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micaelamariem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The worldbuilding was so intense and phenomenal. Though there was obviously many layers to the world, which was built off of Ancient Rome standards, it didn’t feel too complicated or over explained.
The characters were all multifaceted and deeply flawed which i appreciated.
The overarching themes, though, are what I most resonated with. When fighting against a broken society, how do you stop yourself from becoming just another broken society? How do you fix the system when it’s the people who are broken? How do you stay true to your morals when you’re being threatened and blackmailed? The question of ancient philosophers that one.
And speaking of Ancient Rome and Greece, I do like the clever use of deus ex Machina that didn’t feel like a cop out but seemed like a clever way to call back to the Ancient Rome inspiration.
And I did get very connected to the story line so the plot twists at the end wrenched my heart and had me gasping.
My fellow fantasy and dark academia readers, you need to check this one out 🤓
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
loup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
badbadwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jalexpulliamkepler'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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Genocide, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, War, and Classism
Minor: Animal death
horizonous's review against another edition
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Excrement, and Death of parent
persephonefoxx'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? Yes
4.75
I am a different person.
It’s the truly insane and audible ‘what the actual fuck’ moment I experienced reading the final chapter for me.
Truly, holy shit and what the fuck.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Bullying, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
saltycoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kagedbooks'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
5.0
This was so good! I bought the book on day one yet have been putting it off because I was worried it wouldn't live up to The Licanius Trilogy... I shouldn't have worried.
Islington gives us a complex Roman inspired political intrigue story with a fantasy setting. He delivers on his history of strong character development, and provides a world with a history that feels rich and fleshed out.
This is a longer book but I never felt bogged down in it, in fact I just wanted to keep reading chapter after chapter. There was a mix of things you could see coming and surprises along the way to keep you engaged in the story.
I'm truly looking forward to book 2 in this series!
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, and Suicide
karenreadsbooks'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? It's complicated
5.0
This book was a single first person POV throughout, which I found refreshing so as not to have to keep up with so many POVs. That meant we really got to know Vis on a deep level, which I enjoyed. I had lots of highlighting and annotations throughout, and I can definitely see a reread at some point (probably before the next book comes out).
The book had my attention from the opening scene and kept it the entire time. We have Vis who is in hiding after his family was killed; he ends up in an elite school and has to work his way to the top and discover some of the secrets being hidden. In this world, the magic system is a pyramid-like structure with those on the lower levels ceding Will to those above, so the higher up in the pyramid you are, the more powerful, while those at the bottom are drained of energy all the time.
The motto of the Hierarchy is "Stronger Together" which seems to promise inclusion, protection, and belonging. But, as Vis points out, "you never have to look far to see its hypocrisy laid bare." At another point: "A fair system only works if there's an unbiased means of assessing merit. When there is no pride or selfishness involved....which means that fair systems cannot exist where people are involved." So much of what was wrong with the Hierarchy also feels like a commentary on our own society and the problems within it.
I cried a couple of times toward the end. And I'm so intrigued by what happened right at the end. I wrote a big WHAT?! on the final page. Excited to see where this goes.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
daniparvu'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: Gore, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying and Grief
Minor: Suicide