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phoxyphoenix's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Stalking
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
booking_along's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
so if you want straight to the point and no diacritics writing or plot that just gets to where it is going without some detours?
not the book for you.
but i enjoyed this a lot.
i really loved the characters and their stories.
i enjoyed the female characters in this book and how they used that to their advantage because every male and some other people as well just dismissed them because of their gender.
i enjoyed the supernatural or fantastical elements as well. it was nicely woven into the story in a way that was well done, it fit well into the historical aspects of the story and just added a little something extra to it.
i just enjoyed this a lot and will counting on soon.
Graphic: Hate crime, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting
mermay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism, Rape, Sexism, and Stalking
allyordyna's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
h_reads98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
stormywolf'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
4.0
Unabridged Length: 13.2 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, I have no complaints. A stellar narration, nailing tons of accents and emotions, was enough to put this production in my recommendations, to say nothing of its value as a pronunciation guide. With the emoting, especially in horror and action scenes, the volume and speed of reading does go up a bit, so that's something to keep in mind if you're not reading along, or at an increased playback speed. But if you're looking for an audio that offers a solid voice performance, this one should definitely be on your short list.
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Alcohol
ashlightgrayson'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
5.0
The characters have flaws and feel like real people. They also have different levels of privilege and there is a particular part in the book where a character's privilege is pointed out. This scene in the book was one of my favorites because it appropriately made it clear that this individual had not recognized their privilege before the inciting incident in this scene. Despite this, it is clear that they are not a bad person because of it. A lot of people in real life don't recognize their privilege until they are called out on it, and it just means they made an honest mistake. Ahdieh did an amazing job giving nuance to both characters in the situation while still making social commentary within the story.
There is more than one perspective in the book and it switches back and forth between the main characters and the murderer in question. The perspective you get from the murderer makes the villain incredibly compelling and is part of what kept reeled into the story. Despite the slow pacing, the perspective from the villain was like an intermittent reminder that there was a looming danger within the story. You also don't get enough hints to accurately be able to point out an obvious culprit for the murders, so the story left me at the edge of my seat the whole time.
As for the romance, the slower pacing let us get to know Celine and Bastian really well. Both of them have interesting backstories and the historical context of the story plays a role in their decisions they make about the relationship. I like that the historical context wasn't ignored because it helped me stay invested in the story. Bastian is also just charming and likeable and his interactions with Celine are always fun to see.
Overall, if you're into murder/mystery and historical fiction, this is something I think you would enjoy. Don't expect vampires to be in the forefront of the book, it is something that is mostly in the background. They aren't completely ignored, but this also isn't something I would call a vampire book.
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Gore and Slavery
f18's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Racism, Rape, and Sexism