stripedstone's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Rape, Child death, Sexual violence, Grief, Confinement, Violence, Pregnancy, and Kidnapping
brindlecat's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Slavery, and Kidnapping
takarakei's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Just really beautiful writing, very descriptive imagery that built a very lush and intriguing world. I am very excited to read the sequel.
Graphic: Death, Murder, Child death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Confinement, Kidnapping, Rape, and Slavery
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
rape/SA:Spoiler
nothing descriptive or on page, but it is discussed as something that happened regularly in the past of this society under the godsbeckyyreadss's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, and Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
vanesst's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Blood, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Kidnapping
carolined314's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Slavery and Xenophobia
Moderate: Colonisation, Violence, Bullying, Rape, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Child death, Confinement, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content
barefootbeauty99's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Confinement, Child death, Rape, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death
Minor: Classism
vespix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
There's a fairy-tale quality to Strange the Dreamer, from whimsy and rich worldbuilding to very heavy topics used with very little care. (Seriously, mind your trigger warnings.) The plot is solid and — at least to me — felt unique in the manner of its telling. The writing style is occasionally too purple for my tastes, but not to the point it would detract from my enjoyment.
The romance did all the detracting. There's so much gratuitous making out, it had me skimming (and I almost never do that) entire sections. Pages. That's how much there is, once it gets going. It messes up the pacing. It servers no purpose. There was literally an entire plot point lost in the telling because the mains had to make out instead. I suppose it would feel different for someone who likes these scenes, but for me they were a waste of a perfectly good story. So much worldbuilding waiting to dive deeper into, but it's all lips, twining threads and whatnot.
I will read Muse, though the ending of Strange doesn't give me much hope that it's going to focus back on the plot. Pity.
Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking
lejuletre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Death, Confinement, Pregnancy, Rape, and Misogyny
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Slavery, Kidnapping, and Rape
Minor: Sexual assault