Scan barcode
felofhe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kyrstin_p1989'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: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jolineliest's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Confinement, Death, and Blood
Minor: Gun violence, Sexism, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
seforana'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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
bergha1998'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
4.0
Fantasy, Found Family, Romance subplot
“One of the great tragedies of life is knowing how many people in the world are made to soar, paint, sing, or steer—except they never get a chance to find out.”
Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, and Murder
tinyelfarcanist'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
5.0
Tress is one of the most sensible heroines you'll find in YA. She seeks help, talks openly with her parents, and admits when she's scared. She also goes on a suicidal mission for the man she loves, but that's love for you.
This book features beautiful relationships (romantic or otherwise), tons of adventure, and FEELINGS. Even deaths that should have been insubstantial pack a punch. Also, as expected from Sanderson's fantasy novels, a fascinating and innovative magic system. You may need to have read other of his books (The Way of Kings, Elantris) to appreciate it fully.
I LOVED the fairytale vibes. It's no coincidence that it was inspired by one of my favourite books of all time: The Princess Bride. This book has some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read. It's funny, it's witty, and full of insightful lessons. I kept highlighting passage after passage. I hope Sanderson keeps exploring this narrator.
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Bullying, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Vomit, Medical content, and Alcohol
kaziaroo'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
4.25
As expected of Brandon Sanderson, the magic system was fascinating and complex, and the world was interesting. I liked the characters, although I found that again the narration style and identity of the narrator were a barrier to me actually connecting with them emotionally. The book doesn't really have any quiet moments where you see the characters just being themselves and bonding together – everything happens in action with the purpose of either revealing the world and/or furthering the plot. While I love Brandon Sanderson's complex magic systems and clever plots and mysteries, I miss the intricate characters and deep introspection from authors such as Robin Hobb and Samantha Shannon.
One area where Sanderson has definitely improved, is his sensitivity and approach to minorities and their representation. I really respect him for listening to his audience. Until this one, all of his books I'd read were dominated by men, even when the main character was a woman, and somehow the only significant female character(s) always ended up outnumbered by a group of older men influencing and guiding her. Pairing this with the incessant use of male pronouns when referring to abstract concepts (e.g. the men of the city are in danger, a wise man never leaves his sword behind, etc (not direct quotes, just examples – seriously, what's wrong with "people" or "they/them"?)), and his problematic portrayal of an autistic-coded character in Elantris, I didn't have a high opinion of Brandon Sanderson's ability to write about characters who weren't straight, white, middle-aged, non-disabled, clever, men. But Tress of the Emerald Sea showed a lot of improvement and promise in this area, and I was very glad to see that he hired a sensitivity reader for a deaf character.
In summary, I liked this book and it's made me much more interested in exploring the Cosmere and looking forward to the author's future works.
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol