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indev_demo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
there wasn't enough angst for me, when it was there it was short lived. the idea of writing in three tenses was a bit ambitious, especially when all three are in basically every chapter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, and War
nicosta_music's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Half Sick of Shadows was a really great retelling of Arthurian myth. It kept a lot of the adventure and magic that is typical of the genre, but added a few more modern sentiments like strong female characters and discussions of what it meant to be a strong female in that time period. I really enjoyed how the book was themed around how far one is willing to go to protect their friends or achieve a certain destiny. My only complaints are that knowing how the story was supposed to end made the book slog at times (especially with it jumping between past, present, and future), and I also wasn't a huge fan of the trope where women have to give up their power in order to further a man, but I guess that was the whole point the book was making anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, and Colonisation
Minor: Infertility, Alcohol, and Classism
acrosstheskyinstars's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this book! It's going on my list of top books of 2024. This is a feminist retelling of the King Arthur story from the perspective of The Lady of Shalott. I've been trying to find this again ever since I read Avalon High in high school. I loved this take on the story and I honestly loved the character of Elaine. I found her relatable, as someone with a tendency to not let others get too close. I can't recommend this enough to anyone who loves retellings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
lizziemarie01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, and War
tmickey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War
eve_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Overall Thoughts:
⁕ Sebastian uses Elaine's Seer abilities to develop a powerful narrative about anxiety, control, and safety.
⁕ I've read a lot of Arthurian retellings, and this one is certainly one of the most creative. Not only are the events and relationships between characters rearranged, but there is a much greater emphasis on players that are usually secondary to the main story. Getting to see their motivations and arcs reimagined was such a treat.
⁕ [spoiler] I'm still struggling to determine whether or not I believe this to be a truly feminist text. On one hand, Elaine claims that she makes the "choice" to accept her fate of drowning at the end of the book, and a core principle of feminism is that women, in fact, get to choose how to live their lives. On the other hand, does fate really allow choice? It seems like she was actually just backed into a corner and accepted it.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
⁕ Sebastian uses Elaine's Seer abilities to develop a powerful narrative about anxiety, control, and safety.
⁕ I've read a lot of Arthurian retellings, and this one is certainly one of the most creative. Not only are the events and relationships between characters rearranged, but there is a much greater emphasis on players that are usually secondary to the main story. Getting to see their motivations and arcs reimagined was such a treat.
⁕ [spoiler] I'm still struggling to determine whether or not I believe this to be a truly feminist text. On one hand, Elaine claims that she makes the "choice" to accept her fate of drowning at the end of the book, and a core principle of feminism is that women, in fact, get to choose how to live their lives. On the other hand, does fate really allow choice? It seems like she was actually just backed into a corner and accepted it.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, and War
rstegema's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
The first few hundred pages are a little slow and the non-linear timeline does take a little getting used to, but it's a very interesting take on the classic Authurian legend/folklore story. I appreciated the strong female leads and the diversity of the issues they faced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Gore and War
readwithde's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.25
I'm still trying to decide how I feel about this book, but maybe that's a good thing.
Let me start with the good parts, the loyalty and camaraderie and love between the main characters, the difficult choices and grey areas of life, the weight of power and responsibility for the future, the interwoven fates of Gwen, Elaine, and Morgana... it was so rich with detail and life and possibly.
As for the not-so-great parts, Elaine became a bit annoying to me. She is constantly aware that knowing the future can have adverse effects, but she often finds herself steering the group into the wrong paths, the choices leading to a dark and painful ending. While I appreciate how she removed herself from the cycle, she still caused collateral damage, primarily to Lancelot.
I also felt like I needed 2 extra chapters, just to detangle what may have changed, if anything. I would have loved to get a glimpse of how Arthur and Lancelot survived Camelot without the girls being there to counsel, heal, aid, and generally keep them safe and functioning.
Overall, I love this version of the story, and I love the focus on how the women of Camelot could not be themselves, how Gwen, Morgana, and Elaine spent their entire lives being trained to sacrifice themselves for Arthur's sake. How they slowly eroded over time, and would have become even worse versions of themselves if not for choosing their own lives over Arthur's.
Let me start with the good parts, the loyalty and camaraderie and love between the main characters, the difficult choices and grey areas of life, the weight of power and responsibility for the future, the interwoven fates of Gwen, Elaine, and Morgana... it was so rich with detail and life and possibly.
As for the not-so-great parts, Elaine became a bit annoying to me.
I also felt like I needed 2 extra chapters, just to detangle what may have changed, if anything.
Overall, I love this version of the story, and I love the focus on how the women of Camelot could not be themselves, how Gwen, Morgana, and Elaine spent their entire lives being trained to sacrifice themselves for Arthur's sake.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail