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breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
emotional
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
2.25
jduff86's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars—Bog dwellers, seers, and wily druids, oh my! Against the backdrop of first-century Britain, Buchanan weaves an enchanting tapestry of pagan traditions, dark magic, social politics, and community.
The history is well-researched and I appreciated learning so much about a period I haven't explored in much depth. This is an atmospheric read with fully fleshed out characters who transport you to a different time and place. The mother-daughter relationship between Devout and Hobble was heartfelt and compelling. And the portrayal of two equal but divergent types of love—one passionate and yearning, one steadfast and comforting—was beautiful and nuanced.
Were it not for all the sacrificing of animals (cw: a puppy is slain), the constant time period jumping which felt jarring and confusing, and what for me was a slightly monotonous writing style, this would have been a higher rating for me.
The history is well-researched and I appreciated learning so much about a period I haven't explored in much depth. This is an atmospheric read with fully fleshed out characters who transport you to a different time and place. The mother-daughter relationship between Devout and Hobble was heartfelt and compelling. And the portrayal of two equal but divergent types of love—one passionate and yearning, one steadfast and comforting—was beautiful and nuanced.
Were it not for all the sacrificing of animals (cw: a puppy is slain), the constant time period jumping which felt jarring and confusing, and what for me was a slightly monotonous writing style, this would have been a higher rating for me.
ras422's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
hdbblog's review against another edition
3.0
I went into Daughter of Black Lake without much investigation beforehand. I knew that this was a story that touched on an area of history that doesn’t get much attention, and was intrigued by the pagan aspect of it. Other than that, I was wide open! My hope was to be transported to another time and place, which I can tell you that Buchanan does expertly. From the first page I was transported into the lives of those who lived in Brittania before the Romans took over. It was fascinating.
In terms of the story, it was simple enough to follow. We are introduced to Hobble and her village. I thought Buchanan did a good job of setting up their society. It’s true that there are some rather brutal parts of their belief system, but keep in mind that these fit with the time. I thought they were handled as gently as can be expected. I’m also not generally a fan of dual POVs, but in this case it was done exceptionally well. Watching Devout and her daughter Hobble, 17 years apart, navigate their changing world was so intriguing.
So what were my issues? First off, the pacing of this book is really slow. There is a lot of repetition, especially when it comes to the sort of love triangle that develops. Combined with the fact that there is a large cast of secondary characters, it made it a little tough to keep focused on the overall plot line. As the story progressed, it definitely picked up. However by the time I was invested fully, it was already the ending and the story was complete. I’ll happily still give this book a solid 3-star rating and recommend it!
In terms of the story, it was simple enough to follow. We are introduced to Hobble and her village. I thought Buchanan did a good job of setting up their society. It’s true that there are some rather brutal parts of their belief system, but keep in mind that these fit with the time. I thought they were handled as gently as can be expected. I’m also not generally a fan of dual POVs, but in this case it was done exceptionally well. Watching Devout and her daughter Hobble, 17 years apart, navigate their changing world was so intriguing.
So what were my issues? First off, the pacing of this book is really slow. There is a lot of repetition, especially when it comes to the sort of love triangle that develops. Combined with the fact that there is a large cast of secondary characters, it made it a little tough to keep focused on the overall plot line. As the story progressed, it definitely picked up. However by the time I was invested fully, it was already the ending and the story was complete. I’ll happily still give this book a solid 3-star rating and recommend it!
booksarebetter's review against another edition
3.0
This was rather strange reading. I'm not sure what to classify this? Historical fantasy maybe? Dual character pov, good writing, quick, short chapters. I'll probably re-read this one day, but overall I liked this and practically flew through the last fifty pages or so. A solid 3
brooklyneden's review against another edition
It’s pretty clearly a character piece. Not my vibe
abeeg05's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Loved the historical element of this book, it was obviously very well researched. It was very slow to start though, took me a while to start to root for Devout and took me even longer to be invested in Hobble’s story
books_inthewild's review against another edition
4.0
A unique story- different from themes/topics I usually read. I enjoyed the story, the history, the mythology. I wanted to “cheer on” Hobble, and Devout, and Young Smith- and I SO despised Fox. It’s always a good read when you can feel so strongly about its characters! I recommend :)
sb4012315's review against another edition
Too many other books on my TBR list. Needed to return it to the library, but I would like to attempt another read at another time.
thereticentseer's review against another edition
3.0
If I have to describe what reading this book is like, it's kinda like a sort of slice-of-life story in an early Britain setting. The book revolves around a mother and daughter living during that time where their livelihood is about to be changed by the expanding Roman Empire that's trying to convert peeps from paganism to Christianity. It's an okay mellow read if you're into that sort of thing.