Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Confinement'
Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft by Jessica Spotswood, Tess Sharpe
3 reviews
percys_panda_pillow_pet's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
This short story collection has been on my TBR for a while now, and I really only put it on there because of the title/subtitle, and the inclusion of Anna-Marie McLemore, a favorite author of mine. I point this out because I was a little afraid that perhaps I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. Short story collections can be difficult because different authors naturally have different styles, and not all stories and authors are going to vibe with the reader. However, I am so happy that I enjoyed almost every story in this book!
So, I won't go through every single story in this collection, as that would be too much for one review, I will just pick my favorite and least favorite story, to the best of my ability.
There were so many good stories in here, it really is hard to say I have a favorite, especially when each one tackled different themes and ideas, and utilized different settings and characters. But I think if I had to choose, I could definitely say that The Heart in Her Hands by Tessa Sharpe is up for contention! I just loved the way that magic was portrayed and used in this story, and I am always a sucker for not just Sapphic romance, but also choosing your love over what the fates say. I also really liked the personification of Fate as a more antagonist figure; usually, in stories of witchcraft, fate is equal to karma, something that many witches believe in. So this was a really unique take for me. And finally, I just loved the end of the story, it was the perfect conclusion.
For my least favorite story, unfortunately, there is no contest for it; I did not like The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar. I thought the idea was interesting and unique, and the characters were lovely. But I just felt very overwhelmed with all the sudden worldbuilding in the story and had trouble differentiating between the story itself and the play the characters were supposed to be putting on. I couldn't really follow what was happening easily and just couldn't wait until it was over so I could get to the next story. Either the story needed to be a novel or the author needed to cut some darlings to clear things up. There's also the possibility that this isn't the story for me and that's okay. As I've said, there's no guarantee you'll like every story in a collection, so the fact that only one didn't vibe with me was actually a really good thing.
If you like witches (and feminism as they do often go hand-in-hand) I have to recommend this collection to you, especially if you're looking to get into reading more short stories. I wish I could read more of each of these awesome characters and worlds, and that's how I know these authors did a great job. To finish things off, I will say that my favorite witch is Akko from Little Witch Academia.
So, I won't go through every single story in this collection, as that would be too much for one review, I will just pick my favorite and least favorite story, to the best of my ability.
There were so many good stories in here, it really is hard to say I have a favorite, especially when each one tackled different themes and ideas, and utilized different settings and characters. But I think if I had to choose, I could definitely say that The Heart in Her Hands by Tessa Sharpe is up for contention! I just loved the way that magic was portrayed and used in this story, and I am always a sucker for not just Sapphic romance, but also choosing your love over what the fates say. I also really liked the personification of Fate as a more antagonist figure; usually, in stories of witchcraft, fate is equal to karma, something that many witches believe in. So this was a really unique take for me. And finally, I just loved the end of the story, it was the perfect conclusion.
For my least favorite story, unfortunately, there is no contest for it; I did not like The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar. I thought the idea was interesting and unique, and the characters were lovely. But I just felt very overwhelmed with all the sudden worldbuilding in the story and had trouble differentiating between the story itself and the play the characters were supposed to be putting on. I couldn't really follow what was happening easily and just couldn't wait until it was over so I could get to the next story. Either the story needed to be a novel or the author needed to cut some darlings to clear things up. There's also the possibility that this isn't the story for me and that's okay. As I've said, there's no guarantee you'll like every story in a collection, so the fact that only one didn't vibe with me was actually a really good thing.
If you like witches (and feminism as they do often go hand-in-hand) I have to recommend this collection to you, especially if you're looking to get into reading more short stories. I wish I could read more of each of these awesome characters and worlds, and that's how I know these authors did a great job. To finish things off, I will say that my favorite witch is Akko from Little Witch Academia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, and Animal death
Moderate: Transphobia, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Bullying, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape
randirush's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
i really adored this; i’m in love with all things witchy. “the most terrifying thing in the world is a girl with power. that’s why they watch us burn”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Rape and Sexual harassment
eviecook0708's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This was a really cool anthology! Some of the stories weren't necessarily my thing, but there were more than enough gems to make up for it. The writing styles, stories, and characters were very diverse, and the theme of the anthology was really interesting to me. I felt like this was also a really good sampler of the work of all the contributors, and I now have a little list of writers I need to read more from! The only reason this is only 4 stars is the presence of one story I felt actually detracted from the anthology (just my opinion), but other than that, it was a good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident and Animal death
More...