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nat_lawless'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
5.0
Although at times I want to shake both Vel and Cae for their inability to communicate, I also hard relate and want to hug them both.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Infidelity and Transphobia
dragongirl271's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Transphobia, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity
cheye13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The worldbuilding was exquisite – nearly tangible. I could easily slip into someone else's story in this universe and that's one of my favorite elements of the fantasy genre. I also loved that not only were politics involved, but they were intrinsic to the core plot of the story. The characters were all so well-rounded, and using a main character in a foreign land as a reader-proxy to introduce everyone was genius. And above all, I loved the writing style. It was chronically readable, but also flowed between gravitas and levity, evocative of whatever mood the scene called for. I'm getting emotional thinking about just how fun simply the act of reading this book was.
Unfortunately, this still isn't my favorite book. The author kindly includes accurate content warnings, and while I think everything was handled well and with care, part of the rape and recovery storyline didn't gel with my reading experience. Unlike many other fantasy stories, I entirely understand why the scene of the assault was included, and I actually appreciate the story including Vel's journey of healing. I think I was mostly put off by
But still, overall a complete pleasure to read. I absolutely recommend it for curing slumps, despite the page count.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Outing
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Transphobia, Stalking, and Abandonment
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Though it's a well-handled journey of healing, a main point of view character experiences significant trauma early in and deals with trauma recovery for much of the book.sabertoothjello's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Outing
Moderate: Animal death, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Transphobia
sammuraichan'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
morebedsidebooks's review against another edition
Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Death of parent
From the author: A Strange and Stubborn Endurance contains on-page depictions of rape, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. While the narrative arc is one of healing, readers should nonetheless be aware of this content in order to engage with it on their own terms.discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is a beautiful story for a number of reasons. I appreciated the focus on healing from the trauma of sexual assault, and on letting go of learned lies about oneself and one’s worth. The relationship between Vel and Cae was so tender and sweet that it had me grinning so hard my face hurt on more than one occasion.
The politics in general, but especially where it pertained to the question of inheritance, kind of went over my head, but it didn’t cause me to enjoy the book any less. This was a treat to read.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
camiye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
pitsikakku's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Transphobia and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infidelity