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cre8withcait's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Police brutality, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism
selkiesrcool's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
hollye6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, Racism, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Vomit
20sidedbi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Slavery, and Vomit
mary_stormageddon's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
jeggert10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury
leexpen's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
I love you to Hell and back. Immersed in a world of occult magic, Alex vows to return her mentor from Hell with the help of her friends and a magical gift that is hers alone.
👩🏫⛪️👻📜💀🐇😈🧛♂️🎩
👍🏻 RECOMMENDATION:
💚 READ it!
💬 FAVORITE QUOTES:
[PENDING]
👓 FORMAT:
🎧
📑 COMMENTS:
• Um, this is a sequel? LOL I jumped in here, and it works fine.
• In the contemporary fantasy setting, Bardugo captures the dark academic aesthetic well. When it comes to the real-life setting, the northeast and California are believable (but I haven't spent enough time in Connecticut specifically to judge that). The magic system is convoluted, but the loose logic does fall apart at the end.
• The characters are complex, three-dimensional, and flawed. Their races and genders influence them in meaningful ways. Some are more lovable than others, but they are all understandable. Mercy & Turner are my personal favorites! The antagonists are rounded, too.
• Apt imagery and metaphors flow into the prose. There's plenty to dissect if that's your thing. (It's mine!) I'd love to see it on the page, particulaely to see the tome excerpts.
• Why did they switch audiobook narrators so late into the story? It was jarring, and it pulled me out of the story! The character's voice is defined, but I also hate it. It adds nothing to the story. Overall, Part Two lags.
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Self harm, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Colonisation
notsohopelessromantic's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
The kindling romance between Darlington and Alex is just that. Kindling. If you wanted romance, boy howdy let me tell you it's a slow burn. A very confused, hesitant flame, with a very eager wick, on a willing candle. That might not make sense to you but it does to me.
Anyway, the book was very good. Much like the first where it just seems to be one thing after another, after another. Nonstop misfortune, bad luck, catastrophe. It really makes you wanna tear your hair out. But, to be fair, they did manage to get Darlington back from the Underworld, something I truly did not believe would happen until the 3rd book with the way things were looking. I am grateful to at least have that issue resolved, if only temporarily.
There is most definitely something off about the current Praetor. He knows more than he's letting on, I'm just not sure why. I probably won't know until it's literally spelled out to us in the next book.
I loved the character development on all fronts. Learning that Turner wasn't as straight-laced as we all thought, that Tripp isn't all that harmless or innocent, that Mercy is stronger than she seems. And speaking of Tripp, I do love what was done with his character at the end of the book. That will be interesting to see play out in the next one. Dawes has grown even more as well, becoming less timid, more sure of herself, confident in her abilities; very much the witch Alex saw her to be. I know that there is even more to unpack with Alex and why she's been described as sitting on a throne with a crown on her head, Darlington her faithful servant (and lover 👀). I can't wait for it all to unfold.
The book truly twisted and turned at all of the unexpected, and expected, moments, making this one helluva ride (read). I cannot wait to receive news on the final book in the trilogy and can only hope that I won't have to suffer for very long. Though if Darlington can survive over a year in hell, then I can certainly wait that long to be saved too.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Torture, and Grief
caoimhemia's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
elysianemily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, and Sexual content
Minor: Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury