malglories's review
4.0
y’know, i chose not to look at goodreads before reading this, and thank god i did, because i loooved star eater. ritualistic cannibalism, matriarchal religions, huge cats you can ride that act like puppies, bureaucratic politics, man zombies, intricate patient worldbuilding that doesn’t give too much away, and not to mention everyone is bi!!! what more could you want?
star eater surprised me every step of the way. hall is incredible at holding back information, at cloaking clues, at burying emotion into just a few stray words—and then unveiling the most visceral, offputting horror right when you least expect it.
and elfreda is a fantastic protagonist. flawed, angry, hurt, scared, and blinded a little by all those things. she makes mistakes; she’s nasty to people she loves; but she’s also brave and heartfelt, so self-contained and quiet.
it’s really wild how quiet elfreda feels, as the protagonist of such a breakneck, inventive, and gory storyline. star eater starts with a bang and hardly ever pauses for breath, or to explain—but the rewards pay off. the more you learn more about elfreda and her world, the more you can’t look away. i mean, she’s part of a religious cult that’s hated by most of the city she lives in. how do you make a character so complicated and yet still so sympathetic? i just truly loved her in a way i haven’t loved a main character in a long time.
the more i think about it, the more brilliant this book seems to be. two caveats: 1) as an ardent lover of romance, this is one book that could have done without (or at least done it differently). i know why it was added, and i know what it adds, but the politics and magic are so much more interesting than finn. i didn’t feel much emotional investment in him, so some of those scenes fell a little flat. still, i liked his function as a character, so it ain’t all bad. and 2) i wanted to see things more. in the beginning, much of the physical worldbuilding—the city, what people look like or wear—isn’t much more than street and province names that don’t mean much. especially when there’s no map. i just needed some details on the architecture, the hairdos, and i’d have been set.
there are other minor quibbles, but honestly? i’m just exhilarated. it’s been a long time since i read a book this fast; since all i could think about, putting the book down to eat or work, was when i could pick it up again. if the emotional connection fell flat sometimes, the need to know how and why and what compelled me more than emotions could have anyway.
star eater raised incredibly poignant and fascinating questions of power, of religion, of sacrifice. it was gorgeous and visceral to read—quite unlike anything i’ve read before—and i can’t wait to read more of hall’s work.
star eater surprised me every step of the way. hall is incredible at holding back information, at cloaking clues, at burying emotion into just a few stray words—and then unveiling the most visceral, offputting horror right when you least expect it.
and elfreda is a fantastic protagonist. flawed, angry, hurt, scared, and blinded a little by all those things. she makes mistakes; she’s nasty to people she loves; but she’s also brave and heartfelt, so self-contained and quiet.
it’s really wild how quiet elfreda feels, as the protagonist of such a breakneck, inventive, and gory storyline. star eater starts with a bang and hardly ever pauses for breath, or to explain—but the rewards pay off. the more you learn more about elfreda and her world, the more you can’t look away. i mean, she’s part of a religious cult that’s hated by most of the city she lives in. how do you make a character so complicated and yet still so sympathetic? i just truly loved her in a way i haven’t loved a main character in a long time.
the more i think about it, the more brilliant this book seems to be. two caveats: 1) as an ardent lover of romance, this is one book that could have done without (or at least done it differently). i know why it was added, and i know what it adds, but the politics and magic are so much more interesting than finn. i didn’t feel much emotional investment in him, so some of those scenes fell a little flat. still, i liked his function as a character, so it ain’t all bad. and 2) i wanted to see things more. in the beginning, much of the physical worldbuilding—the city, what people look like or wear—isn’t much more than street and province names that don’t mean much. especially when there’s no map. i just needed some details on the architecture, the hairdos, and i’d have been set.
there are other minor quibbles, but honestly? i’m just exhilarated. it’s been a long time since i read a book this fast; since all i could think about, putting the book down to eat or work, was when i could pick it up again. if the emotional connection fell flat sometimes, the need to know how and why and what compelled me more than emotions could have anyway.
star eater raised incredibly poignant and fascinating questions of power, of religion, of sacrifice. it was gorgeous and visceral to read—quite unlike anything i’ve read before—and i can’t wait to read more of hall’s work.
bookgrrl's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
teapoweredrobot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism
reckless_reader's review against another edition
4.0
Review to come. This was weird? But I kinda loved how weird it was.
elmarie_bassage's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
A unique premise executed very well. I loved the characters and the world building.
emhaug's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved it! I had a great time on this adventure!
asakovich's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
will_o_wispy's review
4.0
I can’t decide how to rate this truly. I really LOVE the beginning of it and middle but towards the end I think it was rushed. It’s hard to explain but it would be better to me as a duology rather than one novel.
I would love to know more about this history and how The Order came to truly be and more about The Eater. Maybe it’s best to be an enigma but I really wish we had more.
I would love to know more about this history and how The Order came to truly be and more about The Eater. Maybe it’s best to be an enigma but I really wish we had more.