Reviews with content warning for Vomit - Une fenêtre sur les ténèbres

If you like a tortured soul/mind main character, this is a great Duology! I love a good main character struggling with their sanity while trying to (not) fall in love and save the ppl they love. I was hooked from the first page, and finished this in 4 days! Also loved the witty character convos and the rhythmic rhymes when quoting a book they all refer to.

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aidamaria_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I’m sorry to say this book/duology is overhyped. Things that annoyed me greatly were, among others, Elspeth’s entire personality (is she dumb or is she in denial - I’m not sure which is worse), the mention of the love interest’s title and eye colour the entire time (we get it, readers aren’t stupid) and the not so great writing. If you shake this book, you can hear the clichés jingling against one another.

However, I did like the eerie, gothic vibe and the magic system, and I’m delulu enough to believe the comic relief character/trustworthy sidekick will get more of the spotlight in the second instalment. Manifesting a love interest for him, because I choose to believe he’d be less insufferable if/when he falls in love.

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debbilynn42's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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plainromance's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

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kiwi_of_serenity's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

4.75

I was prepared to give a five star review, but the quality fell apart a bit in Part 2. I adore the world— the Providence Card concept alone is so strong, but then there’s a detailed story and quasi-religious system surrounding the woods, the first king, and magic infections. It’s so fascinating. And that’s without even getting into Elspeth and her compelling relationship with the Nightmare, which is really strong and complex. One of my favorite things about this book is the excerpts from the Old Book of Alders, and the fact that the Nightmare quotes the Book and sometimes makes up his own rhymes. It does a good job if making him mysterious and inaccessible, but not in a pointless way— like he’s clinging on to old memories or incapable of speaking without some riddling. In the second half, I felt that the story leaned more on tropes, or at least felt a little tried. I enjoyed the romance greatly until they actually got together, and then it felt kind of annoying— they were constantly whispering to each other and kissing at inopportune moments, and I just wanted the plot to keep advancing. But I shipped them pretty well overall and I do think their relationship developed the themes of the book— body vs mind, resisting a broken system, etc. Overall, a Really Good Book, and I will be reading the aecond book asap.

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carlyjoann's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The world of Blunder has interesting magic and lore that had me hooked. I really like Elspeth and her arc throughout this book a lot. I also really liked the romance in this one, it felt like it played into the story perfectly. I love the lore and magic of the Providence Cards, it was different to most other books I have read. I thought finding out more and more of the magic and cards as the book went on was intriguing. I need to get the second book immediately!

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kennedyasdfghjkl's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Be wary. Be clever. Be good."

This book is right up there with A Dowry of Blood for me! Absolutely stunning writing style with a unique world and magic system. The setting is gothic and romantic, without leaning too heavily into one over the other. I was constantly astounded by the depth of the main character and her Nightmare. I cannot wait to see how their story continues to unfold!

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knlipke's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was so good. Probably my top 5 book of the year. It was just so— *chef’s kiss*
I’m already onto the next one.

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