meg_leigh's review against another edition
2.0
Every. Single. Character. Is so deeply selfish and unlikeable. And the level of violence against children, the sheer number of children dying, borders on trauma porn.
Half the characters' choices make no sense or have any consistency from page to page.
I already bought the third book, such was my excitement, so I'll read it and hope this installment was just an unfortunate misstep.
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, and Torture
Moderate: Medical trauma and Sexual violence
erebus53'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? Yes
4.0
This book finally sees people talking about what happens when the heir to the kingdom, Muntadhir, falls in love with a man art arms. Dammit why can't you all just let them be happy! And wait, in the last book didn't we find out that Jamshid has even more secrets about his person that even he is probably unaware of...? I had to find out more, and I do wish it took less that 20 chapters to unfold! But there is so much to unfold in a place where you arrange marriages for political reasons, and when everyone is lying to each other - things get messy in a great bit hurry.
Meanwhile back in the small desert town of Bir Nabat, the exiled prince finally seems to have stopped getting regular visits from assassins. He's knuckled down in serious service to the community as an irrigator and well builder and is starting to bring prosperity to a place that was dwindling into the dust. Less said about magical water powers the better, but everyone close to him knows that he doesn't come up for air nearly enough to seem.. normal, and he's awfully good at falling asleep in random places and accidentally waking up having "found" a brand new spring.
And then one of his rich cousins turns up with a year's worth of taxes in cursed salt, that only someone with their bloodline can return to Daevabad, and if it doesn't get there then there might be military retribution so .. he's wrangled back to his home city, consequences be damned.
Seems that everyone is preparing for the biggest festival in decades, and also that everyone who ever wanted to attack anyone is waiting for that time to do all their "plans".
Nahri petitions her father-in-law Ghassan, to bankroll a rebuild of the hospital her people once used, and to be able to treat the half-blood Shafit there as well as anybody else. She and Ali are working to try and patch up relations within the city, but their idealism can only get people so far..
Civil unrest is at an all time high, and meanwhile, plotting in the background Manizheh has her own plans, and central to them is re-re-resurrecting Darayavahoush. Again. Poor b*stard. We get to find a bit more about the history and magic of the land, the nature of Ifrits and the Marid.
Oooh this gets messy. I'm not a super fan of battles, but I do like big reveals. It's tense and frustrating when you have enough information to cobble together what's going on, but the characters haven't been told yet. Why do revolutions have to be so messy!!? That poor library. That tower... hey people were using that! I might ned a bit of a break before I delve into future volumes.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
rinku'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
2.0
Spoiler
where the random rebellion against the king came from or why Nahri was arrested, even though she obviously hadn’t to do with itSpoiler
Nahri’s mentor dyingSpoiler
was so creepy and a true threat and I loved to see how Muntadhir, Zaynab and Nahri worked together towards the end; it would’ve been so great if they did so earlierGraphic: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Death, Violence, Blood, and Hate crime
Moderate: War, Child death, Torture, Genocide, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, and Infidelity
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual harassment
brynalexa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, Racism, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Stalking, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical content, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Suicide, War, Miscarriage, Slavery, and Torture
lauraglovestoread'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Medical content, Torture, Confinement, Death, Blood, Violence, Gun violence, War, and Religious bigotry
mxpringle'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
4.75
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, War, Torture, Murder, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Death, Classism, Blood, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
laurenkimoto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Spoiler
wow I’ve been reading too much contemporary romance that I forgot that high fantasy has themes and/or acts of genocide</>spoilerGraphic: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Torture, Xenophobia, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexism, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Homophobia, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
tinybluepixel'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: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Torture, War, Medical content, Medical trauma, Violence, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, and Slavery
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Child death, Death of parent, and Slavery
Minor: Rape, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Terminal illness
lais's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, War, Grief, and Murder
pvbobrien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Death, Body horror, and Police brutality
Moderate: Genocide, Chronic illness, Torture, Alcohol, Slavery, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore