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cnannery19's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sierrabowers's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
For the majority of this book, I was not thrilled because it reminded me of a knock off Hunger Games/Harry Potter (Triwizard Tournament). When the book didn’t focus on the trials, I thought the writing was great. I also liked the twist at the end. The characters are complex and I like that there was a good amount of banter throughout the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mariyah_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
I really liked the pacing of this book - there was a good balance between plot and character developments that kept me turning the page. For the most part, I felt like the peripheral characters were fairly fleshed out as individuals which was definitely a win. To me, this book was like Hunger Games and Merlin had a baby haha. While reading this book, it felt like a collection of cliches which was enjoyable to real about, but didn't really feel like anything special. BUT THEN, I got to the last 100 pages and OH MY GOSH! The tension. The plot twists. The betrayal. The grief. The trauma. The Resistance. The murder. I WAS IN A CHOKE-HOLD! The last 100 pages honestly brought this book up from a 3 to 4 star read for me.
I'm usually not the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers as a trope but I really liked how it was done in this book. It was clear from their initial meeting that Paedyn and Kai felt some sort of attraction to each other, which just made it that much for intriguing to read about Paedyn's inner conflict about said attraction considering Kai's role as the Enforcer meaning that he would literally kill her if he knew she was an Ordinary. Also, Kai's lines to Paedyn were *chef's kiss*!!! I'M SORRY BUT "Remind me to make you smile like that again, when you aren't dying, and I have all the time in the world to memorize it" LIKE WHAT? HAND IN MARRIAGE NOW PLEASE SIR!
Overall, I found both of the main characters to incredibly complex and lovable and I honestly just wanna hug their traumatized selves. Paedyn is such a badass female lead and I'm really excited to see where her character arc goes throughout the trilogyas her role in the Resistance is explored further . Likewise, I'm looking forward to see how Kai's character grows and changes in the second book now that Paedyn is on the run and Kitt is embracing his role as King .
In terms of why this wasn't a five star read for me, I feel like there were points where things just worked out a little too welllike when Kai suddenly finds this miraculous cure as Paedyn is dying or how Jax's life is saved because Kai managed to use a healer's power . I'm obviously glad those plot lines took place but it just felt a little too perfect.
My other complaint with this book is a little bit of an odd one but at times, it felt like there were these these offhand comments within the writing itself that ruined a little bit of the experience for me. It was clear that this fantasy world was very much patriarchal and hetero-normative in subtle ways and given the premise of the book, I expected to see the characters subvert those expectations but that unfortunately didn't happen. I felt like there were points where Paedyn was almost scapegoated so that certain romance tropes could take place, which definitely frustrated me. From the first chapter, perhaps even the first sentence of the book, we're immediately exposed to the sheer strength and just badass nature of Paedyn's character - she's a survivor beyond all else. She still has her flaws and she has room to grow, but at times it just feels like her strength is just sacrificed for the sake of the romantic plot. I do wanna point out that I THOROUGHLY enjoy the dynamic between Kai and Paedyn, especially how Kai almost gives her the space to be vulnerable and understand that it is okay to ask for and need help, but it still feels like Paedyn's character is just shredded for the sake of specific tropes.
I'm usually not the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers as a trope but I really liked how it was done in this book. It was clear from their initial meeting that Paedyn and Kai felt some sort of attraction to each other, which just made it that much for intriguing to read about Paedyn's inner conflict about said attraction considering Kai's role as the Enforcer meaning that he would literally kill her if he knew she was an Ordinary. Also, Kai's lines to Paedyn were *chef's kiss*!!! I'M SORRY BUT "Remind me to make you smile like that again, when you aren't dying, and I have all the time in the world to memorize it" LIKE WHAT? HAND IN MARRIAGE NOW PLEASE SIR!
Overall, I found both of the main characters to incredibly complex and lovable and I honestly just wanna hug their traumatized selves. Paedyn is such a badass female lead and I'm really excited to see where her character arc goes throughout the trilogy
In terms of why this wasn't a five star read for me, I feel like there were points where things just worked out a little too well
My other complaint with this book is a little bit of an odd one but at times, it felt like there were these these offhand comments within the writing itself that ruined a little bit of the experience for me. It was clear that this fantasy world was very much patriarchal and hetero-normative in subtle ways and given the premise of the book, I expected to see the characters subvert those expectations but that unfortunately didn't happen. I felt like there were points where Paedyn was almost scapegoated so that certain romance tropes could take place, which definitely frustrated me. From the first chapter, perhaps even the first sentence of the book, we're immediately exposed to the sheer strength and just badass nature of Paedyn's character - she's a survivor beyond all else. She still has her flaws and she has room to grow, but at times it just feels like her strength is just sacrificed for the sake of the romantic plot. I do wanna point out that I THOROUGHLY enjoy the dynamic between Kai and Paedyn, especially how Kai almost gives her the space to be vulnerable and understand that it is okay to ask for and need help, but it still feels like Paedyn's character is just shredded for the sake of specific tropes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death, Self harm, and Grief
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