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li_st's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
Bad book. Made me cry
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
gracekitty's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
paperd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
planetdaniel14's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
A very satisfying follow up to Axiom's End, however much more darker and introspective.
A raw look into PTSD, suicide, and self harm which can be quite graphic, however does not pull any punches in the story that it is telling.
I didn't particularly care for the Cora / Kaveh romance subplot which slows the middle of the book down somewhat (which is why I deducted half a star), but picks up when the focus is Cora and the Amygdaline or Kaveh and the Amygdaline as you get a glimpse into the culture clash and the potential for human reaction which comes to a head in the final part of the book.
The debates around how you would grant aliens personhood were genuinely thought-provoking as well as the looks into how we deal with our own emotions (the quote being most standout to me being "why do we dismiss how our parents taught us relationships as 'daddy issues')
While the ending left me melancholy, I am looking forward to Book 3 and where the themes take me next
A raw look into PTSD, suicide, and self harm which can be quite graphic, however does not pull any punches in the story that it is telling.
I didn't particularly care for the Cora / Kaveh romance subplot which slows the middle of the book down somewhat (which is why I deducted half a star), but picks up when the focus is Cora and the Amygdaline or Kaveh and the Amygdaline as you get a glimpse into the culture clash and the potential for human reaction which comes to a head in the final part of the book.
The debates around how you would grant aliens personhood were genuinely thought-provoking as well as the looks into how we deal with our own emotions (the quote being most standout to me being "why do we dismiss how our parents taught us relationships as 'daddy issues')
While the ending left me melancholy, I am looking forward to Book 3 and where the themes take me next
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, War, and Injury/Injury detail
jenny_d's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
cyanelle's review against another edition
dark
tense
0.25
Full review pending because this book was such a disappointment that I actually feel compelled to write one for once.
---
Review (contains spoilers):
I don't tend to write reviews for books. I'm not a particularly analytical reader, I read because I like to and I read specifically for stories and characters that I'll enjoy. I'm generally pretty forgiving of a book's flaws as long as I'm enjoying the story being told. This book, however, was deeply disappointing.
The way we as readers interact with and enjoy books is heavily informed by our personal experiences, therefore I feel it is important here to say that I am an asexual woman with a severe anxiety disorder. These things were a major factor in how this series reads for me as an individual.
I loved Axiom's End. I loved the dynamic between Cora and Ampersand so very much, I loved that we got to see them slowly gain trust in each other, build a friendship, and even have the beginnings of romantic feelings for each other. I loved that their relationship wasn't a sexual one, that it grew solely out of their getting to know each other. The newness and weirdness of feeling affection for an alien (for both of them) was so delightful to read, and Truth of the Divine ruined all of that buildup in the very first chapters.
I quickly pivoted from excitement about reading more of their story together to disappointment as their dynamic took a backseat, which eventually turned to disgust as Cora developed a sexual relationship with Kaveh. It made my skin crawl. It felt predatory. It read so much like my previous relationships as an ace woman, forcing myself into situations I didn't actually want and that were not at all good for my mental health or psyche, because I felt broken, and because I wanted to feel normal, and because I thought that I wasn't loveable otherwise. Because I was lonely. Every single sexual encounter she has with Kaveh, while not exactly nonconsensual, read as uncomfortable, forced, and creepy. They're in a strange gray area. I spent each of these chapters wondering if there was a critique in here somewhere about how sex doesn't heal trauma, but I couldn't help but read them as an earnest message that sex is magic and healing. Even as Kaveh acknowledges to himself a few times that this is not healthy, he continues the relationship and eventually things between them become... Fine? I guess? I find this incredibly damaging. This sort of mentality leads to toxic relationships for so many people (ace or not) and it was so disappointing to see it coming from this author.
On a related note, Lindsay Ellis had previously posted an author's note (no idea if it's still up) for Axiom's End that Luciana is asexual (maybe it was demisexual. Either way.), and I have to say: I don't know what she thought she was doing with this, but it is a piss poor excuse for representation, especially when the one sexual relationship so far in the series reads like *this* one does.
This was honestly the point at which I had to put the book down for several days. Not the suicide attempt, or the panic attacks, but the deeply troubling relationship between Cora and Kaveh that is somehow, still, being presented as a positive. I don't know that I can forgive it.
The tone shift from the first installment is jarring as well. I don't mind reading difficult topics, but after reading the authors note at the beginning I was immediately wary. There are books that I feel cover heavy topics such as those listed in the note quite well. This book is not among them. It tries so hard to be an exploration of trauma and mental health and it utterly fails. I think Lindsay has gone a little too far into the need to write things as they would "really happen" (this extends to the geopolitical aspects as well). This is just too bleak. It's hopeless, helpless, and few readers will enjoy that level of bleakness for very long. Certainly not this long.
I've never actually been angry with an author I had previously liked after finishing a new book, until now.
---
Review (contains spoilers):
The way we as readers interact with and enjoy books is heavily informed by our personal experiences, therefore I feel it is important here to say that I am an asexual woman with a severe anxiety disorder. These things were a major factor in how this series reads for me as an individual.
I loved Axiom's End. I loved the dynamic between Cora and Ampersand so very much, I loved that we got to see them slowly gain trust in each other, build a friendship, and even have the beginnings of romantic feelings for each other. I loved that their relationship wasn't a sexual one, that it grew solely out of their getting to know each other. The newness and weirdness of feeling affection for an alien (for both of them) was so delightful to read, and Truth of the Divine ruined all of that buildup in the very first chapters.
I quickly pivoted from excitement about reading more of their story together to disappointment as their dynamic took a backseat, which eventually turned to disgust as Cora developed a sexual relationship with Kaveh. It made my skin crawl. It felt predatory. It read so much like my previous relationships as an ace woman, forcing myself into situations I didn't actually want and that were not at all good for my mental health or psyche, because I felt broken, and because I wanted to feel normal, and because I thought that I wasn't loveable otherwise. Because I was lonely. Every single sexual encounter she has with Kaveh, while not exactly nonconsensual, read as uncomfortable, forced, and creepy. They're in a strange gray area. I spent each of these chapters wondering if there was a critique in here somewhere about how sex doesn't heal trauma, but I couldn't help but read them as an earnest message that sex is magic and healing. Even as Kaveh acknowledges to himself a few times that this is not healthy, he continues the relationship and eventually things between them become... Fine? I guess? I find this incredibly damaging. This sort of mentality leads to toxic relationships for so many people (ace or not) and it was so disappointing to see it coming from this author.
On a related note, Lindsay Ellis had previously posted an author's note (no idea if it's still up) for Axiom's End that Luciana is asexual (maybe it was demisexual. Either way.), and I have to say: I don't know what she thought she was doing with this, but it is a piss poor excuse for representation, especially when the one sexual relationship so far in the series reads like *this* one does.
This was honestly the point at which I had to put the book down for several days. Not the suicide attempt, or the panic attacks, but the deeply troubling relationship between Cora and Kaveh that is somehow, still, being presented as a positive. I don't know that I can forgive it.
The tone shift from the first installment is jarring as well. I don't mind reading difficult topics, but after reading the authors note at the beginning I was immediately wary. There are books that I feel cover heavy topics such as those listed in the note quite well. This book is not among them. It tries so hard to be an exploration of trauma and mental health and it utterly fails. I think Lindsay has gone a little too far into the need to write things as they would "really happen" (this extends to the geopolitical aspects as well). This is just too bleak. It's hopeless, helpless, and few readers will enjoy that level of bleakness for very long. Certainly not this long.
I've never actually been angry with an author I had previously liked after finishing a new book, until now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
geekmom's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was interesting and ended on a strong note. However, it had some issues, many of which I think come from it being the second book in a trilogy exploring some very complex and difficult legal, moral and philosophical issues, and others which are likely the byproduct of trying to write about a character with serious mental health challenges without ending up with a book nobody would want to read. I’m glad I finished this book, and I’ll read the third one, but I hope it’s less uneven.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and Murder
xeniaaaaaah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Domestic abuse
qoutrot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
bean_7088's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Oof... that was a rough one.
Wanna be sad about the human race? Wanna feel fairly hopless? This one is for you!
It does end on a hopeful note... but like that hopefulness is somewhat undercut by the way the character speakin treated.
This one had a lot of tense scenes I wanted to hide from. I had to stop a lot and explain what was going on to my roommate so I could get those jitters out. Like, a televised "discussion" between two different sides of the alien personhood debate. A hearing where unknown evidence comes up.
Anyways, it was still really good.
I'm not sure how I felt about Kaveh. And I'm not sure if it was how he was written or just his voice actor 😅 I'm sure the guy is normally fine, but the main voice actor Stephanie Willis is so incredible that switching to him is quite jarring.
Waring that Cora goes through a lot, this poor kid traumatized over and over. And Stephanie Willis will make you feel it. Listening to Cora's Panic attacks was very distressing.
The ending left on such a wild note I am excited to see where the 3rd book will go. Now I just have to wait 7 months 🥲
Wanna be sad about the human race? Wanna feel fairly hopless? This one is for you!
It does end on a hopeful note... but like that hopefulness is somewhat undercut by the way the character speakin treated.
This one had a lot of tense scenes I wanted to hide from. I had to stop a lot and explain what was going on to my roommate so I could get those jitters out. Like, a televised "discussion" between two different sides of the alien personhood debate. A hearing where unknown evidence comes up.
Anyways, it was still really good.
I'm not sure how I felt about Kaveh. And I'm not sure if it was how he was written or just his voice actor 😅 I'm sure the guy is normally fine, but the main voice actor Stephanie Willis is so incredible that switching to him is quite jarring.
Waring that Cora goes through a lot, this poor kid traumatized over and over. And Stephanie Willis will make you feel it. Listening to Cora's Panic attacks was very distressing.
The ending left on such a wild note I am excited to see where the 3rd book will go. Now I just have to wait 7 months 🥲
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
Lindsay Ellis does a big Content Warning before everything starts. At least in the audio book.