kimyc's review against another edition
5.0
Great addition to the series
Loved this addition to the series , cant wait for the next book
I have recommended this series to all my friends
Loved this addition to the series , cant wait for the next book
I have recommended this series to all my friends
lenoreo's review against another edition
4.0
https://celebrityreaders.com/2021/10/25/demon-disgrace-by-m-j-haag/
4 stars — This one was hard to read. It felt realistic though. It’s just that Hannah was *really* hard to like in this one. But it really showed how alcoholism can alter who a person is, so much so that even they don’t recognize themselves. I really appreciated that Hannah didn’t just turn around immediately. It was actually a really long process, and in the throes of her addiction and withdrawal, she was still not a great person. She was blinded to how her actions had affected others, and refused to take responsibility for that part of her life. In the meantime she was drowning in guilt for another decision that she made. I appreciated that it wasn’t downplayed, that the trauma from that event, and her alcoholism, were both presented as problems that won’t ever completely go away. It was real.
I think the gradual development really had me believing in her changes, and gave me time to forgive her for the awful things, and appreciate it even more when she started coming back to herself and finding her happiness again.
The relationships with the fey are always kind of on the edge of appropriate…but I think it lets an author play on the boundaries of our fantasies, because it’s not real life, and it’s not human men. They still amuse me. They’re still adorable. Merdon was harder than others, because he took the idea of “tough love” to a whole new level. And yet, in the world they lived in, it was exactly what Hannah needed. And I’m not sure it would have worked as well if she’d understood his motivations behind it all, and that it was coming from a place of love.
The one thing I wish is that we’d gotten a bit of a recap of Merdon’s past, because it has been awhile since I read the previous books, and while I remember broad strokes, I wanted that deeper dive. Ah well, something for if I ever reread this series from the beginning again.
All in all there was a lot of uncomfortable emotional moments in this one, but also a lot of laughs and fun that I’ve come to enjoy and expect. I loved that we didn’t just get that from the fey, but also from the other humans. Mary is a bit over the top for me, though she does still startle laughs out of me. In particular, I LOVED the girl “fight club” that was formed, what they were learning, and the connections they were developing. I’m kind of sad that it doesn’t look like we’ll get Emily’s story before the end. After this book especially I really want it. Even if it’s just a novella.
So yeah. Definitely a solid book in the series, even if it didn’t blow me away. Probably gonna have to go out and get the next book right away now.
4 stars — This one was hard to read. It felt realistic though. It’s just that Hannah was *really* hard to like in this one. But it really showed how alcoholism can alter who a person is, so much so that even they don’t recognize themselves. I really appreciated that Hannah didn’t just turn around immediately. It was actually a really long process, and in the throes of her addiction and withdrawal, she was still not a great person. She was blinded to how her actions had affected others, and refused to take responsibility for that part of her life. In the meantime she was drowning in guilt for another decision that she made. I appreciated that it wasn’t downplayed, that the trauma from that event, and her alcoholism, were both presented as problems that won’t ever completely go away. It was real.
I think the gradual development really had me believing in her changes, and gave me time to forgive her for the awful things, and appreciate it even more when she started coming back to herself and finding her happiness again.
The relationships with the fey are always kind of on the edge of appropriate…but I think it lets an author play on the boundaries of our fantasies, because it’s not real life, and it’s not human men. They still amuse me. They’re still adorable. Merdon was harder than others, because he took the idea of “tough love” to a whole new level. And yet, in the world they lived in, it was exactly what Hannah needed. And I’m not sure it would have worked as well if she’d understood his motivations behind it all, and that it was coming from a place of love.
The one thing I wish is that we’d gotten a bit of a recap of Merdon’s past, because it has been awhile since I read the previous books, and while I remember broad strokes, I wanted that deeper dive. Ah well, something for if I ever reread this series from the beginning again.
All in all there was a lot of uncomfortable emotional moments in this one, but also a lot of laughs and fun that I’ve come to enjoy and expect. I loved that we didn’t just get that from the fey, but also from the other humans. Mary is a bit over the top for me, though she does still startle laughs out of me. In particular, I LOVED the girl “fight club” that was formed, what they were learning, and the connections they were developing. I’m kind of sad that it doesn’t look like we’ll get Emily’s story before the end. After this book especially I really want it. Even if it’s just a novella.
So yeah. Definitely a solid book in the series, even if it didn’t blow me away. Probably gonna have to go out and get the next book right away now.
randomsmith80's review against another edition
5.0
This book was tough to read, especially the beginning. It deals with alcoholism and PTSD. It's one of the best narrations of alcoholism I've seen, but it doesn't pull any punches, and that made it a darker read. I loved the slow burn and different characterization of the dark elves in this take; seeing Hannah through different eyes was also a treat. I hadn't expected to get into her story so much, given that I'd hated her in previous books, but Haag does a great job of showing a flawed individual struggling to come to terms with the apocalypse.
lavenderxohuang's review against another edition
2.75
Very slow and unfortunately I personally found it boring. While I loved that the author wrote a book centered around a survivor struggling with PTSD, survivor's guilt, alcoholism, and suicidal behavior, nothing else was happening through this very long book. I don't know how many times I read about her waking up from screams, about how she doesn't want to eat, about how she wants to drown herself in alcohol to forget, over and over again. In short, it was repetitive.
stille's review
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.5
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