cowboynixan's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I find myself neither liking nor disliking- the first probably 30-50% was difficult to get through and any of the action didnt happen much til about halfway through the book. Also had a difficult time with the book telling and not showing, where i found myself skimming through 4 or 5 pages of just explanations of whats going on. I think the premise was interesting but the execution of it was a bit lacking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Kidnapping
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Torture
Minor: Death and Death of parent
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
Finished reading: August 20th 2023
"That, Rowan had told her once, was what magic meant. A chance of something better."
I had a fantastic first experience with The Unlikely Escape Of Uriah Heep back in 2020, and I've been looking forward to read more of H.G. Parry's work ever since. I'm not sure why it took me this long, but this newest story couldn't have come at a better time... I adored every single minute I spent with The Magician's Daughter, and I couldn't give it any less than the full 5 stars it deserved. While completely different than her debut, I fell in love with this historical fantasy story straight away. The Magician's Daughter almost has that magical realism feel, which can go both ways for me, but in this case it hit the nail on the head. I loved the idea and descriptions of both Hy-Brasil and the magic itself, and the historical references are well incorporated. This wasn't the only thing I loved though... This book also stood out for me both due its impeccable writing and the development of the main characters. There was something enchanting about the writing style, and I found myself glued to the pages and unable to stop reading. Biddy makes for such a fantastic main character, and I loved learning more about the world through her eyes... Especially when she starts seeing the 'real' world for the first time in her life. The rest of the cast all added a little something special to the plot as well, although I think I loved Hutch the most of all of them. The plot is well structured, and there are plenty of twists and moments of danger along the way... Biddy's mission almost has that quest vibe, and I loved both how the plot evolved and how everything was wrapped up in the end. There is no doubt that The Magician's Daughter will appear on my list of 2023 favorites!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, and Abandonment
Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Sexism, and Death of parent
podanotherjessi's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
3.5
I really, really enjoyed the story in this book. It was a wonderful coming of age story focused a lot on learning that parents can be fallible. It also included great themes on whether it's better to fight from within or without a system, and even what could easily be an environmental allegory. The characters were delightful, and I felt really absorbed by most of the story.
My only real negative, and it's a big one, is that the writing style gets longwinded at times. There were moments where the narration would drone on, and I would find myself losing interest. This was always frustrating because for the most part I really enjoyed the book. So these tangents just disrupted an otherwise great reading experience.
My only real negative, and it's a big one, is that the writing style gets longwinded at times. There were moments where the narration would drone on, and I would find myself losing interest. This was always frustrating because for the most part I really enjoyed the book. So these tangents just disrupted an otherwise great reading experience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Torture
oceana_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I liked the whole plot and twist in the book, but for me I thought it took a little longer to find the book really good. But still a very interesting book to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Torture
ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
I loved this one. It reminded me of the books I loved reading growing up and it invoked a strong feeling of nostalgia (especially the cosy/domestic scenes on Hy-Brasil). I loved the characters, and the way magic was written about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent and Sexism
eatingfiction's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A wonderfully whimsical and magical adventure! A bit of Barbie Rapunzel (yes specifically the Barbie version for some reason) x Howl's Moving Castle. But of course, wholly unique.
Beautifully written. I could spend forever enfolded in H.G. Parry's words...
Beautifully written. I could spend forever enfolded in H.G. Parry's words...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Torture, and Violence
kat1105's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Torture
clarabooksit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Animal death, Murder, Grief, Sexism, Confinement, Blood, and Child abuse
Minor: Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
miraclesnow's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
Any book that gets me to openly sob gets 5 stars.
This is what magic should feel like: fantastical, dangerous, and thrilling in equal measure. And this is exactly the feelings and experiences this book gave me, so much so I couldn’t help but to relate it to Howl’s Moving Castle. They both now take up a special place in my heart, because they both make me feel magical. ✨
This is what magic should feel like: fantastical, dangerous, and thrilling in equal measure. And this is exactly the feelings and experiences this book gave me, so much so I couldn’t help but to relate it to Howl’s Moving Castle. They both now take up a special place in my heart, because they both make me feel magical. ✨
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Violence, Sexism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Classism, Confinement, Animal death, and Murder