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iono'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Torture, Vomit, Cultural appropriation, and War
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
in2horses247'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? No
4.5
However!
At no point did I know what was coming next. I was hooked within the first few pages, which is hard for a book to do for me. Always wanting to know more about the world, and know what was coming next. The gradual introduction of concepts and the lack of info-dumping about the world made me work a little bit without too much confusion. My jaw dropped multiple times at the twists and turns. Some of the reviews say they're predictable, but I only predicted half of one twist near the end, so I was always kept guessing. I was happy to be carried along on a sea of complicated politics that sometimes feels as juicy as gossiping with your best friend. And yeah, Vis definitely is a "Gary Stu." But after reading (and hating) Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, I feel like this is a far better version than the physically disabled Mary Sue that is inexplicably able to sail through extreme hardship with practically no realistic side effects of their disability. I was more than content to allow Vis to have about 40 years' worth of education and experience, acquired in his first 14 years before the Hierarchy took over, so that he could nearly effortlessly stop every challenge in his path. The obstacles were interesting and his ability to get over them without that much effort allowed the plot to be continually dramatically thrust forward, and discusses enough about training sessions to know that Vis does have to put effort into his learning, both in lessons and socially, without focusing the entire story on training montages. The side characters are interesting and lovely, each with their own motivations and personalities and development, rather than just being sidekicks or cheerleaders. I'll admit I was prepared for a novel that was a lot more serious and for Vis to be much more of a loner, but ended up loving the relationships between the characters.
I gave it 4.5* because while it was one of the best books I've read this year, I only give 5* to books that I plan to buy, and I want to see if the rest of the series is as good as this before I invest in the first one. Definitely recommend the read, and I plan to read the author's previous trilogy as a result of reading this book!
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I struggled in the first 20% of the book. I know at the outset of a fantasy novel, you have to establish the world and the magical system but I’m not convinced this was the best way to do it. The first hour or two of reading dragged and seemed a bit disconnected to the rest of the story.
Once we hit the “meat” of the book I was fairly hooked. There are some great twists and it’s very immersive. It feels very much like a grown up Harry Potter in a far more complex magic system - our protagonist, Vis, is an orphan who attends an elite boarding school and is immediately embroiled in a dangerous world of power and manipulation. Despite having an incredibly influential benefactor, it’s up to Vis to navigate the deception of his new life (and the bodies stacking up all around him).
The end was an excellent cliff hanger and I can’t wait for the next novel to be published in this series.
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death
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
horizonous's review against another edition
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Excrement, and Death of parent
potion96's review
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
thebowandthebook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Suicide, Torture, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
zoeelora's review against another edition
Graphic: Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
iono's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Vomit