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living_for_the_hope_of_it_all's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
obviously I've been reading this on and off for the last couple of months but... i mean it's alright
most works deal with the queer experience and put it through a lens of religion and obviously angel symbolisms
what i loved most and expected was biblically accurate angels, which did appear in multiple stories and if given the chance would probably give 5 stars
on the other end, i was very obviously taken aback by the smut. not judging at all, my personal reads are public knowledge, but it was definitely unexpected and a little jarring
that was actually the reason why i had stopped reading the anthology for a while, but i got back into it so!!
i have to admit, i definitely think all the works were beautifully written and were individually enjoyable, depending on what you are in the mood to read, plus, the presentation was handled remarkably in my opinion.
all that considered, there isn't a concrete reason that i am giving it a 3đź’« rating, apart from the way im feeling. considering that i know for a fact some stories will stick with me for a while, while others i have completely forgotten by now, leads me to this conclusion.
hats off to all the wonderful authors and artists that contributed and i hope to see more from them in the future!!
most works deal with the queer experience and put it through a lens of religion and obviously angel symbolisms
what i loved most and expected was biblically accurate angels, which did appear in multiple stories and if given the chance would probably give 5 stars
on the other end, i was very obviously taken aback by the smut. not judging at all, my personal reads are public knowledge, but it was definitely unexpected and a little jarring
that was actually the reason why i had stopped reading the anthology for a while, but i got back into it so!!
i have to admit, i definitely think all the works were beautifully written and were individually enjoyable, depending on what you are in the mood to read, plus, the presentation was handled remarkably in my opinion.
all that considered, there isn't a concrete reason that i am giving it a 3đź’« rating, apart from the way im feeling. considering that i know for a fact some stories will stick with me for a while, while others i have completely forgotten by now, leads me to this conclusion.
hats off to all the wonderful authors and artists that contributed and i hope to see more from them in the future!!
meerathewriter_levamp's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
zzoomzzoom's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
eestellar's review
all the gore made me sick to my stomach & I got stressed whenever I tried to read more of it
thegreatimp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
cottagesalam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
airic_fenn's review
5.0
Note: Received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beautiful. Wicked. Disgusting. Angelic.
I'm not even sure I have enough words to describe Devout, and I wish I had the time to analyze every poem, story, and art piece within this anthology because they were all truly incredible. Many of them touched me in ways I couldn't describe, with the way they handled relationships, religion, and the trauma that can come with them.
And oh, the angels, the angels. Each author had their own perfect and terrifying interpretation of them, whether it was the concept of angels as a whole, or specific characters like Lucifer or Mephistopheles, reimagined for the text. What I loved most was how in several of the stories, the lines between angel and demon were blurred. The angels border on incomprehensible, both the most beautiful and the most disgusting creatures you could witness… and the demons, well they were angels once, before they fell. ("And The Mountains Melt Like Wax"; "Misery in Company"; "Swarm Behavior").
I also loved how despite the perceived wickedness of the angels, the true horrors often came from Man, and the people who claimed to speak for God… and even then, those lines, too, were blurred. ("Seasons of God"; "Resta Con Me").
Favorite Works:
- Seasons Of God - Angela Sun
- And The Mountains Melt Like Wax - Tyler Battaglia
- The Mountains, The Mountains, The Mountains - Tyler Battaglia
- We Suffer In Fire - Tyler Battaglia
- Misery In Company - Morgan Dante
- Swarm Behavior - Aurelio Lauren
This otherworldly anthology has a range of genres, from contemporary to horror and everything in between. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to explore into something wrong, holy, and full of longing.
Beautiful. Wicked. Disgusting. Angelic.
I'm not even sure I have enough words to describe Devout, and I wish I had the time to analyze every poem, story, and art piece within this anthology because they were all truly incredible. Many of them touched me in ways I couldn't describe, with the way they handled relationships, religion, and the trauma that can come with them.
And oh, the angels, the angels. Each author had their own perfect and terrifying interpretation of them, whether it was the concept of angels as a whole, or specific characters like Lucifer or Mephistopheles, reimagined for the text. What I loved most was how in several of the stories, the lines between angel and demon were blurred. The angels border on incomprehensible, both the most beautiful and the most disgusting creatures you could witness… and the demons, well they were angels once, before they fell. ("And The Mountains Melt Like Wax"; "Misery in Company"; "Swarm Behavior").
I also loved how despite the perceived wickedness of the angels, the true horrors often came from Man, and the people who claimed to speak for God… and even then, those lines, too, were blurred. ("Seasons of God"; "Resta Con Me").
Favorite Works:
- Seasons Of God - Angela Sun
- And The Mountains Melt Like Wax - Tyler Battaglia
- The Mountains, The Mountains, The Mountains - Tyler Battaglia
- We Suffer In Fire - Tyler Battaglia
- Misery In Company - Morgan Dante
- Swarm Behavior - Aurelio Lauren
This otherworldly anthology has a range of genres, from contemporary to horror and everything in between. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to explore into something wrong, holy, and full of longing.