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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
fraeyalise's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.75
Juliet Marillier writes emotions so well that I can read about terrible things happening and not be completely swept away by grief or anger.
This book was a classic Marillier story, and a standalone at that. I really loved it. I love the setting and the characters. I do think the love story between Anluan and Caitrin was a little forced, but I can kind of see where their relationship blossomed and the turning point happened. I wish we had seen more conversation between the two.
I figured out where the story was going about halfway through, but it wasn't super frustrating. I felt vindicated when everything was revealed. I'm really glad all the loose ends were basically tied up.
This book would be good to read if you want a story about hope with some romance and mystery thrown in.
Spoilers for ending:
The dog does die, but his death is respectful and it's treated with care. Also, I didn't really like that a jealous woman was the bad guy (the ONLY other main character that's a woman), but the way she's fleshed out and the reasons behind it make sense, it's not just women at each other fighting over a man.
EDIT: I had no idea this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling when I read it. If you didn't know, it still holds up really well.
This book was a classic Marillier story, and a standalone at that. I really loved it. I love the setting and the characters. I do think the love story between Anluan and Caitrin was a little forced, but I can kind of see where their relationship blossomed and the turning point happened. I wish we had seen more conversation between the two.
I figured out where the story was going about halfway through, but it wasn't super frustrating. I felt vindicated when everything was revealed. I'm really glad all the loose ends were basically tied up.
This book would be good to read if you want a story about hope with some romance and mystery thrown in.
Spoilers for ending:
EDIT: I had no idea this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling when I read it. If you didn't know, it still holds up really well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, and Pregnancy
One of the characters is a little ghost girl about 5 years old, hence the child death tag. The main character is also trapped in an abusive relationship after her father's death, butvalentinavl'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
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