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livcanread_'s review against another edition
this was like top of my fantasy tbr for so long😭 but honestly i feel like seth just stumbled out of the gate. for me the characterization for baru was really lackluster in the beginning with her kind of origin story, her motivations didn’t feel super clear to me even when she was making very clear decisions. even though the political intrigue was VERY intriguing and well done they didn’t hold any weight for me because baru didn’t feel fleshed out at all especially when she goes from buying into masquerade power and needing to work her way up the system and shit like that’s interesting af but then she gets persuaded to join the rebellion? i don’t really know how that happened and kind of exacerbated the problems i was having with baru and any complex emotions or motivations seth dickinson wanted her to have?
vmacalinao's review against another edition
dark
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
5.0
archiegitdog's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book - however buy as "physical" copy and not audiobook as it was tough to keep on top of all the names (perhaps its my age?). Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend
chaikeeks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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? No
4.0
allyens's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.75
epigramsfromnowhere's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
reingerman's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
talia012's review against another edition
4.0
This book was dense with political intrigue and economics but able to keep me engaged throughout because it was so relentlessly interesting. Really complex characters and plotting that, for me, were just on the right side of manageable. Although I can see why this book has produced such divisive reviews.
The hardest part for me was the "calculus" that treated decisions with horrible, cruel, real-world consequences so casually. The ends apparently justify the means for Baru but damn if that didn't cause me some serious horror along the way.
Points for a fascinating indictment of empire from a unique vantage and really detailed worldbuilding. Minus points for repetitive character moments (how many times is Baru going to believably make the exact same mistake?) and too-casual throwing away of human lives = 3.5 stars rounded up.
The hardest part for me was the "calculus" that treated decisions with horrible, cruel, real-world consequences so casually. The ends apparently justify the means for Baru but damn if that didn't cause me some serious horror along the way.
Points for a fascinating indictment of empire from a unique vantage and really detailed worldbuilding. Minus points for repetitive character moments (how many times is Baru going to believably make the exact same mistake?) and too-casual throwing away of human lives = 3.5 stars rounded up.