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quirkyaquarian's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Not very original, it tried to read like a collection of Grimm fairytales but it quickly became repetitive. The stories feature your traditional motley crew of fairytale characters - i.e. queens and kings, illegitimate and unnatural children, sailors, sorcerers, and villagers. The trajectory of each story was conventional, albeit moderately dark, and had similar endings (spoilers: bad characters stay bad, no one learns their lesson, and everyone dies almost every time). There were never any profound (or even semi-profound) meanings or lessons learnt at the end which makes each story very forgettable.
If I had read Melissa Albert's series prior to reading this book I may have been more invested. I'd recommend doing so as I saw some references to the wider Hinterland realm that intrigued me. Notably, Death and his underground world, and the dynamics of the Moon, Tides and Stars. I will give credit to the author's writing style - she did a great job with the storytelling that was strongly reminiscent of classic fairytales.
If you're after simple retellings of fairytales with a darkish twist then yeah this will probably be for you. It's definitely a quick and easy read with recognisable fairytale tropes for that nostalgic vibe. I've always liked when authors make a collection of fairytales explaining their world's lore. As a fan of Albert, I would've been frothing at the mouth. But as I'm not familiar with her work, this fell unfortunately flat.
If I had read Melissa Albert's series prior to reading this book I may have been more invested. I'd recommend doing so as I saw some references to the wider Hinterland realm that intrigued me. Notably, Death and his underground world, and the dynamics of the Moon, Tides and Stars. I will give credit to the author's writing style - she did a great job with the storytelling that was strongly reminiscent of classic fairytales.
If you're after simple retellings of fairytales with a darkish twist then yeah this will probably be for you. It's definitely a quick and easy read with recognisable fairytale tropes for that nostalgic vibe. I've always liked when authors make a collection of fairytales explaining their world's lore. As a fan of Albert, I would've been frothing at the mouth. But as I'm not familiar with her work, this fell unfortunately flat.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Misogyny
lizzie24601's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Incest, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
penofpossibilities's review
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Miscarriage and Stalking
Minor: Ableism, Incest, and Infertility
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