tania_mybookishsecret's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Grief
geilie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
book_siren's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, War, Body horror, Abandonment, Murder, Violence, Confinement, Death, Genocide, and Kidnapping
thoughtsontomes's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
I ended up really enjoying this since it had so many things that I love in books. This is a creepy sentient forest with body horror elements and a main character that has nature magic, so that's always going to be a hit for me. Her best friend is a fox, and I love foxes. There are elements that I kind of predicted but then the author went about them in a way that was really cool. I also appreciate how she makes the world inclusive and not homophobic. Although the main couple is straight, there are lots of casual mentions of gay side characters and there is not opposition in world to that. I enjoyed both POVs in this story, and my only complaint is that it wrapped up a bit quickly and easily when there should have been more consequences for some of the things that happened. There are also some scenes that happen after the end of the book as extras that imply more stories could happen in this world following different characters, and I'd love to see those!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
studiomikarts's review
I just can't continue reading. The book is in desperate need of a good copy editor and a decent developmental editor. The silly typos and repetitive wording are amateurish (most recent example, on page 78, a knot forms in the protagonist's throat and a couple lines later, she feels anxiety "like a knot in my throat" as if the first knot didn't exist? or it disappeared immediately? or there's a double knot?) and the protagonist's unbelievable obliviousness is unendearing (). I'm going to move on; life is too short to read bad books.
Spoiler
in a world where magic is the norm, and in a forest where supposedly no human lives, she doesn't put two and two together when her fox suddenly disappears and a naked man stands before her with the same colored eyes and hair as that fox?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
iamkallia's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
brookey8888's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this. I didn’t guess a plot twist in the first like three pages of the book but that didn’t bother me. I just really liked our characters. I thought they were funny and I really like the chemistry I’m a fucker for romance. I felt the story was interesting and kept me engaged. It kind of reminded me of the bone houses but better. I also love the diversity for sexuality’s in this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Self harm
valpyre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
[audiobook]
i only have poston's heart of iron for comparison (a book i greatly enjoyed), and i really think poston has great talent in fantasy worldbuilding. the details of the various locations as well as the people in the book were so compelling and wonderful to hear about in a fantasy setting. at the same time i did feel like this was a relatively middling light listen -- the magic system was sort of abstract enough that you didn't have to think too hard about it, and it was pretty easy to put the pieces of the mystery together well-before the end. that may well have been the point, especially considering the shorter length of the book, but i would've liked a bit less crumb-dropping, personally.
i only have poston's heart of iron for comparison (a book i greatly enjoyed), and i really think poston has great talent in fantasy worldbuilding. the details of the various locations as well as the people in the book were so compelling and wonderful to hear about in a fantasy setting. at the same time i did feel like this was a relatively middling light listen -- the magic system was sort of abstract enough that you didn't have to think too hard about it, and it was pretty easy to put the pieces of the mystery together well-before the end. that may well have been the point, especially considering the shorter length of the book, but i would've liked a bit less crumb-dropping, personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
andromeda_1998's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Among the beasts and briars is one of those books that I just needed to read because of the cover alone. This book is stunning! And I know that it’s a superficial thing to look at a beautiful cover and to think “ahhh, I need this” but it didn’t fail me this time!
The plot
Cerys is the daughter of the royal gardener. She practically grew up around the castle and became friends with the prince and princes, with whom she grew up. 8 years ago there was a terrible accident in which her mother and the prince died.
Now in the present time the king died and her best friend Wen is going to be crowned. At the celebrations the same thing that happens 8 years ago happens again and to safe her friends and family Cerys needs to enter the dangers Forrest to find the legendary lady of the woods. In the hopes she can end the curse that has been terrorizing the forest and the kingdom of Aloriya for hundreds of years.
The characters
I really liked the characters especially Fox. The characters are diverse and the both have weaknesses. I liked the fact that one of them was a coward. That’s a character type that you do not see often in books. I feel like it could have been done better but it is a start. The character dynamic was on point.
Worldbuilding
The world is easy to understand but well build.
The writingstyle
I loved the writingstyle. It’s fast paced and beautifully written. The book has some amazing quotes and it reads like a fairytale does.
I would recommend this book, especially to lovers of into the never woods, the near witch, the wolf and the woodsmen, sorcery of thorns and the enchantment of ravens.
The plot
Cerys is the daughter of the royal gardener. She practically grew up around the castle and became friends with the prince and princes, with whom she grew up. 8 years ago there was a terrible accident in which her mother and the prince died.
Now in the present time the king died and her best friend Wen is going to be crowned. At the celebrations the same thing that happens 8 years ago happens again and to safe her friends and family Cerys needs to enter the dangers Forrest to find the legendary lady of the woods. In the hopes she can end the curse that has been terrorizing the forest and the kingdom of Aloriya for hundreds of years.
The characters
I really liked the characters especially Fox. The characters are diverse and the both have weaknesses. I liked the fact that one of them was a coward. That’s a character type that you do not see often in books. I feel like it could have been done better but it is a start. The character dynamic was on point.
Worldbuilding
The world is easy to understand but well build.
The writingstyle
I loved the writingstyle. It’s fast paced and beautifully written. The book has some amazing quotes and it reads like a fairytale does.
I would recommend this book, especially to lovers of into the never woods, the near witch, the wolf and the woodsmen, sorcery of thorns and the enchantment of ravens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail