ruthorfiction's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mad_matx's review against another edition
4.0
Good. A slow and uncomfortable start, but cascading into a powerful and believable finish. Not sure if this is a YA book, but it worked just fine for my age range.
smuttymcbookface's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Princess Lissla is daughter to the most loved couple in the Kingdom. Unable to take their eyes off one another, it looks like a fairytale to everyone. Except, they, and their kingdom, overlook their only child.
When the most beautiful woman in all the Kingdoms, the Queen, dies, and makes the King promise never to remarry unless the person is more beautiful than she is, he falls into a grief. A different kingdom gift Lissla a fleethound to help with her grief, and through this fleethound, Ash, she finds strength to be seen by those she wishes.
Years later, when she's just turned 17, the King realises that she is just as beautiful as her mother was, and so demands that she marries him in three days. Despite her attempts to lock herself away, he attacks her before their marriage.
Clinging onto her last piece of strength, she leaves the castle to a forest, where she and Ash are reborn, though with lasting scars from her trauma.
Deerskin was a beautiful story, told in a fairytale narrative. It was easy to feel what the characters felt, and to understand the hurt, the loss, and the bonds that formed. In addition, it was so sweet to read about the fleethound, and how the character quirks line up exactly with the sighthounds of these ages.
I have two things that I didn't like about this story. The first is that I found it too long-winded in certain parts. Thoughts and ideas were often repeated to show a train of thought, but when this happened consistently through scenes, it became difficult to read. My second issue was with the fantastical elements; I sometimes found these quite hard to follow, or when I did follow, a little ridiculous (). I loved the premise of the moonwoman, and her escape through her, but some things were taken a little too far.
When the most beautiful woman in all the Kingdoms, the Queen, dies, and makes the King promise never to remarry unless the person is more beautiful than she is, he falls into a grief. A different kingdom gift Lissla a fleethound to help with her grief, and through this fleethound, Ash, she finds strength to be seen by those she wishes.
Years later, when she's just turned 17, the King realises that she is just as beautiful as her mother was, and so demands that she marries him in three days. Despite her attempts to lock herself away, he attacks her before their marriage.
Clinging onto her last piece of strength, she leaves the castle to a forest, where she and Ash are reborn, though with lasting scars from her trauma.
Deerskin was a beautiful story, told in a fairytale narrative. It was easy to feel what the characters felt, and to understand the hurt, the loss, and the bonds that formed. In addition, it was so sweet to read about the fleethound, and how the character quirks line up exactly with the sighthounds of these ages.
I have two things that I didn't like about this story. The first is that I found it too long-winded in certain parts. Thoughts and ideas were often repeated to show a train of thought, but when this happened consistently through scenes, it became difficult to read. My second issue was with the fantastical elements; I sometimes found these quite hard to follow, or when I did follow, a little ridiculous (
Spoiler
such as when she bled a tree from her vagina in the throne room?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Miscarriage, Incest, and Rape
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse
blackcatbinx29's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Classic fantasy fairytale. It’s very slow but I liked it!
colleentie's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely beautiful. The process of healing after massive trauma was handled so well, and was deeply comforting to read. I loved the prose, the descriptions of caring for the dogs and basic survival.
decafplease's review against another edition
3.0
The story was lyrical and sorrowful, yet I can't help but feel that there was something missing.
catburps's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
3.5
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
5.0
i wish it had ended with ossin ripping out lissar's father's heart, but i understand why it didn't. i like that we never learn lissar's father's name.
internationalkris's review against another edition
3.0
This was a beautiful story but the ending got just a bit confusing.
its_literature's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.75
horribly horribly sad but at the same time so fiercely adamant—no!! you will not have command over me and my life for always, my life and my love are my own!!