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ambs_elizabeth'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? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
ceredonia'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: Cursing, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual content
bree_h_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, Police brutality, and Medical content
sadetanssija'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Murder, and Gaslighting
karatics'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Medical content, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
toobusy'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? It's complicated
3.75
"Good mystery elements + good romance and banter + established fantasy world = fun read for me"
As another reviewer noted, this book is great if you've outgrown the amazingly gorgeous and talented 18-yr olds that are destined to save the world. This story is about two people who have seen some of the world and it hasn't always been kind. I love the awkward but well meaning interactions between Grace and Stephen and crew even if the "I'm too hurt to love anyone" trope gets a bit old. The character dialogue is light and full of banter that keeps it light-hearted and fun despite the darker mysteries afoot.
Some of the internal dialogue does get repetitive and I got tired of Grace's timidness. Yes I know you think you're a little grey boring mouse and that you can't do anything right. But at some point you have to start growing past that mindset right? At least for the sake of character development.
At times I found the romance to be a bit "male gaze-y" and oversimplified for me. Lots of descriptions of how small and plump and round the FL is and how hard and LARGE the ML is (whole body not just certain bits...).
Loved the characters from the Temple of the White Rat and Stephen's fellow paladins (see Beartongue and Istvhan). Overall I liked how all the characters fit in. Plus casual LGBTQ+ representation is always a bonus.
This felt well paced up until about the 2/3 mark where it dragged for a bit but then picked up the pace for the ending.
2.5/5 🌶
(suggested content throughout the book and some Not-to-black moments)
*AudioBook*
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Minor: Gore, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
silentquercus'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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Confinement, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting
ritabriar'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
Some things in this book happen by chance, like
Magic is common in this setting. The magic that really digs into the plot is a bit horrifying.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Minor: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
Grace's husband is a piece of work. This is the source of the toxic relationship, infidelity, and panic attack tags. The horrible smooth men are the source of the body horror and gore tags. A young man has been pressured or brainwashed into making a really bad,miss_berry315's review against another edition
3.0
I dnf'd this book originally because of the scene where Stephen and Grace meet. It is fairly early in the book and I really felt like the author could have done literally anything other than have Stephen practically SA Grace.
IDC if this is a spoiler, it's really not done well and adds absolutely nothing to the story overall.
Stephen is walking back home when he hears someone running and he determines that the person sounds like they're in trouble, so he wants to help (paladin things). Grace approaches him near an alleyway and asks Stephen to help her hide. Stephen then grabs her, shoves her against the wall so she's hidden from the people chasing her, and begins dry humping her and acting as if he is having sex. She plays along with it, he's apologizing the whole time (super uncomfortable) and the people chasing her end up leaving them alone. It's important to note that this happens in an alleyway very close to this city's version of a 'Red Light District' aka a place where sex workers are known to be present and offering services. The author does not write about sex workers in a positive way. The language used is outdated, Stephen says he would 'never be involved with a sex worker' and Grace is relieved. Its just really not empowering and starts the relationship between these two off in a very uncomfortable place. Why couldn't Stephen help Grace into a crate or behind some barrels, or in a pile of trash or literally anything in the entire world that could have been realistically in the alleyway? Why did the author see the only option as borderline SA??
Other than that, the book was fairly boring in plot, characters, and romance. Grace is defined by her relationships and career. I felt like the perfume making stuff could have been interesting, but kind of fell flat. I understand it's hard to write about how someone may have a natural ability to create something and how they often will incorporate that into their lives however they can, but the way that Grace can differentiate smells within complex ones just came off like the whole 'chosen one' 'special-special' trope that protagonists often have.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
The book starts off withsimothys'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: Death, Gore, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Minor: Torture