Reviews

I almost dnf'ed this about 3 times but wanted to see if it got better in the second half. Unfortunately it was not what I had hoped. There was no tension or sense of emergency where it should have been. Those parts read the same as the rest of the book and I never felt invested.

libbymaylen's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

konvineo's review against another edition

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1.0

DNF at page 221

Yeah it's time to stop this one. I've spent the last couple of days trying to convince myself that I'm enjoying reading this, and the reason that I'm reading so slow is the seasonal depression. But honestly I'm so bored with this book. I enjoyed the first like 50 something pages, but I feel like the story never picks up like I was expecting it to do. I'm so disappointed. I was really looking forward to reading this book. I think the main issue I have with the book is that my expectations don't match what's actually happening in the book or the vibe.
I found the book under the gothic tag, so I expected something spooky with loads of tension. A book where I'd read faster and faster because I had to see the ending for some sort of satisfying revenge or release. But this book is so slow. Whatever anger Haelewise feel she just pushes away or she forgives the person. I want her to be angry and do just a little to confront the people who're treated her badly or not giving her any of the information she needs. But I got nothing.

megthomson22's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

hopef's review against another edition

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medium-paced

2.75

jennderqueer's review against another edition

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5.0

SO GOOD. It's a historical fantasy about a girl called Haelewise who has fainting spells. Her mother is a midwife and herbalist. When the mother dies from a protracted illness, Haelewise is left alone and at the mercy of townsfolk who think she might be a demon. She escapes from the town and goes for help to the tower in the woods where a witch lives.

This book incorporates actual historical figures, including one that I wrote about when I was doing my history master's, so my little nerd heart loved it so much.

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