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cadence99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Child death, Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Ableism, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Medical content
awainwright's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Medical content
ribbenkast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
However the books suffers a bit from the gothic pitfall where in the first half it's just vibes and nothing much really happens. The pace really picks up near the ending though! Admittedly I do think the book ends on a bit of a weak note. I think there's space for a sequel I'll gladly pick up if it ever gets published.
All in all, this was a great debut. I'll be certainly be on the lookout for any books that Hiron Ennes writes in the future.
Graphic: Pregnancy, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Body horror, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Ableism, Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Classism, Chronic illness, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Rape
hmstaab's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Body horror, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Murder, and Suicide
Minor: Physical abuse, Excrement, Infertility, Miscarriage, Colonisation, Death, and Rape
fionamclary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I often struggle with stand-alone SFF because I find that there is not enough room for the requisite world-building, but Hiron Ennes populated this book with numerous small lines that fit seamlessly into the narrative and yet did wonders to flesh out the world.
I did find that the pacing changed rather suddenly about 2/3 of the way through, from a contemplative dread punctuated by brief bursts of action, to suddenly everything kicking off, with revelations and major plot developments happening left and right. This sharp change is my only real quibble with the book.
Bonus: This book has a nonspeaking major character who is never portrayed as needing to be "fixed." There's also just casually a trans old man side character.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape
Minor: Suicide, Gore, and Miscarriage
eilif_has_no_gender's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you are considering this book LOOK AT CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THE BOOK! I personally had to add a lot.
The story has characters who are terrible people (Which I personally love. It shows nonantagonists can be terrible people has well) so if you don't like this this book is for sure not for you.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Child death
Moderate: War, Alcohol, and Miscarriage
Minor: Ableism and Death of parent
bethboo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
We follow a doctor of the Institute, which is a mind/consciousness that is shared between all it's doctors, unbeknownst to the world. Something has gone wrong up north where the Institute has lost touch with one of it's bodies and they want to get to the bottom of it. Nothing seems to be going right and everything this old being has come to know and what should be easy for the Institute is slipping through their fingers. After their arrival, they discover that some sort of parasite is on the loose in the Baron's estate, but the doctor is losing their grip and can't seem to contain it much less fight it. The Institute has no plan for this.
This book has gothic intrigue and societal scandal and Victorian sci-fi, combining in such a unique story that I feel like this quote from another review sums it all up: "Can you be repulsed and engrossed at the same time??" - Amy Imogene Reads on Goodreads
This one had me on all angles with minimal cringing. I listened to the audio book for this one. I thought the narrator was great though I hated the weird French accent she gave the Baron's son, because it was tough to understand. The world building was amazing by the end of the book where all the pieces fell together, but I will say that about half way through I got a little confused. The characters were the perfect mix of unpleasant, mysterious, and complex. Emile, of course, is baby and should be protected at all costs. The setting is so perfectly gothic, creepy, and Victorian with the plot being such a mix of sci-fi and old fiction. It left me wondering if the MC was just imagining it all, instead of experiencing it. Made it feel dreamy.
The main character doctor was so fascinating, especially when they lost contact with the Institute and they became so desperate. Oh, man, when they were trying to turn Emile, that was so painful. Just such a vast consciousness and old being, shoved into a tiny mind and body must have been hell itself. When they got all messy and sick, making us wonder was this the parasite or just them losing it. And how was this different for the last doctor.
But the author really gave us clues the whole time and I had no clue. And I really like where the author ended it, because I needed for Simone and Emile to be happy and free, but I will say that when I was on that last hour or two, I was like okaaaaayyy where are they going with this.
Now some of the horror bits had me gagging a bit, like the birth scene and the following scene where the parasite crawled out of her and all the bits where the parasite would show itself a little. Yuck.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Body horror, Medical content, Blood, Medical trauma, and Pedophilia
There is a graphic child birth scene.storyorc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Both setting and characters enjoyed depth and nuance. The noble son and his wife show their wounds as well as their cruelties, and their land has beautiful ice-monsters as well as lethal storms. It also supports a dwindling native culture of people who lived in caves, sported tails, and worshipped dog gods fallen from the sky. The baron's mute house boy, Emil, is one such descendant and a welcome, though mysterious, bright spot amidst all the rot.
It's a shame the focus drifts away from the Institute as the story unfolds. It leaves in its place a solid gothic mystery and tale of rebellion but these didn't quite fill the hole for me, since exploring such an unusual, morally-grey narrator was my main point of fascination. Learning that the author is a medical student frames the criticisms of the Institute in an interesting way, however; there is much to critisize. The book also continues to explore identity, just
Recommended for fans of: classical gothic literature, Mexican Gothic, Pathologic (the game), Sherlock Holmes (specifically if you read the books because of the BBC show, not because this is like the BBC show but because if you were a big enough fan of the show to read the books, odds are you're in gay tumblr crowd that would also be into the identity exploration in the second half)
Graphic: Body horror, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, and Rape
justinecm's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Pregnancy, Gore, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Body horror, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Gun violence, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, Genocide, and Alcohol
velvet_young's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Physical abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Miscarriage, Suicide, Pregnancy, Vomit, Classism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and Drug use