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quiet_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Confinement and Death of parent
book_siren's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
iamkallia's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
brookey8888's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this. I didn’t guess a plot twist in the first like three pages of the book but that didn’t bother me. I just really liked our characters. I thought they were funny and I really like the chemistry I’m a fucker for romance. I felt the story was interesting and kept me engaged. It kind of reminded me of the bone houses but better. I also love the diversity for sexuality’s in this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
rain_baby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Cursing and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty and Death of parent
ashleycmms's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm
luosymekawa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“There were no perfect kingdoms with cost, and there were no stories that were completely true - or completely false.”
Uhm, hello, I love Fox and Daisy so much🥺😭 Fox as a character reminds me of Rick O’Connell from the mummy (especially when he banters with Daisy). Each character was unique and so lovable, which made the tale even more enjoyable to read. The banter between Daisy and Fox was so genuine, authentic, and sweet. As a type of fairy tale, it seems to be meant for the younger of the young adults, but with that in mind there was a fair bit of cussing.
“You aren’t alone fox. Burdens are meant to be shared.”
“...people who die never really leave...we carry them with every breath we take, until the wind itself is gone.”
“Then there would be a hole where you should have been, and I would miss whatever was supposed to fill it.”
The last few pages definitely made me tear up. This book has such a soft spot in my heart, right next to Fairest by Gail Carson Levine.
Uhm, hello, I love Fox and Daisy so much🥺😭 Fox as a character reminds me of Rick O’Connell from the mummy (especially when he banters with Daisy). Each character was unique and so lovable, which made the tale even more enjoyable to read. The banter between Daisy and Fox was so genuine, authentic, and sweet. As a type of fairy tale, it seems to be meant for the younger of the young adults, but with that in mind there was a fair bit of cussing.
“You aren’t alone fox. Burdens are meant to be shared.”
“...people who die never really leave...we carry them with every breath we take, until the wind itself is gone.”
“Then there would be a hole where you should have been, and I would miss whatever was supposed to fill it.”
The last few pages definitely made me tear up. This book has such a soft spot in my heart, right next to Fairest by Gail Carson Levine.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent
gracew's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I don't really know how to rate this one. On the one hand, it kept my interest and entertained me a lot and the final twist actually did surprise me. The rest of the twists, however, not so much. I think my biggest problem is that I don't really understand the romantic relationship between the main characters. This is made all the more frustrating because there is a tease of a future wlw relationship at the end that I would have been way more invested in. Beyond the relationship thing, the world building could have been stronger. Poston's books are always hit and miss for me and while I wouldn't call this one a "miss" I do think that it was not as strong as her other works. I'm just sort of "okay" with it which is always disappointing from an another whose given me works I love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Minor: Animal cruelty
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
**Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
I really enjoyed the book! It was fairly light for a fantasy, and was not that complicated which was nice! Would definitely recommend for anyone who doesn't normally read fantasy but wants to try something lighter.
I liked the characters for the most part, and that they were flawed. The middle to ending of the book was far better in plot development than the beginning in my opinion.
I'm not sure if this is a standalone, but it could be!! The story stands on it's own for sure.
Slight spoilers below...
I did struggle with a few things:
1. This book was VERY predictable. I basically saw everything coming. Everything. There was I think only ONE thing that surprised me. And it was honestly so small plotwise... I don't mind some things being predictable, but the majority just bugs me...
2. I was so frustrated with Cerys in the beginning. And to an extent, Fox as well. They constantly go on and on about how useless they are. How they are "just a fox" or "just a gardener's daughter." WE GET IT. It was frustrating to have it reiterated so many times when in the end they did everything anyways. It's different when a character doesn't feel confident or courageous and does something versus constantly belittling themselves even while they are wanting to do something or doing it. It was a little annoying...
3. Repetition. I swear. The same thing was explained over and over at the beginning. That might be why everything felt predictable? There were certain pieces of backstory that were repeated numerous times by Cerys within one chapter. I don't mind if it is repeated once as a reminder, but this was excessive.
4. Okay, this one might be petty. It doesn't normally bother me? But there were direct quotes and scenes taken from other things which just felt a bit cringe to me. Cerys quotes verbatim a line from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The dancing scene from Tangled? Yeah it happens exactly. And don't even get me started on the one parallel to HP that I caught. It was not subtle. I don't mind if there are parallels to other works, but these ones just rubbed me the wrong way...
I really enjoyed the book! It was fairly light for a fantasy, and was not that complicated which was nice! Would definitely recommend for anyone who doesn't normally read fantasy but wants to try something lighter.
I liked the characters for the most part, and that they were flawed. The middle to ending of the book was far better in plot development than the beginning in my opinion.
I'm not sure if this is a standalone, but it could be!! The story stands on it's own for sure.
Slight spoilers below...
I did struggle with a few things:
1. This book was VERY predictable. I basically saw everything coming. Everything. There was I think only ONE thing that surprised me. And it was honestly so small plotwise... I don't mind some things being predictable, but the majority just bugs me...
2. I was so frustrated with Cerys in the beginning. And to an extent, Fox as well. They constantly go on and on about how useless they are. How they are "just a fox" or "just a gardener's daughter." WE GET IT. It was frustrating to have it reiterated so many times when in the end they did everything anyways. It's different when a character doesn't feel confident or courageous and does something versus constantly belittling themselves even while they are wanting to do something or doing it. It was a little annoying...
3. Repetition. I swear. The same thing was explained over and over at the beginning. That might be why everything felt predictable? There were certain pieces of backstory that were repeated numerous times by Cerys within one chapter. I don't mind if it is repeated once as a reminder, but this was excessive.
4. Okay, this one might be petty. It doesn't normally bother me? But there were direct quotes and scenes taken from other things which just felt a bit cringe to me. Cerys quotes verbatim a line from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The dancing scene from Tangled? Yeah it happens exactly. And don't even get me started on the one parallel to HP that I caught. It was not subtle. I don't mind if there are parallels to other works, but these ones just rubbed me the wrong way...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty