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captain_jazz's review against another edition
5.0
I love it. It's sweet, and I love the setting where mythical creatures are just normal in society.
max_pink's review against another edition
4.0
sex scene was oakcellent
tomek is a cool name
i want pierogi now
tomek is a cool name
i want pierogi now
karentje's review against another edition
3.0
A slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance in an original paranormal setting with heartbreakingly realistic homophobic elements in its society. I really liked Robert and Tomek’s friendship, but I struggled with Tomek’s agonizingly slow journey of self-discovery. Tomek is so far into the closet, hiding even from himself, that Narnia is but a speck on the horizon. His turmoil is understandable, though fortunately things turn out better for him and Robert than he had dared to hope for. Tomek and Robert get together quite late in the story after living separate lives for years, so they don’t have much time to get reacquainted, much of their love based on who they were as teenagers. I’d have liked to see more of them as a couple. The worldbuilding is intriguing and the secondary characters likable and well written.
solspringsreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jessdone's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up. to 4 stars. The writing is excellent within this work. I really enjoyed the story and characters. And I feel like this story captures a moment of self-discovery and the slow painful change as well as self reflection required to get there.
For all of that I found the pacing a tad slow and the back third AFTER the realization felt kind of rote paint by the numbers to force the standard romance HEA instead of being a realistic ending or an ending the character would naturally achieve.
For all of that I found the pacing a tad slow and the back third AFTER the realization felt kind of rote paint by the numbers to force the standard romance HEA instead of being a realistic ending or an ending the character would naturally achieve.
redsbookreads's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this story was quite sweet. Tomek and Robert are friends who over time become more. This book had a few of my favourite tropes and managed to incorporate them in a way that didn’t feel overdone. I did find that the story moved quite quickly at some points and I really had to pay attention to work out what was going on. For a debut book however I think this is really good.
sophb84's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful debut novella from this excellent writer. I've been a fan of this author in various fandoms and this first original work is brilliant.
Superb original characters in Robert and Tomek make this a fast-paced and enjoyable read. A story of self-acceptance and discovery in an atmosphere of prejudice is so well written and has many poignant moments. The development of their friendship is organic and totally believable. The supernatural elements are very well incorporated and it's easy to immerse yourself in their world.
I loved the atmosphere the author creates. You can feel the snow crunching underfoot and hear the wind through the trees. I also very much appreciated the punk rock theme being a huge fan of The Offspring too. Brilliant.
All in all, a super short story that I highly recommend. I couldn't put it down and read it one sitting. Addicted from the first page.
Superb original characters in Robert and Tomek make this a fast-paced and enjoyable read. A story of self-acceptance and discovery in an atmosphere of prejudice is so well written and has many poignant moments. The development of their friendship is organic and totally believable. The supernatural elements are very well incorporated and it's easy to immerse yourself in their world.
I loved the atmosphere the author creates. You can feel the snow crunching underfoot and hear the wind through the trees. I also very much appreciated the punk rock theme being a huge fan of The Offspring too. Brilliant.
All in all, a super short story that I highly recommend. I couldn't put it down and read it one sitting. Addicted from the first page.
smartie_chan's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 / 5 Stars
One of the biggest complaints I have with this book, is its length. Like, don't get me wrong, it's nice for what it is and it's sweet and all but, it's tackling - or trying to tackle - some really serious things. Especially since the author themselves seems 100% capable of doing it realistically.
OK, context. This takes place in an eastern european country that shall not be named. It's very likely Poland, but if you wanna go with any other homophobic eastern country - like Russia - that would also work. I'm not polish, so I might not be the most quallified person to tell you about the very serious problems Poland has had over the years, but let's just say, being a queer in Poland hasn't been the bestest of experiences. It's kinda sad to see that this book takes place in 2004 and it's STILL VERY MUCH ACCURATE. Honestly, could you imagine what this book could have been if it weren't just 100 pages long?
There was so much potential for more. It's why most of the side-characters are pushed into the shadows - which is a shame because we've got some very intersting ones.
Things this book had that might interst you:
+ Friends to Lovers
+ An insight into the Early 2000 East-European Queer Experience
+ Hurt/Comfort
+ Internalized Biphobia
+ Mystical Creatures
+ There was only one bed/tent
It touches some darker things as well, but not in too much detail and not explicitly. But it IS there.
All in all, I felt like this was a nice story.
One of the biggest complaints I have with this book, is its length. Like, don't get me wrong, it's nice for what it is and it's sweet and all but, it's tackling - or trying to tackle - some really serious things. Especially since the author themselves seems 100% capable of doing it realistically.
OK, context. This takes place in an eastern european country that shall not be named. It's very likely Poland, but if you wanna go with any other homophobic eastern country - like Russia - that would also work. I'm not polish, so I might not be the most quallified person to tell you about the very serious problems Poland has had over the years, but let's just say, being a queer in Poland hasn't been the bestest of experiences. It's kinda sad to see that this book takes place in 2004 and it's STILL VERY MUCH ACCURATE. Honestly, could you imagine what this book could have been if it weren't just 100 pages long?
There was so much potential for more. It's why most of the side-characters are pushed into the shadows - which is a shame because we've got some very intersting ones.
Things this book had that might interst you:
+ Friends to Lovers
+ An insight into the Early 2000 East-European Queer Experience
+ Hurt/Comfort
+ Internalized Biphobia
+ Mystical Creatures
+ There was only one bed/tent
It touches some darker things as well, but not in too much detail and not explicitly. But it IS there.
All in all, I felt like this was a nice story.
riahwamby's review
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
firefly's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content