booksonmars's Reviews (670)

the epitome of intergenerational trauma 

saying this series is sunshine in a book would be a disservice to how good it is, but also how well it touches on heavier and more emotional topics. i love the promotion of healthy conversations in all kinds of relationships, from romantic to familial, and nick and charlie’s growth is always so tender to read. i can’t believe the next book is the last one, i’ll miss everyone in the heartstopper universe 😖

beautiful descriptions of medieval england, and accompanied by the discussions of a woman's autonomy in this time of history which can also relate to the modern world. the relationship between cass (our main character) and the other women in this sisterhood is warm at the beginning, then fraught with tenuous loyalty and secrets as cass realises the ones who have saved her aren't the one dimensional 'good' that she first thought. i did enjoy that part though, learning the other characters' intentions and the care they had for each other made them more multi-faceted.

however, i felt that the beginning was very rushed, with little expansion on cass' familial relationships. nothing of much importance to the plot happens, so don't expect the classic hero storyline, yet it's still enjoyable to read and watch cass' growth. it was more of a historical book than a fantasy, with the fantasy elements very vague and barely hinted at, in particular with the mystery of cass' supposed power. the power itself is never really explained, even when its in use, and the reason for it remains unclear until quite literally the last pages, which begs the question on if this is truly a standalone or part of the series. if it is, i'm not sure i'd read the next book. 

mixing eerie fairy tales with the grit of reality, these stories were very interesting to read, albeit one or two confusing me a little. 

leigh bardugo can never write a bad book!

beautifully crafted fables in a world familiar yet not to the grishaverse. the characters in this go through wondrous adventures, and yet there is an echo of emotion that still rings true in the modern world, of loneliness and abandonment. i was swept away with each story, and will definitely treasure and think of them for years to come. maybe i’ll even read them to my children in the future? 

i loved the fable and folklore vibes, but the ending was slightly confusing.

my first dark romance but i’m not sure i would classify it as such. a true enemies to lovers romance, fuelled with snarky banter and heady passion as the undercurrent of what was a very easy to follow plot. i’d recommend for anyone looking for a little mermaid retelling on the darker side. 

young and hopeless romantic me would’ve loved this book at fifteen-ish! the writing did confuse me at times, it was really juvenile one minute but then very in depth beautiful ruminations the next. still a lovely love story though. 

i’m glad this book didn’t suffer second book syndrome; despite a slow start, this had hit all the points of a stellar sequel. 

each of the characters, both familiar and new, are reacting to the upheaval of power at the end of the first book, and throughout the book we see how it changes them. this book is more emotionally raw, particularly for my favourite characters xiala and serapio, who are both struggling with trauma and identity, separated from the familiar and each other. the environments and the people they find themselves surrounded in shapes their perspectives on the world and themselves, although it’s hard to discern if it’s for better or for worse. 

family, and kinship, is another strong theme in this book, the source of turmoil and intrigue, and the many ways loyalty is shown, tested and broken displays the importance of these relationships in this series. my particular favourite is okoa and ese, and i can’t wait for more of their dynamic in the last book. 

speaking of the last book, i’m all the more excited for it. this one ended in a way i didn’t expect, with the characters in places surprising for me but will make for an intriguing read in the finale.