anastashamarie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
šÆļø If you want to read this, I GREATLY recommend the audiobook. This is one that I think is made by the narrator. I'm a sucker for a paranormal/fantasy murder mystery and for slow burn enemies-to-lover so I devoured this story and thoroughly enjoyed it...UNTIL the last 10% or so.
Tuck in, little witches and surly demons. This might turn rambling like I got stuck between worlds in a scrying session.
šThe whole time I was reading/listening to it, I was thinking this would be a 4-star read for me. Yeah, it had some problems (which I'll get into). But I loved the magic system and the setting. I loved the concept of the 7 Deadly Sins embodied as demons and the ways that their powers manipulate humans. I loved Emelia's and Wrath's banter.Ā (And okay, like I said, the narration really made this one.)Ā
š”ļø I liked the characters, too. Some people complain about Emilia being dumb, and though I definitely think there certain things she did or didn't do only for the obvious sake of the story, I don't think "dumb" is the way I'd describe her. She thought these demons and dark forces were scary stories made up her Nonna to scare little witches into saying in bed at night. She was very traumatized by seeing the brutalized bodies of people she cared about and by witnessing multiple graphic attempted murders. I don't blame her if she didn't always ask the right questions or if she fell prey to immortal beings who spend their whole lives trying to trick humans. 2 months ago, she didn't even know they existed. She's pretty adaptable, all things considered.Ā
I also liked Wrath and the ways that he wasn't nearly as stoic or good at hiding his emotions as he might have thought. I liked his insistence on consent and choice and the ways that the demon magic just enhances what people already feel or desire. I liked that he clearly had his own motivations and seemed genuinely ambiguous throughout much of the story. I wouldn't call him morally grey, per say, because he doesn't actually do anything bad.Ā Maybe morally shadowed...I'm still not totally sure what his ploy is, but I'm very curious as to where his story will go next.
š But oof, the ending just left so much to be desired that I had to take another star. I get that it's meant to set up the storyline for the rest of the books. But so many of the characters motivations seemed loosely strung together by the end and nothing is as well tied-up as I thought it might be. New characters are introduced up until the last few pages, but in a "better shove this in my hidden pocket before I forget it like Emilia keep forgetting her chalk" sort of way, not in a necessarily intriguing sort of way. Personalities seem to suddenly flip flop. Clues that were presented seem to now be forgotten.
And speaking for clues, I feel like I needed a Handy Dandy Notebook to keep track of the spells and symbols and other hints littered throughout, because Emilia was finding paw prints I couldn't even see (I think because they're as invisible as a umbra demon). Meanwhile, Emilia is out here just drawing connections out of thin air. She suddenly remembers seeing symbols before that I don't remember ever being mentioned (because they weren't) and is like "oh, a clue!" I feel this could have been solved by more showing and less telling in the book; more descriptions of the scenes and interactions and behaviors. In other words, I wish more clues were dropped so the audience could play detective, too.
š Still, even though I didn't rank this as highly as I hoped, I'm very excited to read the next one. I borrowed this from Libby and will probably buy an actual copy of it to keep on my own shelf I liked it so much. I'm just hopeful the next ones redeem some of the ending of this one for me, otherwise I'm sending them back to the summoning circle.
Tuck in, little witches and surly demons. This might turn rambling like I got stuck between worlds in a scrying session.
šThe whole time I was reading/listening to it, I was thinking this would be a 4-star read for me. Yeah, it had some problems (which I'll get into). But I loved the magic system and the setting. I loved the concept of the 7 Deadly Sins embodied as demons and the ways that their powers manipulate humans. I loved Emelia's and Wrath's banter.Ā (And okay, like I said, the narration really made this one.)Ā
š”ļø I liked the characters, too. Some people complain about Emilia being dumb, and though I definitely think there certain things she did or didn't do only for the obvious sake of the story, I don't think "dumb" is the way I'd describe her. She thought these demons and dark forces were scary stories made up her Nonna to scare little witches into saying in bed at night. She was very traumatized by seeing the brutalized bodies of people she cared about and by witnessing multiple graphic attempted murders. I don't blame her if she didn't always ask the right questions or if she fell prey to immortal beings who spend their whole lives trying to trick humans. 2 months ago, she didn't even know they existed. She's pretty adaptable, all things considered.Ā
I also liked Wrath and the ways that he wasn't nearly as stoic or good at hiding his emotions as he might have thought. I liked his insistence on consent and choice and the ways that the demon magic just enhances what people already feel or desire. I liked that he clearly had his own motivations and seemed genuinely ambiguous throughout much of the story. I wouldn't call him morally grey, per say, because he doesn't actually do anything bad.Ā Maybe morally shadowed...I'm still not totally sure what his ploy is, but I'm very curious as to where his story will go next.
š But oof, the ending just left so much to be desired that I had to take another star. I get that it's meant to set up the storyline for the rest of the books. But so many of the characters motivations seemed loosely strung together by the end and nothing is as well tied-up as I thought it might be. New characters are introduced up until the last few pages, but in a "better shove this in my hidden pocket before I forget it like Emilia keep forgetting her chalk" sort of way, not in a necessarily intriguing sort of way. Personalities seem to suddenly flip flop. Clues that were presented seem to now be forgotten.
And speaking for clues, I feel like I needed a Handy Dandy Notebook to keep track of the spells and symbols and other hints littered throughout, because Emilia was finding paw prints I couldn't even see (I think because they're as invisible as a umbra demon). Meanwhile, Emilia is out here just drawing connections out of thin air. She suddenly remembers seeing symbols before that I don't remember ever being mentioned (because they weren't) and is like "oh, a clue!" I feel this could have been solved by more showing and less telling in the book; more descriptions of the scenes and interactions and behaviors. In other words, I wish more clues were dropped so the audience could play detective, too.
š Still, even though I didn't rank this as highly as I hoped, I'm very excited to read the next one. I borrowed this from Libby and will probably buy an actual copy of it to keep on my own shelf I liked it so much. I'm just hopeful the next ones redeem some of the ending of this one for me, otherwise I'm sending them back to the summoning circle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual content
troll_for_initiative's review against another edition
The book is incedibly boring to me. I am half way through the book and I don't like a single character, the worldbuilding is limited to mostly italian food, and the plot is fully dependend on the stupidity of the main character. Once this girl has a single intelligent thought, the story would be over and the world would be saved, because apparently she's an all-powerful witch without even trying. I do not care for anyone or anything in this book and I really tried to.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Alcohol, and Grief
bootsmom3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Dysphoria, Gore, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Animal death, and Sexual content
zellapaige's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
I was confused from nearly cover to cover, but oh so entertained.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Murder, and Violence
katvou's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Child death, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Sexual content
faitherslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Grief
Minor: Alcohol
cluckieduck's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Not as enthralling as other fantasy seriesās debuts, but interesting enough that Iāll continue on to book two. The plot was fairly predictable but also quite scatteredā¦riddle me that. I just didnāt connect with any of the characters, so weāll see what book two brings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Injury/injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
aidamaria_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Hereās why I wonāt be continuing the trilogy:
1. This book did not make me feel anything except hungry. The Italian food had more character to it than any of the actual protagonists. š
2. How this was pushed as a romance is beyond me. Up until halfway the book I still hoped Emilia and Wrath might become a powerful duo (like Feyre and Rhysand or Jude and Cardan), but how gravely disappointed I was! If youāre in it for spice, youāll be equally frustrated with the whole ordeal of getting through this book. Apart from a little tension, you get nothing. š¶
3. I didnāt get the ending. Like, not at all. Plot twists seemed to happen at random and I canāt believe Iād been that patient only to be let down. š„²
1. This book did not make me feel anything except hungry. The Italian food had more character to it than any of the actual protagonists. š
2. How this was pushed as a romance is beyond me. Up until halfway the book I still hoped Emilia and Wrath might become a powerful duo (like Feyre and Rhysand or Jude and Cardan), but how gravely disappointed I was! If youāre in it for spice, youāll be equally frustrated with the whole ordeal of getting through this book. Apart from a little tension, you get nothing. š¶
3. I didnāt get the ending. Like, not at all. Plot twists seemed to happen at random and I canāt believe Iād been that patient only to be let down. š„²
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, Violence, and Vomit
politewriter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A rather thrilling fantasy novel. The world building had some rather fantastic depths and color to it. It was really easy to see how the author incorporated their personal experience. I really liked how that meshed. Some elements of their story seemed to get muddled at times, and I found myself needing to go back to reread something in order to understand what was happening. Lots of characters, but the author does a good job of keeping them all straightā as well as their alliances and organizations. However, FL seemed to have very little development throughout the story. She made a lot of odd choices, and that really took away from the tension of the story. I liked the chemistry between the FL and the ML tremendously. I hope to see that further developed in the second volume.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcohol, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Stalking
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Torture
rosalie5's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, and Deadnaming