bubbles_ishere'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
3.75
I would have preferred further introspection from the characters before acting, but for people who like to read books where things "happen", this is a good choice.
The book very much feels like a romance that decides half way through that other plot events are more relevant and then decides to change genre.
Spoiler for how plot/character focused the book was during certain events:
Spoiler
At first it felt like the book would focus further on the interpersonal relationships of the characters. In the beginning, a lot of time was spent on the characters panicking over being in situations. The first kisses of the couples got portrayed, after which the characters had to face various challenges to come to terms with their feelings. However, when it came to actually getting into a relationship or showing the conversations needed for that to happen the author skipped forward and just told the audience that the couples were now in functioning relationships, caused by a major plot event.Personally, I would've preferred to see how the characters got to where they are, instead of being told that the threat of death made them realise their priorities and then see them kiss.
I really liked how the characters developed and got more loveable to the reader; their actions seemed to make sense in the context of their character, and the development of their actions made sense.
The romance itself felt a bit rushed to me, but it is still enjoyable, if somewhat frustrating because it doesn't go very in-depth and fails to resolve or address certain topics.
The book mentions a few tidbits that fans of Arthurian legends will recognise, which I thought was very nice.
All in all an enjoyable read, in my opinion this book would've been 5/5 stars had it been 200 pages longer and actually explored the relationships and worldbuilding further. But then again I really like high-fantasy and worldbuilding.
Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Outing, Sexism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Religious bigotry
maddalynmoon'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? It's complicated
3.75
Minor: Hate crime, Blood, War, Death of parent, Gore, Homophobia, Violence, Alcohol, Classism, and Grief
queerloras's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: War, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, Bullying, Death, Religious bigotry, Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Vomit, Homophobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, Classism, and Hate crime
bookskassadie'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
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the chance to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Medical content
Moderate: Vomit, Cursing, and Sexism
Minor: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Gore, Child abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Confinement, and Emotional abuse