rachaeladair's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
chloeolevia's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
deszra's review against another edition
how is it that i’m halfway into this and i still don’t understand the motivations for any of the characters?? mb we find out later but i feel like without this info i can’t really root for any of the characters. also i don’t think this reads any different from chloe gong’s YA books and apart from the general edginess of the world (which also seems more for shock value than good world-building) there’s nothing really that fits what i expect from an adult fantasy.
another review pointed out the lack of politics and i think that’s what my main gripe with this book is, we’re told that apparently there’s all this political strife but even halfway through, nothing was shown to us of the political machinations and decisions that have led to these circumstances.
another review pointed out the lack of politics and i think that’s what my main gripe with this book is, we’re told that apparently there’s all this political strife but even halfway through, nothing was shown to us of the political machinations and decisions that have led to these circumstances.
abooktropolis's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
timelord10's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was my first Chloe Gong book, and sadly, I was kind of disappointed. The story was slow a lot where it felt like nothing relevant was really happening, and the world building was repetitive, info dumpy and confusing. Honestly, the only reason I'm probably going to continue the series is because of the twist at the end of the book. The book still got 3 stars because outside of the world building, I liked the language and writing style. There are a lot of good quotes in the book. I also didn't hate the character work. I definitely want to try out Chloe Gong's YA novels to see if I like them better than this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, and Vomit
chzypotatogrl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
the last 2/3rd of this book really just made me so anxious and ready to throw up and then the cliffhangers are also not assisting with any of these feelings by any means
nbicks's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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
3.0
noncsi121's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
4.75
The only reason for not giving it a 5/5 is because the start was very uninspiring, I almost stopped after a few chapters. Im glad I persevered, but god how badly I had hunger games knockoff vibes in the beginning....
spektriva's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25