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doahdancer's review
- 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
5.0
Where book one introduced us to the devastation Blunder faced through the eyes of young Elspeth Spindle, book two pivots and shows how her hand, dipped into the world of Rowans and Yews, guides them to the feverish final dance of a mist, a shephard, and a deck of magical cards, through the eyes of a destrier and a rotten prince.
While some readers may be disappointed to lose Elspeth's perspective for the majority of this book, it is the only way this story could have been properly told. The perspectives we gain prove endearing and reveal much that would have been mere shadows moving in the corner of Elspeth's gaze. The secondary romantic pairing especially, was a favorite of mine.
Move this series to the top of your TBR. You'll be glad you did.
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Torture, Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
yilliun's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Torture, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
amanda_reads13's review
- 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
4.5
I enjoyed this one a bit more than the first. First off, I am so glad that it switched to multiple POVs. It added so much more to the story and character development. Also, I really liked that there was a lot more world building and history of the magic throughout the book. For those who found the first book slow, the pace was a lot faster in this one.
I am so glad we got Nightmare's POV. That was exactly what I was looking for. In the first book, I found it was lacking information about his story and motivation. In book two, we got all that and so much more. We learn about the creation of the cards, his family, and the truth of what happened to him.
In this book, we also get Rayvn and Elm's POVs. We get to see the development of Elm and Ione's relationship. They are so cute together.
Adding Ravyn's POV added a lot of emotion to the story. We see his story reflecting that of
Tropes: found family
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity
daisysbookmusings's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is such a brilliant ending to this story. A fair amount of this I was reading because I loved One Dark Window, my second favourite book of all time, but it wasn't thrilling me. But the final 100 pages floored me and reminded me why I loved ODW so much.
It was full of all the tortuous, gut-wrenching, and devastating moments that the first book had: love, love, love.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Torture, and Violence
lallabc's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Blood, Death, Chronic illness, and Gore
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Torture, Murder, and Vomit
mzquirk's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Gore, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Confinement, Bullying, Body horror, Blood, and Abandonment
daylajane's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Confinement, and Violence
theespressoedition's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Torture, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Medical trauma, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gore
amyteurhour's review
4.5
I thought this did a good job of expanding the world and lore of ODW, and also gave a satisfying ending. The twists and turns especially near the end had me gasping. I did find the short chapters/POV changes to be a bit jarring and wishing we had more time with some characters (namely Elm). This is a series that I think I'll want to revisit, especially in December when it's near winter solstice.
I started reading the physical book, but switched to audio when my hold came in from the library because of convenience reasons lol. While I thought the audiobook was good, I personally prefer reading this series.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcohol, Violence, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
vjlp22_reader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcoholism and Death