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laurajones's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage
caidyn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
I decided to give this book another try. Not as good as Innis Lear, but I still enjoyed it and how the themes mirror the first book well while making their own thing.
Thank you Tor Books and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
DNF at 51%
The long and the short of this book is that it felt like a poor Henry IV retelling.
The characters are all genderbent and most are queer. But it's a queer story that's full of angst about not being allowed to be who they are. Important story and themes to look at, but it felt tiring for me because that's how a lot of queer stories are. That kept annoying me and pulling me out of the story. I prefer reading happy queer books, where people are largely accepted and loved for their queer selves.
Then, the genderbending didn't feel well planned. I was so confused about who all the characters were and kept trying to put my knowledge of the Shakespeare play into it, but figured out real fast that I was confusing myself even more. I was getting more and more lost by what was going to happen in it.
All in all, I was lost and this just isn't as good as The Queens of Innis Lear. If Gratton does more Shakespeare retellings, I'll try another. I could even try this one again, so long as I'm more familiar with the play.
Thank you Tor Books and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
DNF at 51%
The long and the short of this book is that it felt like a poor Henry IV retelling.
The characters are all genderbent and most are queer. But it's a queer story that's full of angst about not being allowed to be who they are. Important story and themes to look at, but it felt tiring for me because that's how a lot of queer stories are. That kept annoying me and pulling me out of the story. I prefer reading happy queer books, where people are largely accepted and loved for their queer selves.
Then, the genderbending didn't feel well planned. I was so confused about who all the characters were and kept trying to put my knowledge of the Shakespeare play into it, but figured out real fast that I was confusing myself even more. I was getting more and more lost by what was going to happen in it.
All in all, I was lost and this just isn't as good as The Queens of Innis Lear. If Gratton does more Shakespeare retellings, I'll try another. I could even try this one again, so long as I'm more familiar with the play.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol