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chrisb913's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book gripped me in it's clutches from start to finish. Islington's use of mystery, action, and character work had me confused and second guessing who to even trust.
This is an very thick book and there is a lot of information on the world, magic system, and the characters but I felt Islington did a great job giving us just enough to keep us interested without info dumping constantly.
This is an very thick book and there is a lot of information on the world, magic system, and the characters but I felt Islington did a great job giving us just enough to keep us interested without info dumping constantly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
musebeliever's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I listened to the audiobook. For me, this hits the spot of an entertaining book that is very easy to follow without insulting my intelligence.
I enjoyed the plot, the tropes and the writing. I enjoyed the world-building. I am a sucker for the fantasy trope of millennial old civilizations coming back to haunt us.
I did roll my eyes on half a dozen occasions at how women are sometimes used in the book. Cue a woman's tragic demise to feed a man's very sad background story (×2). Cue women immediately disliking each other because they want the same man. 🙄 Asha is a cool character but she somehow has no women friends while the bromance be bromancing. The two other women characters that are interesting are only love interests. Sadly, not a drop of queerness has blessed this book.
Despite this, I really think this is a very well written YA book. I would continue the serie if I find the rest of the book series on sale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
aang_arang's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
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
3.75
There was so much I loved about this book. I went out on a limb here and read this book for my personal book club with my best friend, and neither of us are high fantasy readers but we wanted to try something different and I love beefy books. Immediately upon reading I knew I loved the writing style and execution of this book. It's very friendly to new fantasy readers and while it takes getting used to names and places, it was very engaging the entire time, and nothing ever felt like a slog to get through. Asha's storyline was my favorite. I loved seeing her journey through the different worlds and I feel like her point of views is where we gained some of the most world building.
I also really dislike when books leave you questioning for too long but this book answers just enough tiny questions to keep you chugging on. I also thing it worked in favor of the narrative style. You find out information in real time with the characters, you're never given larger overarching info that you're left sitting on waiting for the characters to find out. It really made you feel like you were apart of the journey as well.
Now that I've said that, I also thing this book lacked in many ways. This book is 680 pages of exposition. And for a book that long I really don't think that there should be unanswered questions or open plot lines to this extent. We should get a full circle story arc and line for a boom despite if it's a trilogy or not. I'm not sure I could really name what the plot was if asked. I knew we were traveling and building to something but you dont really know what that is until the very last chapters of the book. It didn't feel like the journey had stakes because I was unsure of what we were trying to build to.
There was a good world building but I can't help but feel like there are aspects to the Tols and rest of the world that are still questionable.
I'm going to sit on the book for a week and see if I feel like finishing the series.
I also really dislike when books leave you questioning for too long but this book answers just enough tiny questions to keep you chugging on. I also thing it worked in favor of the narrative style. You find out information in real time with the characters, you're never given larger overarching info that you're left sitting on waiting for the characters to find out. It really made you feel like you were apart of the journey as well.
Now that I've said that, I also thing this book lacked in many ways. This book is 680 pages of exposition. And for a book that long I really don't think that there should be unanswered questions or open plot lines to this extent. We should get a full circle story arc and line for a boom despite if it's a trilogy or not. I'm not sure I could really name what the plot was if asked. I knew we were traveling and building to something but you dont really know what that is until the very last chapters of the book. It didn't feel like the journey had stakes because I was unsure of what we were trying to build to.
There was a good world building but I can't help but feel like there are aspects to the Tols and rest of the world that are still questionable.
I'm going to sit on the book for a week and see if I feel like finishing the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Torture, Murder, and War
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
lectora21's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
Minor: Bullying, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Vomit, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
iono's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Grief