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culpeppper's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I'm disgusted and intrigued. I do so deeply wish I weren't able to relate to the main character. She's clearly a brilliant mind that is stifled by the constraints of her time and culture, so some of my favorite moments were when she was able to be brilliant on her own, flexing her brain and agency even as she is forced to bend to the will of men around her.
It's a line that I think a lot of historical stories teeter unsuccessfully, a brilliant female protagonist with attributes that render her powerless in one way or another in general society, but I think was done well here. Historical relevance in this was rarely disregarded in settings, characters, and actions, but at the same time the author has given Adelia a mind sharp enough to offer credibility to our suspension of disbelief. This feels like a cohesive world, so while Adelia is largely disadvantaged in many ways it's believeable to a non-historian that a woman in this time like her could exist.
I hate the relationship between her and the tax collector (I have no idea how to spell his name, or any names for that matter) the more it develops. I really feel 0 chemistry bewteen them, and unless this is set up for something bigger down the line I don't get it. He is so irritating even when he is supposed to be charming.
I guess if I were a young woman in the 12th century and I was facing massive life changes, multiple traumatic events, misogyny + antisemitism + xenophobia from literally everyone, and social isolation, I KNOW I'd fall for the first asshole that respected my personage 25% of the time.
Out of all the characters in the book, there are only four (4!) male characters I don't wish venereal diseases on in this story. And one of them is dead by the end.
It's a line that I think a lot of historical stories teeter unsuccessfully, a brilliant female protagonist with attributes that render her powerless in one way or another in general society, but I think was done well here. Historical relevance in this was rarely disregarded in settings, characters, and actions, but at the same time the author has given Adelia a mind sharp enough to offer credibility to our suspension of disbelief. This feels like a cohesive world, so while Adelia is largely disadvantaged in many ways it's believeable to a non-historian that a woman in this time like her could exist.
I guess if I were a young woman in the 12th century and I was facing massive life changes, multiple traumatic events, misogyny + antisemitism + xenophobia from literally everyone, and social isolation, I KNOW I'd fall for the first asshole that respected my personage 25% of the time.
Out of all the characters in the book, there are only four (4!) male characters I don't wish venereal diseases on in this story. And one of them is dead by the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
A lot of implied and referenced sexual violence, with some on page, towards children, women, and animals.
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