I don't know where to begin with this. As a series, the first book is by far the best one, which each subsequent entry disappointing me more and more. This book in the series was way too long and began using time jumps in the narrative, which as far as I remember, had not been employed in the other books - just between each book or very sparingly. But the over-reliance of them here, really got to me. I honestly think the writer is really talented and I commend her for the exhaustive worldbuilding and political machinations she came up with throughout the series - but at the end of the day she made a series about a magic mafia, kind of boring! I think the books started to suffer when their scope expanded way beyond Kekon and the family dynamics and became about the family as an empire almost. I think if you are a more plot-driven reader or someone who loves the intricacies of political moves, you will like this series - but that was not me.

This book did a good job of covering the breadth of history surrounding linen, cotton, silk, synthetic fabrics and wool. Calling it a "people's" history of clothing, though is slightly a misnomer, since it was primarily focused on the U.S. history of clothing and included other countries to explain how it related to the U.S. However, I think its a really fascinating look at how much fiber has really shaped our lives. This book touches on much more than the technical history of these materials but also sexism, racism, colonization, globalization, labor organizing, environmental impacts and so much more.

This is my fave entry in the series so far. I love how Marie Brennan has expanded the wrold in a way that makes sense while still employing the narrative structure of a memoir. What I particularly loved about this book was its exploration of Isabella as a mother (which has been a running theme in the series, I just really liked the way I saw it displayed here) and the expansion of the concepts of gender in this world. I also loved the introduction of Suhail as a character and I hope we see him again. I could see how this is not everyone's cup of tea or might bore people but it's really perfect for me.

From the first page this book griped me. The writing was so atmospheric that I could feel the stifling heat and the brewing tension with each page I read. Plus choosing to not show us the interiority of the Mansfield girl's lives forced us into the perspective of the villagers and those around the sisters (reminiscent of The Virgin Suicides). I think the book really did so well in exploring how rage and resentment can poison a community. Pete Darling, with his self-centeredness, managed to turn a community not just against the girls - but against themselves. I feel like we can see the way he changes and molds other characters, which I thought was interesting too. But the main thing I loved was seeing how by trying to protect his granddaughters, the grandfather put out their spark and the very thing he loved about them. I just thought that it was so effective at showing us the ideas rather than telling us how to feel. And it's a short book that does so much with its limited pages.

This was such a delightfully charming story. I kept hearing the male main character reminded people of Howl from Howl's Moving Castle and I can definitely see it. But what stole my heart here was Agnes. It's so nice to have a main character who is hopeful and brave yet able to express her emotions in realistic ways. I will say, the beginning and set up of the story was a bit slow for me, however the second we get introduced to the male main character I understood where the author was leading us and was more on board with the book. Just a very pleasant and entertaining and well written book.

Aunque es un libro corto, se sintió bastante lento. En parte creo que dividir la perspectiva de la vampira en part 1 y la perspectiva de Alma en parte 2 en vez the entrelazarlas a travez de la novela hace que el libro se mueva de manera lenta. Ademas, la segunda parte era mucho mas interesante - con los paralelos de Alma y su madre - pero todo se resolvió tan rápido que se sentía como si la autora no sabía como quería acabar el cuento. Pero entre todas las criticas, sí me gustó el libro.