hanna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed reading this! But at some point I looked down, saw that I was on page 370 and still — almost nothing had happened.
There's some character and relationship development and I did enjoy reading about the soldiers and their time at camp but really, all of that could've been shortened.
We do get loads of fun reveals at the end of the book though, one of them I really didn't expect. Will continue reading this series but really, don't expect too much plot from this installment (and I'm saying this as someone who's always characters > plot).
Graphic: War, Toxic relationship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Classism, Confinement, and Gaslighting
Minor: Rape and Pregnancy
dealfea's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Murder, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Infertility, Medical content, Child abuse, Violence, Confinement, and Physical abuse
monica0309's review
- 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: Confinement, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Violence, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Murder
midnacine'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: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Medical content, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual content, and Child abuse
Minor: War, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Trafficking
katvou'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Slavery, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, War, Medical content, Violence, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Minor: Excrement, Child death, Pregnancy, Grief, Death of parent, and Gore
ksherbz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Murder, War, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, and Confinement
Minor: Infertility
_book_nook_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Murder
kinskinn'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: Grief, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Infertility, and Pregnancy
michellemaas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Second read: 4.5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
This book was a huge step-up from Gild. The world-building is quite intricate, but once the story kicked off, it KICKED OFF.
There was an amazing plot twist (more than one, actually) which was masterfully written and I quite enjoyed having Kennedy go more in-depth with our characters. This is also the first book in the series to be told from multiple point-of-views, including Auren's, Malina's, and Midas' perspectives (I'm not counting that one chapter in the previous book) so that enhanced the story even more.
In conclusion, the book is entertaining, not too long and the characters are likable. That is all I usually ask of my fantasy books so I'm more than happy. Also, the Plated Prisoner series gives me such From Blood and Ash vibes so it's got that going for it too.
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Grief, Torture, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Blood, Gore, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Trafficking
Minor: Mental illness, Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
georgiaisreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy