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amylewsmiles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book had an interesting premise, but it was kind of hard to follow. The characters kind of bounced from place to place through the whole book without a lot of sense of space.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, and Blood
Moderate: Abandonment and War
Minor: Genocide
lovefromhannah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
ava reid is a literary force to be reckoned with.
despite this being her debut, I actually read juniper and thorn prior to this. perhaps this was a mistake on my behalf as I enjoyed that more. whereas this fantasy is more folklore, oral tradition, holly black-esque conventions, juniper and thorn is more adjacent to the horror of girlhood, body autonomy and complex family relationships. on paper, I was destined to like juniper and thorn more - but I still really enjoyed the wolf and the woodsman and being witness to her growth as a writer.
I was originally going to give this 4.5 stars I kid you not: in the epilogue there are a couple of lines that suggest that there is a good chance the main romance don't end up together after the events of the book?!?! like you just said you would make her your wife and now (and I quote):
despite this being her debut, I actually read juniper and thorn prior to this. perhaps this was a mistake on my behalf as I enjoyed that more. whereas this fantasy is more folklore, oral tradition, holly black-esque conventions, juniper and thorn is more adjacent to the horror of girlhood, body autonomy and complex family relationships. on paper, I was destined to like juniper and thorn more - but I still really enjoyed the wolf and the woodsman and being witness to her growth as a writer.
"One day when I come for our council meetings," I begin carefully, "you will have a new bride. You must."
...
To my suprise, Gaspar only lifts a shoulder. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. If the king has no true-born son, the crown will fall to a brother, a cousin, an uncle. The line of succession is more like a long thread that that spirals across our family tree. I can always name another heir."
It is enough to for me to hold on to, hope as thin as the knife's edge hanging above us. I will grasp it even if it cuts me; I will keep it from falling." (pp. 408-9)
Although, whilst writing quoting I do appreciate the mistletoe imagery. And honestly, the yearning and the tension was so well written that out of spite I might drop my rating to 4 stars.
I will continue to devour ava reid's backlog as I wait (im)patiently for lady macbeth to release.
I will continue to devour ava reid's backlog as I wait (im)patiently for lady macbeth to release.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Trafficking, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Gore and Abandonment
Minor: Self harm
moonchild_cos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury
chrispybacon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The book had a strong premise but poor execution. I was excited to have a heroine in her mid-twenties but Evike is so dumb I could not relate to her at all. None of her relationships are healthy - the Yehuli want her to convert (they also help her but they are very interested in her joining them), her love interest is a coward and also her jailer, her whole village physically and verbally abused her. Her life was shit and I would have left all of them in the dirt. It makes zero sense to return to her abusers.
The plot is a lot of walking, being horny, being angry, being horny, plans backfiring, suffering deadly injuries but surviving them, more being horny and more walking. Somewhere in there were aspects of accepting yourself, growing into your powers (and loosing them), and conflicts about religions and cultures clashing which suffered greatly under all the rest.
The plot is a lot of walking, being horny, being angry, being horny, plans backfiring, suffering deadly injuries but surviving them, more being horny and more walking. Somewhere in there were aspects of accepting yourself, growing into your powers (and loosing them), and conflicts about religions and cultures clashing which suffered greatly under all the rest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
cepbreed's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“We belong to each other. ”
So atmospheric and each description is as fantastical as the last. I was particularly impressed by the witch in the sod house. The sudden switch to the grotesque and horrifying caught me off guard and was truly immersive. The world building is like no other but at the same time it is convoluted and hard to keep track of. I won’t pretend that I could name a single place or character besides the main two despite dedicating days to reading this book.
The one thing occupying my mind during the duration of my read was the fact that Gáspár is basically Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. The evil royal father casts him aside, abuses both him and his mother, and most strikingly delivers a prominent eye injury. Just like Zuko Gáspár has to become a warrior and complete an unsavory mission. He’s forced to work alongside Évike, an enemy of his determined by the wars of men that came before them, aka she represents Katara/the entire Gaang. Similarly to Zuko losing his firebending Gáspár becomes incompetent in the art of battle when he’s forced to use an axe as a woodsman rather than the sword he was used to as a prince. In both scenarios, the change in power is due to casting aside their family. Even the final battle is similar. Gáspár/Zuko face their overly powerful dark sibling Nándor/Azula with the help of their former enemy-turned ally Évike/Katara.
I can’t help myself. Whenever I read something with any remotely religious undertones I have to put on Ethel Cain. This is no exception, hence the songs I feel represent the novel.
Songs:
- Strangers - Ethel Cain
- Compass - The Neighbourhood
- Take Me to Church - Hozier
- Not Strong Enough - boygenius
- Dear Arkansas Daughter - Lady Lamb
- mad woman - Taylor Swift
- The Exit - Conan Gray (“the shape of our wounds is the same” - Évike)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Abandonment, War, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement
chrisljm's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Meh. Not a fan of the narration, which read like poetry but in the way where I just don't know wtf they're talking about sometimes. The folklore is written well but it became repetitive and too drawn out, making the story drag.
Also for all the people who recommended this book because of the romance, you had to be making shit up because the romance sucked. Not to say the romance came out of nowhere, because I knew it was going to happen, but there was absolutely no build up at all. I didn't care for any of the characters, which is besides the point because they also had no chemistry at all. I truly don't understand what Gáspár liked about Évike because she was honestly dumb as fuck. She had no common sense and no sense of self preservation. She absolutely refused to think before any of her actions, even when Gáspár explicitly explains how she'd make the situation worse. She also spends majority of the book belittling Gáspár, and constantly attacking him on how she thinks he's ashamed they've laid and slept together, even though they have so many other things to worry about. He literally tries to get her to think before doing something rash and getting them both killed and she accuses him of fearing people will found out he's no longer pure. Like be fucking fr.
The book also touches on religious/ethical/moral themes but honestly with the messy plot and execution, flat characters, and confusing narration, I honestly don't know what the take away was supposed to be.
Also for all the people who recommended this book because of the romance, you had to be making shit up because the romance sucked. Not to say the romance came out of nowhere, because I knew it was going to happen, but there was absolutely no build up at all. I didn't care for any of the characters, which is besides the point because they also had no chemistry at all. I truly don't understand what Gáspár liked about Évike because she was honestly dumb as fuck. She had no common sense and no sense of self preservation. She absolutely refused to think before any of her actions, even when Gáspár explicitly explains how she'd make the situation worse. She also spends majority of the book belittling Gáspár, and constantly attacking him on how she thinks he's ashamed they've laid and slept together, even though they have so many other things to worry about. He literally tries to get her to think before doing something rash and getting them both killed and she accuses him of fearing people will found out he's no longer pure. Like be fucking fr.
The book also touches on religious/ethical/moral themes but honestly with the messy plot and execution, flat characters, and confusing narration, I honestly don't know what the take away was supposed to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Genocide, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Fatphobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
saurahsaurus's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity and War
savagesav25's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
i loved the writing and lore of this book. it was interesting to immerse myself in this story, but my one complaint was the main character. i feel as though there was very little character development through the book, and that she was still making the same silly mistakes at the end as she did in the beginning. i also feel as though the prince had very little character throughout the book in general. it also felt somewhat predictable and flat overall. that being said the book was very entertaining and the writing was pretty good. the lore itself was enough to drive the story and increase my interest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and War
gemma_clare's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The pacing in this drove me mad and made me really struggle to finish it, which is sad because it had so much potential. I enjoyed the characters and would have enjoyed the plot if it was more consistent, but it felt like it was jumping all over the place and like the end goal of the book changed 5-6 times. I liked the conflict between religions and comparisons to real history, but found some of the lore either confusing, or boring and shallow. The writing style was nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
16rcampbell's review against another edition
There was a lot of politics and religion in this book -- way more than I was expecting -- which is normally fine, if I know that's what I'm getting into first. Regardless of the surprise of it, all of the metaphors and symbolism felt way too literal. It's blatantly obvious who is being cast in which roles, which religions we're talking about, etc. Instead of creating her own religion with which to expose the abusive, racist, and sexist under AND overtones of religion (a certain religion in particular) and the horror that comes with an organized religion like this, it felt like a copy and paste. If I wanted to have those kinds of discussion, I would have picked up a non-fiction book. I understand the frustrations, and share many of the same sentiments and beliefs as the author seems to encourage, but reading this just made me angry. I encounter enough of the bs of the "love interest" in my everyday life, I don't need to relive those comments, beliefs and arguments in a fantasy book. I am all for using fiction as a way to digest and discuss contemporary issues, but the way it was presented here made me feel frustrated and angry instead of allowing me to become involved in the conversation. And there's never a break. It's constant. If we're not shitting on each other's religions, we're condemning their politics. If not that, we're fighting some monsters (and not well). Or we're sleeping. I don't understand characters' choices, I don't feel connected to them, I'm not really rooting for them because if they succeed it's still a shitty end result, and I don't like a single person in the book so far. The only reason I read this far is because I felt like I had to be missing something since it was recommended and praised so many times.
I also felt absolutely no chemistry between the main character and the supposed love interest. Accents are used purely for aesthetic purposes instead of and indication of pronunciation and it didn't look good and just confused me as I read.
I also felt absolutely no chemistry between the main character and the supposed love interest. Accents are used purely for aesthetic purposes instead of and indication of pronunciation and it didn't look good and just confused me as I read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment