themoonwholistens's Reviews (698)

DNF

THEY'RE SO ADORABLE AND I AM SOFT.

this is a reread, i just marked the chapters individually before instead of the volume lmao

— 3.5 —

IM HERE FOR IT. I’ll never get over how casually normalized everything is. So refreshing and authentic.

4.25

YES. YES. AND YES.

So fulfilling, so satisfying, and so gorgeously full of emotion with the prose to match.

“Sweet son, you are right. This world is a wild and terrible place, and worth shouting at. But you are safe now and all of us need to sleep.”

Despite the semi-popular opinion, I was not bored at all. Though they both have their slow parts, I cared for this a lot more than The Song of Achilles (that book was what bored me). This review cannot encompass my love and feelings for this book but I write it anyway.

This is definitely more for those who enjoy centralized plots and doesn’t mind just vibing and hanging out with Circe on her island for the most part. (Honestly, I didn't even realize it until other people pointed it out). This is the masterpiece that happens when you throw in themes of isolation, motherhood/parenthood, immortality, complicated love, loss, hope, friendship, heroism and mix it with some Greek god drama, witty humor, emotion, tragedy, wanderlust.

“I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands.”

Circe is certainly one of my new all time favorite characters if I ever had a list. She’s not perfect and is arguably a morally grey character, but at the end of the day she’s willing to do what she believes needs to be done for the people she loves with no second thoughts. Just like with any other character-driven book, I think you need to be attached to Circe or be intrigued by the little tragedies that always seem to happen, in some kind of way, to be able to enjoy this to the fullest. I don’t think it would be that hard though.

It’s just so beautifully written (I can't get over it) while filling up all the in-betweens in Greek myths/stories. I really could not help but get pulled in. I’m always here for some dreamy prose and full-circle moments. Definitely a new favorite standalone.

“He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend that I had none.”

There is just something about Greek myth retellings/inspirations that they would, more often than not, have a musing and thoughtful touch underlying the story. And Madeline Miller delivers.

↣ Madeline Miller was able to tell a century's old myth in such a unique style that entrances you the whole way. It was so easy to fall in love with every character and everything wraps ups in the best way that it leaves you with the feeling of fullness, and the promise of hope and better days. ↢

Bella ciao, I will now go through all the Circe quotes and dream. This made me feel so soft inside.

Bonus points: the audiobook is just fantastic.

“Even at his best he was not an easy man but he was a friend to me at a time when I needed one.”
“It is strange to think of a goddess needing friends.”
“All creatures that are not mad need them.”

— 5.0 —
⇢ content warnings// Body horror, Childbirth (with complications), Rape, Torture

I came for the ANGST, YEARNING, and NOSTALGIA.

so the waiting for Chain of Thorns.... begins.

I will now be peacefully staring at a wall. Thank you.

"But love is not always a lightning bolt, is it? Sometimes it's a creeping vine. It grows slowly until suddenly it is all there is in the world."

I'm actually going to pass out.

Dare I say it that I think this series is better written than TID.

I mean it makes sense because this was written years after TID and CC has obviously learned a lot since then. But I have to admit that even though I think TID and TLH are the reigning rulers of the Shadowhunter series… this was just better with the details and balancing out characters. (but I get all the incest jokes now *le sigh*)

I still don’t care about all it’s flaws because Will, Jem and Tessa (TID) are my parents but OHMYGOD James, Cordelia, Matthew, Alastair, Lucie, Jesse, Anna, Grace, Thomas, Christopher, ++ is just on another unprecedented level.

I'm sure part of the reason this series hits different is because we are following the children of characters we know and love or have already been acquainted with. You're already invested before you even meet them (I sure was).

special note: Christopher is such an unbothered King that I actually ship him with

Spoiler

Grace

. And every time they call him KIT…. my heart cannot handle the TDA and TWP connections.

The flow of the plot flows so well if you came from TDA and we just love that. The mystery was fun and my enjoyment levels were really though the rook. I screamed so many times.

↣ If you want that YA angst accompanied with the perfect plot to make you feel all the feels... here you go. But PLEASE... read all the other shadowhunter books before starting this series. I promise that you will appreciate it a lot more. ↢


so for the nth time: I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH. and no one can make me believe otherwise.

“We suffer for love because love is worth it.”

— 4.5 —
⇢ content warnings//

Spoiler

Alcoholism, Alcohol use (underage drinking), Blood, Death (including parental), Manipulation, Mind control, Miscarriage (mentioned), Murder, Violence

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[ let’s pretend i posted this 3 days ago]

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!

—————
let me just add this to the list of books that I automatically scroll past my timeline when I see the cover in hopes of avoiding spoilers

It ruined me in the best way possible.

Even though I preferred that she ended up with Nikolai and I was praying until the last moment that something would happen between them.

This series keeps getting better with every page. I did not expect this story to take a turn like this. The writing style, the plot and the characters are better, much more well-written and I really don't know else to say.

It is 100x better than the first book and I cannot wait for the conclusion of this series. I don't think I'm ready to leave behind Alina, Mal, Nikolai, Tolya, Tamar, Zoya, David, Genya, The Darkling and the whole Grisha world just yet.

5 stars because i had chills the whole volume

I LOVE THEMMM

((in case you’re new, i don’t rate every volume of the mangas i read))