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kirstym25's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, and Slavery
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Antisemitism
rachel101's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
oboerarium's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Personally not the most enjoyable reading experience. Footnotes all the way until the end and often ramblings about some academic dispute (completely fictional). However, the writing style was very interesting and detailed (sometimes a bit too detailed imho). Yet, about 200-300 pages less wouldn't have been missed if taken away.
The main characters were quite unlikable. Yet interesting. Books don't always need heroes and likables as main character, so it was a good choice made by the author. However, the likable characters that were in the book were not treated fairly and came a bit short, I'd say. Would've liked to see more of them and less "academic" rambling and footnotes. But this also is part of an amazing world building.
I still don't know from whose perspective this book is written and who is "I". Not sure if it matters anyway. Unexpectedly, it became rather dark towards the end.
This book might be triggering for some. It contains words of racism and is a bit sexist (surprised, since the author is a woman). But it also seems like a hyperbole of white male societies, especially the English ones. Topics such as slavery and female emancipation are treated in an interesting yet maybe a biy subtle way.
In short: well crafted, but a bit long.
Recommended season: late autmn/winter
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Torture, and War
Minor: Colonisation
adrizeuza's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? Yes
5.0
This is the best audiobook I have ever listened to. What a lovely way to re-read this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and War
vaguelyredhead's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, and Slavery
Minor: Sexism and Antisemitism
firefly_ninja's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: War
readingelli's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Hangingfraeyalise's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
What a lovely, lovely story that exists in our world with us, and what a pleasure it is to exist at the same time.
This book will stay with me for a long time. It was very detailed and long winded, but the details could not be cut without substantially changing the story and making it worse.
Everything builds so slowly, it moves like a thunderstorm.
The ending made me cry, all my feelings are very complicated about it, but I am happy with the ending and how everything wrapped up.
I'm so grateful that we, the Readers, got to see the entire story with all the parts.
I was a bit intimidated by this book because of the length, but I am so glad I found the courage to begin it. What a world. What a story.
This book will stay with me for a long time. It was very detailed and long winded, but the details could not be cut without substantially changing the story and making it worse.
Everything builds so slowly, it moves like a thunderstorm.
The ending made me cry, all my feelings are very complicated about it, but I am happy with the ending and how everything wrapped up.
I'm so grateful that we, the Readers, got to see the entire story with all the parts.
I was a bit intimidated by this book because of the length, but I am so glad I found the courage to begin it. What a world. What a story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Classism
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, and War
In a book set in the 1800s England during the Napoleonic Wars with one of the main characters being a Fairy with no regard for human life, there is a fair amount of horrors that come with it. Also in a book with over 1000 pages, there's no way to have a story without some potentially triggering content. I will say Clarke does an excellent job of talking about sensitive topics, and mentions of some of the more horrible things, while blunt on purpose, are thankfully brief.adverb17's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
A great version of a great genre combination! Clarke did her homework to write like it's the 1800s; as far as I can tell through the voice the social commentary is poignant and funny (a few questionable words were used). Well-done characters, intrigue, and moral grayness. I was glad to be in this world for as long as this book was; really it needs more length/different pacing in the ending to give a more satisfying conclusion to all that build-up. I like how the magic system isn't strictly defined--makes it almost dark academia thematically.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Blood, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Fatphobia and Slavery
spreadabook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I got through a thousand and six pages for this bloody thing to make me cry on the last page. I don't think I've enjoyed a book this much in years.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Rape