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sourcherrysyrup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
Child is almost victim of lesbophobic sexual abuse conversion therapynotbambi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book spends a lot of time exploring local politics, economics, colonialism, and war, and it turns out that made-up geopolitics are totally my jam. For once, the map in the front of the fantasy novel was indispensible for keeping track of the web of dukes and their shifting alliances as the story went on (also, nice touch that the map is an in-universe sketch of the region, with pithy notes about all the dukes). And at the centre of it all, Baru Cormorant, ostensibly trying to save her people from the empire by bringing them down from the inside, and being fundamentally transformed by that empire into a completely ruthless, calculating bitch. She has just enough blindspots and vulnerability for us to at least be captivated by her contradictions, if not always sympathetic.
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
colourpics's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
liokamino's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
thysparklyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I know objectively that it's a good book and if you enjoy war/politics/strategy stories then this might be for you but I felt incredibly annoyed throughout most of it.
I just wish we'd gotten more of Baru as a human than Imperial Accountant TM but at some point I realized that's all we'd get and it's on me for continuing to read something I knew I wouldn't enjoy anymore.
Godspeed to those who choose to continue the series, may you not get scurvy!
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and War
angievansprang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Xenophobia, and War
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
emath98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pages 369-399 1 star
I AM SO ANGRY AT SETH DICKINSON. This book started out with a super interesting premise, a main character I was rooting for, political intrigue, lesbianism, and anti-colonial struggle. I couldn't put it down. I even enjoyed Seth's typical use of intense military/economic strategy (did NOT like in Exordia, DNFed that one). But I cannot in good faith support the ending of this book. I don't think I'll read the rest of the series.
1: I am soooo tired of the kill your gays trope. It's not interesting or unique or compelling to the plot. Stop making your queer characters suffer for being queer!!!
2: The ending of the book, and what I've read about the other 2 books in the series so far, really buy in to the "I can change the system from the inside" idea that has never worked. (The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house, anyone?) I know part of the point is to have Baru as a morally dubious character, sacrificing her humanity in an attempt to save her people, but I don't buy it as an effective tactic. It feels so weird and icky that the "genius savant" who is apparently constantly able to trick and outsmart everyone, lands on sacrificing millions of innocent lives and the revolutionary hopes of other oppressed peoples for her own selfish gains as her brilliant tactic. I don't think her family would be proud of her. I am not proud of her. Maybe I should've seen it coming from the title...
In conclusion, could've been something really powerful and anti-colonial, but fell so flat to me in the end. Currently pretending that the final ~30 pages of the book do not exist.
Graphic: Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
emilyplun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War
becky_hofer's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and War
hexillith's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Torture, Colonisation, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, and Religious bigotry