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bookishmelissaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, and War
frantically's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
NHIE understood why fantasy authors have this burning desire to replicate the Nazi regime and manage to do it terribly every. single time. Please leave writing about The Third Reich to the historians and the victims.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Deportation
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
koistyfishy's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is hauntingly beautiful…
I recently watched an interview with two authors and they touched on the topic about the main differences between writing for YA and writing for Adults and one aspect stuck with me that I absolutely loved. It stuck because to me it’s the quintessential line between the two and ultimately is the essence of this book and what makes this book so strong and striking to read.
The main aspect in YA is it’s about firsts: first kisses, first relationships and first experience. It’s also about taking those first major steps at finding who you are as a person as you live through these experiences.
There is a simple quote from this book that stands out to me in its simplicity as it reinforces this aspect of firsts and really emphasised how characters can change as they learn the about world for themselves…
I recently watched an interview with two authors and they touched on the topic about the main differences between writing for YA and writing for Adults and one aspect stuck with me that I absolutely loved. It stuck because to me it’s the quintessential line between the two and ultimately is the essence of this book and what makes this book so strong and striking to read.
The main aspect in YA is it’s about firsts: first kisses, first relationships and first experience. It’s also about taking those first major steps at finding who you are as a person as you live through these experiences.
There is a simple quote from this book that stands out to me in its simplicity as it reinforces this aspect of firsts and really emphasised how characters can change as they learn the about world for themselves…
“I’m sorry” I murder. “I’m sorry I was so ignorant…and wrong when I first came here”
I am not going to lie and say this was an easy book as there are moments in this book that are difficult to read. There were times I gasped out loud at outrage and had to put the book down for a moment to let the moments sink in. There were also times when I was incredibly angry at what I was reading… but I appreciate that the author did not shy away from describing atrocities or behaviour… so many authors ignore or don’t touch on it enough and knowing what we have in our own tainted history of the Holocaust and Apartheid and what horrendous acts occurred when racial and religious purity is concerned…real people are terrifying and not shying away from that in a book should be commended not punished.
What I didn’t like about this book is that it took very long to get to the end and the major action was the last few pages… it was very slice of lifey in aspects and I wasn’t sure where the plot was going until about 3/4 quarters into the book.
Overall very good book and happy to have picked it up… stepping right into book 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishfaye's review
Dnf’d at 27%
I went into this expecting something really fun & epic & witches and warlocks and dragons and werewolves & elves and fae & a magic school & that sounded like fucking eeevverrything but…. Dear god did this one ever take a turn…
The first hundred pages it became clear that this was going to be a story about realizing your people are the bad ones and you’ve been lied too; it was kinda vague in the early stages and that can go a lot of ways & mean a lot of things so I was like period okay okay let’s see where the author goes with this. The next 100 pages then showcase the most vile metaphors for racism that mirror our world but in a fantasy world in ways that are so incredibly fucking odd & obviously written by a white person?? Like the white coded/white saviour protagonist is wildly sheltered and naive and doesn’t understand why so many people hate her and are terrified of her (though the audience catches on real quick that it’s because they are oppressed by her people/family etc). In one scene, she is pushed by a child of one of the mixed races who then refers to her as a “black roach” & the whitecoded MC “flinches at the racial insult” & I- …. What the fuck???? Also the main army in this book is absolutely coded to be the nazi regime down to the symbol on the uniforms. I just don’t care to see where this author is going with this story, because at this point it is clear to me she didn’t do the proper research to go about representing things with grace and is talking about things that she doesn’t understand & being fucking disrespectful about it. This is not even including the homophobic coded world of women needing to be “wandmated” to a male love interest while they are still children, & if they don’t remain faithful to this pairing they are whipped & put into like… slavery??? Also the 2014 era girl on girl hatred is just eyeroll. This is just an incredibly strange and disgusting way to go about representing racism.
I went into this expecting something really fun & epic & witches and warlocks and dragons and werewolves & elves and fae & a magic school & that sounded like fucking eeevverrything but…. Dear god did this one ever take a turn…
The first hundred pages it became clear that this was going to be a story about realizing your people are the bad ones and you’ve been lied too; it was kinda vague in the early stages and that can go a lot of ways & mean a lot of things so I was like period okay okay let’s see where the author goes with this. The next 100 pages then showcase the most vile metaphors for racism that mirror our world but in a fantasy world in ways that are so incredibly fucking odd & obviously written by a white person?? Like the white coded/white saviour protagonist is wildly sheltered and naive and doesn’t understand why so many people hate her and are terrified of her (though the audience catches on real quick that it’s because they are oppressed by her people/family etc). In one scene, she is pushed by a child of one of the mixed races who then refers to her as a “black roach” & the whitecoded MC “flinches at the racial insult” & I- …. What the fuck???? Also the main army in this book is absolutely coded to be the nazi regime down to the symbol on the uniforms. I just don’t care to see where this author is going with this story, because at this point it is clear to me she didn’t do the proper research to go about representing things with grace and is talking about things that she doesn’t understand & being fucking disrespectful about it. This is not even including the homophobic coded world of women needing to be “wandmated” to a male love interest while they are still children, & if they don’t remain faithful to this pairing they are whipped & put into like… slavery??? Also the 2014 era girl on girl hatred is just eyeroll. This is just an incredibly strange and disgusting way to go about representing racism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, Colonisation, and Classism
ka_ke's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I was nervous to start The Black Witch, and I’ll admit, the first part is very slow/basic. But once you start part two, the plot really picks up. Elloren is a wonderful character who develops her own beliefs and values and sticks to them. Her aunt is probably Umbridge level cruel.
People like to say the Deadly Education or Zodiac Academy series are adult Harry Potter, but I think the Black Witch Chronicles are a better comparison.
People like to say the Deadly Education or Zodiac Academy series are adult Harry Potter, but I think the Black Witch Chronicles are a better comparison.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Death of parent
bplivie23's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Racism
Minor: Homophobia
mypatronusisajedi's review
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual content, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and War
higgidigs's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
queenofpages's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I loved this more than I expected to. I really don’t understand why it’s controversial - this book is about prejudice and racism but that’s literally the point the author is trying to make. So yes read trigger warnings like w every other book but please read this one if you’re at a place where you can. The characters are wonderful and the mythology and diversity in this world is so interesting. This book has some quotes and scenes that will stick with you especially if you’ve done and are doing the hard work of unlearning prejudice you were taught as a child.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
thelizzielibrary's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Domestic abuse