Reviews and Comments

Short, fast, intense, and overall a really fun read.

I read this whole book in about two hours. While the beginning didn't really grab me, the clues that led to the twist were there from the start, and I had a really fun time picking them out during the finale. The particular phrases the narrator used were annoying before they became charming, but I feel they lent to strong characterization more than hurt my opinion of the story.

The worldbuilding in this book was really cool. The more I think about the setup of the world and the way the magic system works, the more I want to learn! I especially liked how the author portrayed angels and the idea of heaven, as well as magic practicioners' connections to the morals of the bible.

3.4/5 stars rounded down, might change once I've digested the book a bit more. I recommend it for readers that want a quick, light read to easily finish in a few days, or two and a half hours if they really have the time (like I did lol). Good for lovers of noir romances, murder mysteries, and magic. Happy reading y'all. :)

There wasn't a lot of substance in this book until the final 10%. Other readers have said that they'd reread for the cozy fall vibes, and it is very slice of life, but I wish we learned more about the island and community for those slice of life moments. When the island of Saoirse became a narrator, it made me wish we had more of it's point of view, as a primary aspect of the story's narration is in regard to how much the island is its own separate entity and controls the magic, and the people of Saoirse as an extension.

The plot itself was interesting enough. I didn't think that the characters were very interesting, though Emery got more characterization near the end of the story as more past events were revealed. I was surprised by the ending, the twist that I had guessed (view spoiler) was flipped, and I actually liked that.

2.5/5 rounded down. Reflecting on this book is difficult because again, it had little to reflect on at all. I'd recommend for people who enjoy slow reads with a tiny bit (the tiniest bit) of magic, want to experience the small-town vibes, and have a really relaxed reading experience with some excitement at the end as payoff.

Be sure to check trigger warnings before reading this book!

I really like Slewfoot. It’s my first Brom book, but definitely made me want to read more.

Slewfoot is about a woman brought to a Puritan colony in America after being sold as a wife to one of the men there. While Abitha and her husband live outside the colony, they still go to church and are beholden to the morals of the townsfolk there. Abitha pokes at the Puritan religion through the entire book, and I feel it would have been more believable if there were another woman that also had doubts about their religion.

The book started out very slice-of-life, with a dash of horrific imagery and magic here and there. I really liked the magical aspects of this book. The combination of pagan and Christian morals was interesting. I also really liked how the magic was universal, with all of the gods and their followers being one.

However, I didn’t feel comfortable with the portrayal of native Americans in this book. Abitha kills an indigenous man and uses his body as a warning for trespassers. The native communities are glossed over and there is never a conversation about the impact of the Puritans on their culture and way of life. While this may not have been the point of the book, I feel it is still important to address in any colonizer narrative.

2/5 for being fun to read, would be a 4/5 if not for the disappointing glossing over of the indigenous perspective.

TW: Mentions SA

This is the first book by Ava Reid that I've actually enjoyed. While some of what I didn't like from her other works (cough The Wolf and the Woodsman cough) were still present (mainly repetitive prose and weird similes, though after the 60% mark it mostly went away) I ended up really liking the final messaging of the book.

There are consistent metaphors focusing on water, most of which I found incredibly relatable when they referenced Effy's assault. (When they didn't, it felt annoying) Effy's rage paired with how she feels like she's 'drowning' during those periods, feeling like she'll see her assaulter just around the next corner, wow. Though the prose stayed simple for the most part, with patterns to the text in the beginning that were a little bit annoying, I still think the message of female empowerment and overcoming odds that feel suffocating came through beautifully.

There are sections of the book in which Effy is openly bigoted towards her love interest, and that bigotry is never fully resolved. The war with Argant felt more like a thrown-in conflict between Effy and Preston to keep her from getting with him too early on, which is not a good reason to have a main character be bigoted. It felt very odd to me. The war isn't elaborated on much either, it feels more like an aspect of world building. I don't think Effy should have been left with her bigotry unaddressed either way.

2.5/5 stars from me. Would be 4 if not for the odd bigotry plot point. This book is nowhere near perfect, but I personally think it successfully conveys what it was aimed to. Recommended to readers who don't mind flowery script here and there, enjoy seeing protagonists actually grow throughout their story, and like a dash of magic in all the right places.