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starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
3.75
The start to the Unseelie Duology was fresh, magical, and engaging.
We’re following adventurer sisters Iselia (Seelie) and Isolde. They’re twins - sort of. Seelie is an autistic changeling, struggling to control her wild magic, feeling out of place among humans, and wishing for a peaceful family life.
After a disastrous incident in their hometown, the girls are on the run. Isolde is a skilled thief and Seelie supports her sister and helps power their magical wagon. But when a heist goes wrong, they find themselves paired up with unlikely allies as they hunt for a mysterious (and valuable) treasure.
While the plot is entertaining and the slow-burn romance is sweet, it’s the autistic representation (and the switch-up of changeling lore) that makes Unseelie shine. We get to hear Seelie’s story entirely from Seelie’s perspective and with Seelie’s voice. She is centered.
I found all four of our main treasure-hunters engaging and charming. The story and many of the tropes felt familiar, but Seelie’s perspective was so fresh that it kept me interested in the world. I’d love to see more development for the other three in book 2 (and wish we had gotten a bit more in depth characterization here), but I thought they were all likable.
I was hungering for a faster pace & will be looking forward to the second half of the duology to explode right into action. The writing overall was simple yet well done. It’s generic in some ways - but absolutely stellar in others.
I’ll be recommending this to YA readers far and wide. :)
CW: death, violence, blood, fire, drowning, injury, ableism & eugenics, hate crime, vomiting, panic attacks, kidnapping, child abuse (mentioned), confinement
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Ableism, Vomit, Child abuse, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, and Confinement
andloveistoolong's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Hate crime, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol
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