Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Half Sick of Shadows

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Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian

29 reviews

angeld's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Giving this 4.25 stars because I genuinely had a good time despite minor flaws and an unsatisfying ending. While this may as well be due to a severe reading slump (that I hadn’t been able to get out of for months) I won’t discredit the book for being entertaining! Admittedly I am not at all familiar with the Arthurian legend and have only heard bits and pieces about the story, so I went into this book with 0 expectations and I guess that went in my favor. I loved the different characters and their personalities; I enjoyed their banter and reading about their relationships. The plot itself felt like a high-stake one that was super gripping to read about. Despite being confused about the alternating timelines I was able to get used to that rather quickly so that wasn’t a problem. Overall, this was one of the most entertaining books I’ve read this year!

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lizziemarie01's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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kelleyannelyse's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

The legend is well known -- Arthur will be crowned King of Camelot, only to be abandoned by his sister, the sorceress Morgana, and betrayed by his wife Guinevere and his right-hand knight, Lancelot. As his oracle and adviser, Elaine Astolat, the Lady of Shalott, alone carries the burden of knowing that this is the future that awaits them, and how one day, they will all turn against each other. Through the past, present, and future tense, new life is breathed into Arthurian myth. In which, Guinevere, Morgana, and most of all Elaine, claim their agency and hold the power to reshape legends -- for the future is never set in stone until it becomes the past.

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neverlandangel's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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heather_freshparchment's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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sneakysquid's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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lenny9987's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.5

Arthurian legend, like Greek mythology, is an area of literary history that I find myself going back to again and again lately. And with so many wonderful re-imaginings and alternate perspectives hitting bookstore shelves lately, I don’t see my fascination fading anytime soon. Laura Sebastian’s Half Sick of Shadows is one that a colleague recommended when we were discussing just how much Arthurian legend and Greek mythology were appearing (having just read Circe for book club). Though it took a while to work my way up the library waiting list, Half Sick of Shadows was worth the wait. I confess, all I really knew of the Lady of Shalott was the Tennyson poem… and that mostly from how it was used in my favorite adaptation of Anne of Green Gables rather than any great familiarity with the actual poem. But that’s one of the things that’s so great about Arthurian legend – it’s incredibly flexible, even with so many of its major characters and Laura Sebastian bends them into a shape that reveals the complexity of some of its most famous (and infamous) female figures.

Elaine has been a Seer all her life, though it is only after meeting the mysterious Morgana that she truly begins to understand what that means and just how strong her gift is – and how dangerous it is for her to stay at court in Camelot where magic is banned under Uther Pendragon. When Morgana invites Elaine to join her across the water in Avalon, Elaine takes a chance that changes the course of more than just her own life. Learning to hone her gift from Nimue herself, Elaine befriends Arthur, Guinevere, Morgana and Lancelot who are fated to help Arthur achieve his destiny by becoming King and uniting Albion and Avalon. But there are many ways that fate might unfold and Elaine sees them all… Many of them end badly. Elaine does everything she can to prevent the betrayals and broken friendships she has Seen, but in doing so she might just be ensuring that grim future. She must find a way to navigate the present while being haunted by the future.

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