dulcie99rose's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
sade's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.75
msnicole_davis's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
3rdpersonpovsuperiority's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookishdesiree's review
5.0
thank you so so much to Macmillan for providing me with this beautiful book! i loved every moment of it!
this was my first Frances Hardinge book and it’s safe to say that it won’t be my last! her writing is literal perfection and so unique which makes the experience THAT much better.
the premise itself was so interesting to begin with and Frances executed it so well. the world-building and the complexity of the story and the characters was sheer beauty. no character felt like it was there for the sake of it - they all felt crucial to the story and they were written so well!!!
i loved how she went about curses and the need to unravel them to cure them. it was such an amazing concept! it was so complex and detailed that i’m still in awe. she went through layers and layers of hate and pain and resentment in such an interesting way.
i cannot praise this book enough! i was in a reading slump and this took me out of it by the second chapter and i simply could not put it down!!
this was my first Frances Hardinge book and it’s safe to say that it won’t be my last! her writing is literal perfection and so unique which makes the experience THAT much better.
the premise itself was so interesting to begin with and Frances executed it so well. the world-building and the complexity of the story and the characters was sheer beauty. no character felt like it was there for the sake of it - they all felt crucial to the story and they were written so well!!!
i loved how she went about curses and the need to unravel them to cure them. it was such an amazing concept! it was so complex and detailed that i’m still in awe. she went through layers and layers of hate and pain and resentment in such an interesting way.
i cannot praise this book enough! i was in a reading slump and this took me out of it by the second chapter and i simply could not put it down!!
biblihas's review
4.5
frances is just so good at weird wonderful world-building and twisty-turning nail-biter plots. this did not disappoint, but couldn't help but notice and be irked by the overuse of exclamation marks. still. curse idea was interesting and I feel like she went in thoughtful and fun ways with it
thewoollygeek's review
5.0
I can’t resist a Frances Hardinge book, she creates stories that are a bit different and a bit creepy, very atmospheric, her plots are complex and multilayered, full of great characters and I loved how she looked at resentment and revenge and how that affects and defines us. This is simply put a beautifully crafted story about life, love and consequences, which should be read by adults and YA alike.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
tourneuse's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
medium-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
5.0
Perfection! This blew my mind. Lucky children reading this for the first time.
panikos's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
This wasn't as tightly plotted as I've come to expect from Frances Hardinge, but there was still a lot to enjoy here. I couldn't help but feeling this book needed just a little longer to cook, in order to trim the fat and draw together some of the more sprawling plotlines. There are a lot of characters and elements at play here, and while I liked them, I still felt that most weren't as developed at they could have been.
But while this doesn't reach the heights of A Skinful of Shadows, Cuckoo Song, and The Lie Tree, I do still love Hardinge even at a baseline. The concept of Raddith and curses was so fascinating, and I loved Nettle's character in particular. The way the book looked at the psychological impact of being cursed and being a curser was really interesting, and I enjoyed the narrative focus on dealing with anger in a healthy way.
I loved Gall and his terrifying horse, but wish he'd got to do a bit more - especially in the climax. That said, it was still nice to see some queer rep in one of Hardinge's books for the first time.
I will eagerly eat up anything Frances Hardinge writes and that hasn't changed. Even when she's not at her peak she's still pretty damn good.
But while this doesn't reach the heights of A Skinful of Shadows, Cuckoo Song, and The Lie Tree, I do still love Hardinge even at a baseline. The concept of Raddith and curses was so fascinating, and I loved Nettle's character in particular. The way the book looked at the psychological impact of being cursed and being a curser was really interesting, and I enjoyed the narrative focus on dealing with anger in a healthy way.
I loved Gall and his terrifying horse, but wish he'd got to do a bit more - especially in the climax. That said, it was still nice to see some queer rep in one of Hardinge's books for the first time.
I will eagerly eat up anything Frances Hardinge writes and that hasn't changed. Even when she's not at her peak she's still pretty damn good.