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oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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 wanted to give this book 5 stars, but there were a few things that kept this at a 4.5 for me.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
nperks07's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
At first it felt slow and then it was kind of just freefalling through plot. Lots of complex relationships and feelings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Cultural appropriation
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