Scan barcode
bookforthought's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
Half a Soul was the comfort read I didn't know I needed. Reading this book was absolutely delightful and I enjoyed every moment of it, finding myself wanting to pick it up multiple times during the day and reading well into the night. And as the last page turned, that warm and fuzzy feeling lingered for quite a while.
The Regency atmosphere of London ball season suited this very well, and I loved seeing it through the eyes of our main character, Dora. Following a meeting with a faerie lord as a child, Dora lost half her soul and with it the ability to experience feelings. I found Dora to be really endearing as a character, and I loved that she tried to adapt to various situations by emulating other people's reactions and feelings while slowly realising that maybe not all her feelings were compromised. I also really enjoyed her arc, and especially her move from a painful, excluding "otherness" to a more wholesome and peaceful uniqueness and self-acceptance, surrounding herself with people who love, care for and respect her.
This is a Regency faerie tale romance, and so I would be remiss if I didn't mention the romance part fairly early on in this post. I LOVED it. Elias and Dora gave me definite Pride and Prejudice vibes, especially in the beginning, and their banter was always witty and absolutely spot on. The build-up in their relationship was beautifully set up, and there were a couple of scenes that had me literally squealing in joy. I also really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters and some of the side characters, and the fierceness of their love for one another as friends/family members even while calling each other out on problematic behaviour.
One element of this book I particularly enjoyed was the mystery surrounding the inexplicable sleeping plague hitting children in various London workhouses. Although the solution to this was, in the end, maybe a tad too simplistic, I really enjoyed how this was used as a way to introduce some (sadly) still current themes. Characters shared some deep reflections on socio-economic inequality and privilege which I really appreciated.
"There is such a thing as evil in this world," Elias told her quietly. "It does not help to look away from it. It does not even help necessarily to look at it. [...] But sometimes, when you cannot force the world to come to its senses, you must settle only for wiping away some of the small evils in front of you."
Quote taken from the e-arc version, might be different in the final version.
The class critique was maybe used a little conveniently at times, and certainly lacked some depth upon closer scrutiny, but it worked well in the context of a feel-good romance fantasy novel. The same goes for the more satirical/farcical episodes in the latter part of the book: I had a nice giggle out of them (which I greatly needed), but don't go in expecting a treatise on equality and virtue.
Similarly, most of the characters lack depth and it is entirely possible that several plot points would not really hold up on a focused re-read, but I had such a great time with this book that this time I'm going to rate it (almost) entirely based on the way it made me feel rather than on a logical, rational analysis.
Highly recommended to anyone looking for an easy, fluffy, romantic read - especially if you ever thought you'd like Bridgerton to have magic!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Child death, War, and Injury/Injury detail
friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
This is a favorite book. I loved everything. (It isnt perfect of coarse but is quite close.) Everything. It made me think,laugh, stare at a wall for a couple of minutes straight. Everything.
It's very interesting how much society at those times affected one. It’s all about
the ^unsaid^, be very careful of what you do and what other people think of you out of worry for your reputation. Get a husband in time. Be polite, neat and pretty. Do not dare atract attention with anything other than light flirting, politeness and charm, do not dare be different, rumors about you will affect you and your family.
It's very interesting how much society at those times affected one. It’s all about
the ^unsaid^, be very careful of what you do and what other people think of you out of worry for your reputation. Get a husband in time. Be polite, neat and pretty. Do not dare atract attention with anything other than light flirting, politeness and charm, do not dare be different, rumors about you will affect you and your family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Slavery, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
bookishflower's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and War
More...