards with a sapphic romance on the side. But then the book dropped the bodyguarding aspect less than 100 pages into it and insteadfocuses on the characters starting a drug ring to catch a murderer. The blurb for this focused solely on the bodyguarding aspect and I wouldn't minded the change had it actually turned out to be anything interesting, but it just wasn't. I was expecting some deep governmental conspiracy that links in with the classism that the book features (I will give the book that it handles that well), not a narrative that doesn't really deliver anything.
Around five chapters focused on just the romance andthe building of the drug producing laboratory, it was a repetitive cycle of working on in the lab, luncheon, flirting and resting. It was just so dragged out and unnecessary. All this meant that the ending was extremely rushed and we aren't even given a motive for the antagonist. All the characters are rather one dimensional as well, that by the end of it I didn't care about any of them or if the romance between the protagonist and the rich half-troll clanner worked out in the end.
It's a real shame as I love the idea of a fantasy book set in a victorian setting with the period appropriate writing style but this book just did not fullfill anything for me. Waste of time.
At first I was really into the victorian style of writing and a story involving magical female bodyguards with a sapphic romance on the side. But then the book dropped the bodyguarding aspect less than 100 pages into it and instead
Around five chapters focused on just the romance and
It's a real shame as I love the idea of a fantasy book set in a victorian setting with the period appropriate writing style but this book just did not fullfill anything for me. Waste of time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide
blewballoon's review
There are so many fun ideas here. I love the idea of a Sapphic fantasy romance in a pseudo Victorian England setting. I like the concept of the different types of magic users and a found family of female bodyguards. The execution just wasn't working for me, though. None of the items I just listed felt like they were done well. The dialogue felt unnatural, the main character was hard to like, and the writing went too far over the edge of whimsy to become convoluted. If you liked The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels but wanted more swearing, drugs, poverty, alcohol, and casual sex, you might like this?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Murder, and Alcohol
mika_ha's review
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
When english is not ur nativ langue it's hard to read in the beginning the characters have a heavy accent esp3in the beginning but it adds to there charm. Only thing I didn't like was the end the last chapters seemed rushed could've added a few more pages to keep the pace of the rest of the story. And give It a nice round ending
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
lbelow's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
4.5
This is one of my favourite books. The prose seems overly flowery at first until you realize that it isn't how everyone talks/thinks, it's how Delly does. By then, you're well and truly hooked into a rollicking ride filled with romance, mystery, a little light crime, a broken mother-daughter relationship not too far to fix, and a whole cast of strong female characters. This is always a fun read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
snickahz's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
This book would have been so much more enjoyable if it didn't have the purity culture stuff. The writing was fun. The story interesting. But the romance was boring and meandering. The main character spends 9/10 beating herself up about the relationship. And her love interest refuses to even kiss without being married.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content