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your_true_shelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
sauvageloup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
A stunning book, imaginative and brilliant
pros:
- the writing is just wonderful, very vivid. The style takes a little while to get used to, but it's great once you do - a good balance between beautiful description but not dragging the story.
- the aspects about nature were also fabulous, with the flora and fauna of Australia painted by Arnott's descriptions. I had to look up some of the animals, and I'm sure I would've gotten even more out of it if I were native Australian, but it was brilliant to have such descriptions of a landscape not familiar to me, and made a lovely change. There was clearly a lot of love for nature too, in the descriptions from the Gods' perspectives.
- I really enjoyed the changes in POV. They were well-handled, fascinating, distinctive and not too confusing. Each character had a different feel and I especially liked the detective's POV, which was quite funny. The chapters from the POV of the nature Gods were wonderful, too, and I adored the mix of magical realism with a human story.
- the mythical/folkloric/magical aspects were really well handled, and exactly what I love to read. The way nature intertwines with everything and this isn't considered too strange was really interesting.
- I also loved how the different characters' POVs and stories all got woven together. Karl's POV at the start came full circle to influence Levi at the end, and everything from the Esk God to the woodworker had influence on the story and tied together neatly. I loved how Charlotte's father was brought in and explained towards the end, and how Charlotte's power from him was explored.
- I really enjoyed the romance between Nicola and Charlotte, too, and really glad that Nicola didn't end up dead, nor did they split up! It was a happy ending all around really, and Levi was spared too.
- the bit with the cormorant god was certainly unnerving, and to see the change in the farmer was very well written, and very unsettling.
- It's a short book but packs so much character, story and beauty into it that it's astounding, and also very tidy. A real gem of a book.
(- also, the edition i read has the most beautiful cover I've seen this year. The colours and design are simply gorgeous. Adore it.)
cons:
- a bit of a shame that there weren't any Indigenous perspectives (though the feeling towards them was generally positive).
- I did very slightly struggle to keep track of the names of the characters about 3/4 of the way through, and forgot that Nicola was Karl's daughter, but it wasn't too bad.
- I felt the Karl's POV at the start, while a great story, was the most tell-not-show in the book and probably my least favourite.
- I wasn't sure the language used against the detective by the two men at the bar was really necessary, nor that whole scene.
Overall, I adored this and would love to read it again in the future. My only criticism was that it was too short!
pros:
- the writing is just wonderful, very vivid. The style takes a little while to get used to, but it's great once you do - a good balance between beautiful description but not dragging the story.
- the aspects about nature were also fabulous, with the flora and fauna of Australia painted by Arnott's descriptions. I had to look up some of the animals, and I'm sure I would've gotten even more out of it if I were native Australian, but it was brilliant to have such descriptions of a landscape not familiar to me, and made a lovely change. There was clearly a lot of love for nature too, in the descriptions from the Gods' perspectives.
- I really enjoyed the changes in POV. They were well-handled, fascinating, distinctive and not too confusing. Each character had a different feel and I especially liked the detective's POV, which was quite funny. The chapters from the POV of the nature Gods were wonderful, too, and I adored the mix of magical realism with a human story.
- the mythical/folkloric/magical aspects were really well handled, and exactly what I love to read. The way nature intertwines with everything and this isn't considered too strange was really interesting.
- I also loved how the different characters' POVs and stories all got woven together. Karl's POV at the start came full circle to influence Levi at the end, and everything from the Esk God to the woodworker had influence on the story and tied together neatly. I loved how Charlotte's father was brought in and explained towards the end, and how Charlotte's power from him was explored.
- I really enjoyed the romance between Nicola and Charlotte, too,
- the bit with the cormorant god was certainly unnerving, and to see the change in the farmer was very well written, and very unsettling.
- It's a short book but packs so much character, story and beauty into it that it's astounding, and also very tidy. A real gem of a book.
(- also, the edition i read has the most beautiful cover I've seen this year. The colours and design are simply gorgeous. Adore it.)
cons:
- a bit of a shame that there weren't any Indigenous perspectives (though the feeling towards them was generally positive).
- I did very slightly struggle to keep track of the names of the characters about 3/4 of the way through, and forgot that Nicola was Karl's daughter, but it wasn't too bad.
- I felt the Karl's POV at the start, while a great story, was the most tell-not-show in the book and probably my least favourite.
- I wasn't sure the language used against the detective by the two men at the bar was really necessary, nor that whole scene.
Overall, I adored this and would love to read it again in the future. My only criticism was that it was too short!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
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