mimiduggins's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ddbinha's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this, the premise reminded me of The Power, but it's just not good at all.
margo415's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.25
stormlyte's review against another edition
3.0
Edit: I am revising my rating due to some of the flaws I hadn't noticed, specifically the utter absence of queer women in a feminist fantasy. And yes. I'm embarrassed
valjeanval's review
3.0
I got this as an ARC ages ago and decided to give it a read in my quest to actually read the books on my shelves. I enjoyed the political intrigue and magic system, but there was something in the writing that just didn't connect with me, and the ending brought it from a book I mostly enjoyed to a book that just annoyed me. First off, if I'm going to invest in over 500 pages of a book, even if it's part of a trilogy, I prefer it to be a complete story in itself which this most definitely is not. It's more of a really lengthy prologue. Secondly, vague .
Spoiler
it ends with the kind of random character death popularized by GoT that now feels more narratively unfulfilling and stupid than shocking or intriguingwildflowerz76's review against another edition
4.0
I received a digital copy of this book as an ARC from Edelweiss for an honest review.
Through a great sacrifice, the women in this high fantasy epic novel have been given the unprecedented ability to control their own fertility. Suddenly these women who have been treated little better than brood mares now have the power to control their own bodies. As you can guess, the men don't take it well.
This is the epic high fantasy feminist story that you didn't know you were looking for...but here it is and it is glorious.
Through a great sacrifice, the women in this high fantasy epic novel have been given the unprecedented ability to control their own fertility. Suddenly these women who have been treated little better than brood mares now have the power to control their own bodies. As you can guess, the men don't take it well.
This is the epic high fantasy feminist story that you didn't know you were looking for...but here it is and it is glorious.
little_silver's review against another edition
4.0
Took a while for me to warm up to the characters and setting but now I'm invested and ready for book 2!
drkappitan's review against another edition
4.0
There are some aspects of the plot I still don't think were necessary or believable, and I still find the naming conventions for spell elements a bit silly, but I'm hooked and can't wait for the sequel.
ptaradactyl's review against another edition
4.0
It was easy to get pulled in and read in big bites. It was a unique premise, even if some characters were a bit one-dimensional. It had romance and broken hearts, even if you weren’t sure what the characters saw in each other. Glad I borrowed it instead of buying, but looking forward to the next installment already.