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purplehulk713's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Whirling. So exciting and fun, but dark, relevant, and unpredictable, unlike a lot of fiction that I’ve read recently. Morgan Rhodes isn’t afraid of addressing difficult concepts like alcoholism, sibling death, disease or trauma, and this makes for very compelling fiction, especially in a YA context. Her characters seem fully realized (even if their development is slightly didactic, but that seems to be for a purpose), and they’re all so enjoyable to read about, even if you just love to hate them (e.g. Farrell). Crys is my hero. I also loved how Rhodes manages to create so many plot twists without the story seeming unrealistic. This was one of those books that you’ll be like “Oh, right, they mentioned before that . . . “ I’m so excited to learn more about the lore of this world, especially the immortals of Mytica like Eva and where their magic comes from. I enjoyed the reversal of trope where the ancient old man in fact looks incredibly young and beautiful (like in his twenties) but rather everyone around him does in fact know that this is his nature, unlike characters like the Darkling. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been left wanting so much more, though, plot-wise. Rhodes’s themes of personhood and filial bonds are deftly woven through a high-intensity attraction of magic, secrets, murders, and theft.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Murder, Sexual harassment, Violence, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide, Rape, and Trafficking
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