Scan barcode
naluisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Após terminar A Dança da Floresta, soube imediatamente que precisaria explorar outras obras de Juliet Marillier. A autora tem uma escrita direta, revelando uma precisão narrativa que não perde tempo ao conduzir o leitor pela trama. Sua criatividade transparece a experiência de quem já folheou incontáveis livros, somada à perspicácia de entrelaçar de forma habilidosa esses elementos. Não é à toa que ela merece todos os prêmios literários que já conquistou.
A história se desenvolve como uma recriação de A Bela e a Fera, centrada em uma jovem que busca refúgio em uma casa isolada nas montanhas, habitada por personagens incomuns e governada por um líder recluso. No entanto, as semelhanças com o conto clássico acabam por aí. Marillier utiliza a estrutura familiar da história como uma base para tecer uma trama completamente nova e cativante, inspirada por mitologias escocesas, superstições cristãs e mitos europeus. O resultado é um universo próprio, onde o conhecido e o inesperado se misturam de maneira fascinante.
Entretanto, há alguns pontos que enfraquecem a narrativa. O principal é o plot twist, que se mostra previsível demais – a resposta estava sempre à vista, o que fez com que a revelação parecesse menos uma reviravolta surpreendente e mais um detalhe óbvio que passou despercebido pelos personagens. Além disso, a quantidade excessiva de perguntas entre os personagens torna os diálogos cansativos. Em muitos momentos, as conversas soam como interrogatórios, o que quebra a fluidez natural da interação. Se eu tomasse um shot para cada pergunta feita ao longo da trama, certamente não terminaria o livro de pé!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
icapturethecastle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Sexual harassment
valentinavl's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 just because I saw it coming but enjoyed it anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
a_ab's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
4.0
Although too long, this was an interesting and unusual retelling of Beauty and the Beast — rich with its own world and themes beyond the original tale.
It's not going to be a favorite — I had a hard time suspending my disbelief for some of the setting and scenes, and its length is a serious detriment to this book's rereadability, but I enjoyed it well enough.
It's not going to be a favorite — I had a hard time suspending my disbelief for some of the setting and scenes, and its length is a serious detriment to this book's rereadability, but I enjoyed it well enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual harassment and War
kirstym25's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Animal cruelty and Pregnancy
etherealskies's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual harassment
briely's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal death
vigil's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.0
this book made a lot of choices. i enjoyed and tolerated around 70% of them but the rest of it was minor to moderate quibbles that stacked on top of each other to the point where it got too tall to ignore.
the dialogue at times, was too trite and corny, reading like old irish people doing therapy speak. the important plotlines are introduced as a means of conflict but are handwaved as soon as they became an impediment to the story, and several plotlines are left unaddressed and forgotten.
most annoyingly of all, there was a moment this book tried to say something about feminism. the problem with that is, if you’re going to have your protagonist posit the story as women’s magic, it’s time for women to take back the tale, framing how horrible men can be to women, you have to actually follow up on that.
the protagonist cannot undertake a single action in this book without being saved by a man. every single time, a man shows up to save her in some manner.the only exception to this rule is when she is saved by a magic mirror a plot point so highly utilized yet so unexplored. the only other woman in the house has a personality and plot role that, frankly amounts to vengeful woman / jealous hag. all the other women are there to die, or there to have their husbands die, or there to die and then have their husbands die, or there to have their husbands die and then get paired off to a man twice their age apropos of absolutely nothing. i don’t need this book to tell a tale about feminism and women at all, but if you have the protagonist frame it that way, and do not rebuke or deconstruct her stance, that’s something you must deliver on.
this book teased multiple things and only succeeded at about half of them. thus, 3 stars.
the dialogue at times, was too trite and corny, reading like old irish people doing therapy speak. the important plotlines are introduced as a means of conflict but are handwaved as soon as they became an impediment to the story, and several plotlines are left unaddressed and forgotten.
most annoyingly of all, there was a moment this book tried to say something about feminism. the problem with that is, if you’re going to have your protagonist posit the story as women’s magic, it’s time for women to take back the tale, framing how horrible men can be to women, you have to actually follow up on that.
the protagonist cannot undertake a single action in this book without being saved by a man. every single time, a man shows up to save her in some manner.
this book teased multiple things and only succeeded at about half of them. thus, 3 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
reynoldsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
It’s been almost 5 months since I last posted about a Beauty and the Beast retelling! But I think the timing for this one worked out quite well since it has a very ghostly, haunted theme to it.
On the run from her abusive relatives, Caitrin finds shelter at Whistling Tor, where whispering spirits lurk in the surrounding forest to lure wanderers off the path, and no one from the nearby village dares set foot — especially after dark. But Caitrin has no where else to go, and since the chieftain has need of her scribing skills, it’s the perfect place to lay low for the summer.
As the season passes, Caitrin grows closer to the peculiar residents of the manor and the isolated, disfigured Lord Anluan. Her work in the library of copying, translating, and organizing the records of past chieftains reveals some secrets about the Tor and she becomes determined to find a way to undo the curse that has tormented Anluan and his ancestors for generations.
This book was incredible! It’s so well-written, well-told, well-paced. I loved how the magic and lore intersected with Irish history; the love story was beautiful; the issues of grief, trauma, and abuse were handled maturely and tactfully. And it had some dramatic twists and reveals along the way! Definitely one of my top favourite BatB retellings!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
geilie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal death and Injury/Injury detail