Reviews with content warning for Racism - Elatsoe

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Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

145 reviews

bluejayreads's review against another edition

3.75

I very nearly DNF'd this one, because the main murder mystery plot just didn't vibe with me. Ellie's magic with ghosts means that her murdered cousin straight-up told her who killed him, and the mystery part was actually about finding why and how in a manner that law enforcement would accept. And I just didn't find it that interesting. However, then I realized that I did find everything else in this story interesting. The world of monsters and magic - fae magic, Indigenous magic, vampires, all sorts of stuff - along with the modern world was well-crafted and fascinating. I loved how it was the modern world just a little askew because, you know, magic. I loved learning about the Ellie's Lipan Apache traditions and magic, I loved having a protagonist who was explicitly aro/ace without it being a big deal, I even really enjoyed Ellie's relationship with her best friend Jay. And the murder mystery part did end up having a solid climax (although I'll be honest, I saw the big twist from a mile away). On the whole, I'm glad I finished reading it, because even though parts of it didn't do it for me personally, there's a lot to love in this book.

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stubsofun's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Elatsoe is a novel brimming with potential, and in some aspects, meets that potential. However, hand-in-hand with exciting action scenes, great world building, and a good mystery, are poorly done lore-dumps, a pov change for one chapter that stops the action in its tracks, and clunky dialogue at times.
I think with a few more rounds of edits to trim unnecessary parts and find more natural ways to convey the world building, Elatsoe would have greatly benefited.
Overall, I will be interested in what the author writes in the future, and I don't regret reading this book, but I would be hesitant before recommending Elatsoe to another reader.

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ariiw's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

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emotional sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

I feel like one of the plotlines just never got resolved and I disagree with the main character on

how Abe Allerton should've just died like it does make sense for dying ppl to be extremely desperate

. Besides those, the pace is slow until it becomes fast in the final 100ish pages and there are emotional scenes towards the end, just like a milder version of Record of a Spaceborn Few.

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vercopaanir's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Amazing world-building and a really neat story! The ending felt a little rushed and there were a couple plot holes in the last 100 or so pages that didn’t seem to get answered/resolved, but overall really good writing and a unique story.

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