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talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Death, Abandonment, Murder, and Animal death
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Hate crime
Minor: Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, and Trafficking
indydc's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Murder, Death of parent, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
dokushoka's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Abandonment, and Death
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Transphobia
inamerata's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the imagery and it's refreshing to read about two older sapphic women having fantastic adventures. However, that didn't outweigh the kind of typical, dark/edgy folktale retelling elements, and I was frustrated at how often sweeping generalizations cropped up in a story about nuance and life not being so simple. Still, the ending was neat.
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse
laurareads87's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
<i>Burning Roses</i> follows two fairytale figures, Huo Yi (a very skilled archer) and Rosa (Red Riding Hood). Older women, both have complex pasts which are slowly revealed over the course of the story as they go together on a quest to stop sunbirds who are torching and destroying villages. There are many references to fairytales here, but at its heart this is a story about guilt, regret, loss, forgiveness, and redemption. There is so much I appreciate about this story -- the representation of older queer women, the way so many themes come together in a story that feels just the right length, the refusal to simplify difficult dynamics for the sake of a tidy ending, the subtlety. When I want feminist retellings... this is what I want. Definitely recommend.
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Violence and Gun violence
Minor: Transphobia
hanz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
solly'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? Yes
3.75
This was an excellent novella with older sapphic protags, moxing several western fairytales and the Chinese story of Hou Yi and Chang'E. The two protags (Red Riding Hood and trans woman Hou Yi) are morally grey women who have tons of family issues they work out throughout the story by telling each other about their past. It explored some really interesting themes while having some cool worldbuilding. I really enjoyed it, would have liked one more chapter maybe, but as a novella it makes sense that it stopped where it did.
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Transphobia and Child abuse
aardwyrm's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
dhwani's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Grief
joceraptor's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, and Violence