Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson

18 reviews

alliexalex's review

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Gore and Vomit

kjcm's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Murder and Miscarriage

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

bzliz's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense 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

4.75

Myra is an artist known as a Prodigy- someone who can use art combined with magic to alter reality, like healing a wound, changing their hair color, and maybe even bringing them back from the dead. Her parents have been missing for a long time and she’s struggling to make ends meet while caring for her chronically ill sister Lucy. When the governor’s wife shows up at the art studio she works at, Myra accepts her offer to come bring her dead son back to life, but not everything is as it seems at the governor’s manor. 

Olson blends a unique magical system with lovable characters and just the right amount of regency style will they-won’t they between Myra and the governor’s other son August. I highly recommend for anyone who is looking for a historical fantasy wrapped up in a murder mystery. 

Spoilers for the ending:

Spoiler

I did not see that twist coming at all. I was convinced that Vincent and Nigel were co-conspirators but I never could have guessed that they were the same person magically disguised. Even as Vincent was beginning his villain monologue, I thought he was a secret third son that the Harris family has cast aside. I’m still in shock that he was actually Will all along.

 

Mind the content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Medical content

vivavia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Chronic illness, Classism, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders

krystlethegreat's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

Enjoyable read! Great YA fanatastical mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Child death, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Classism and Violence

_ladypearce_'s review

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I think that this is a really solid ya fantasy, but I just didn’t care about the characters that much. About halfway through I was like “im just gonna finish this because I want to know who the killer is.” I got to a point where I just didn’t really care but I did finish it so there’s that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage, Child death, Chronic illness, Vomit, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Torture and Panic attacks/disorders

selene_nyxly's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Chronic illness, and Death

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Miscarriage

tarfish's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

tylerbriggs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

Full of twists, well written characters, keeps you engaged the whole time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Body horror, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Minor: Vomit

snipinfool's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

Myra Whitlock has a special talent she inherited from her mother. She is a Prodigy. Prodigies are able to use magic to heal a living thing by painting it in good health. Unfortunately,  Prodigies are being hunted and have gone missing. Both of Myra's parents are missing leaving her alone with only her ailing younger sister. Any remaining Prodigies have kept a low profile. 

The governor, Mr. Harris, outlawed painted portraiture as he thinks it does not honor "The Artist" (the diety worshipped in this story). The governor's son was reported to be ill. One day, the governor's wife, Mrs. Harris, comes to the studio to hire Myra to paint a portrait of her dog. Myra notices a small cut on the dog's leg. She heals the dog by painting it as if the leg was never injured. Mrs. Harris discovers the magic performed to heal her dog and hires Myra to paint her ailing son to heal him.

The story had many twists and turns and I did not see that ending coming at all! I enjoyed reading how Myra's magic worked and learned more about oil painting. Having the ability to heal others in that way would be an interesting skill to have, but I can see how one would have to be very careful not to have that ability exploited. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Torture, Blood, Body horror, and Violence

Moderate: Chronic illness