rozarka's Reviews (876)

That's done it, I can now confidently say that I am going to read anything P. Djeli Clark will write in the future. It was so much fun (even the action scenes; those usually bore me), but what shined here, just as it had shone in his Dead Djinn books before, was the worldbuilding. It's so colorful, frangrant, and vividly described I wanted to be transported there. And revel, no murdering for me please.

I was funny and readable, but I hoped for some plot (and by plot I mean romance, getting together, not instalust and falling into bed together the first night and then not doing anything else).

Megan's fairytale retellings are her best works. I just wished it was a bit longer to properly develop the romance. 

I really liked the writing style, it was poetic, descriptive, and evocative. The narrators were also doing their best, I especially liked the one reading Altha's chapters. And yet, the book didn't work for me as well as I had hoped. I came here for female rage and got female suffering. I knew it beforehand, of course, but I didn't realize how long it would take to get to the revenge part (two thirds of 11hrs book? that's A LOT). I was also a bit disappointed how simplistic it felt. Women are helpless victims, men are sociopathic villains, sex is disgusting. I know it was the point of the book, but it still felt, I don't know, too on the nose? Not nuanced enough? Thank heavens for Graham, at least. I think I wouldn't judge the book so harshly if there were no supernatural elements in the story. Witches are cool (I'm primarily a fantasy reader after all), but I would prefer if the women didn't have to rely on magic to find their strength (what hope it brings to us, mere mortals?). If they could find help in their community, maybe other women, if you want to write about female rage? But it would be completely different book, I know.

I, personally, did not vibe with the author's sense of humor as much as I'd like, but on the other hand the audiobook's narrator sounded just like Wayne from Mistborn era 2 so there is that.