A review by livlamentloathe
Weyward by Emilia Hart

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I loved this book. It was hard for a bit—as I was raging over Altha’s “trial.” But eventually, I let the time periods dull my feelings. I think it could be (and is) argued that this book treats women poorly for no point. But I disagree. The fact is: women ARE treated poorly. They always have been. And often without a voice to protest. But women are strong and resilient and that’s the mark of this book.

These women were all seen going THROUGH IT. At the worst moment of their lives. But they fought back. They may not have been remarkably heroic. But they were brave and compassionate and wondrous for each time period. Altha was calm, brave, protective. She knew when to fight back. She was careful. And she never *let* them tell her how to live. Violet was curious and feisty. She sought the truth and craved an education—stealing it when it wasn’t available to her. And Kate was growing, gaining strength, love, and confidence (etc).
I’m not one for kids or even motherhood but her pregnancy was what allowed her to heal from her abuse.


I thought the entire story was beautiful. Despite my arachnophobia, I was thrilled by the natural connections. It was a folksy dream. The perfect level of mystical and magical without being overly magic. It straddled the line well. Powerful—about how women help and protect one another.

TW: Sexual violence, r*pe, sexual assault, physical abuse, domestic abuse, abortion, misogyny,
Expand filter menu Content Warnings