Reviews

Tim Te Maro and the Subterranean Heartsick Blues by H.S. Valley

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lyraparledor's review

Extremely weirdly fanfiction-coded for a book that isn't marketed as fanfiction-adjacent. The Harry Potter references and/or allusions are numerous and after a while the character cast starts to feel like a generic stand-in for specific Harry Potter characters.
I'm pretty sure I read an undercover drarry fic masquerading as a queer book, targeted at queer folks, and knowing the joke that is Rowling's opinion on trans people, this felt particularly callous.

Content Warnings

grid's review

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I was less than halfway finished with this novel when I complained to my wife (who told me to read this) that the magic and setting seemed secondary to the romantic relationship, and asked if there was going to be an actual plot other than the main characters’ feelings for one another. She admitted there wasn’t going to be, and I almost put the book down. A few hours later, I just finished it and I’m not disappointed. I do still think it could have done with some other kind of plot, but there was conflict, even if a big part of it was just the main character’s conflicted feelings. I liked this well enough, and it was definitely a quick read. I’d read more by this author.

qooze's review

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funny lighthearted 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

sialia95's review

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3.0

I love mutual pining but the story moves so slowly then resolves too fast. I was frequently distracted by grammar mistakes and the main character wanting to be a cop. The magic system is never explained enough to understand what magic can and can't do and its use is sporadic. I often forgot that the book was about magic until it was offhandedly mentioned again. The romance is sweet and I was cheering for the characters to end up happy, but it was all a bit boring.

benquiric's review against another edition

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3.0

Muy buen libro, incluye magia, romance, y una trama muy entretenida. Me gusta como va cambiando la relación de Tim y Elliot. Creo que los personajes secundarios no están muy bien desarrollados.