cathdes'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: War, Murder, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
bibliorama's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Start - 4
Characters - 3.5
Atmosphere - 3.5
Plot - 3
Ending - 3.5
Style - 2.5
The writing in this one was a bit more cheesy than the last ones at the "big" moments, but it's fine. This feels a bit like a fantasy soap opera and I'm okay with that.
Overall - 3.5
Moderate: Grief, Miscarriage, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Vomit
Minor: Ableism, Sexual harassment, and Slavery
nerdkitten's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Ableism, Cursing, Medical content, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Sexual content, Misogyny, Torture, and War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Child death, Death of parent, Excrement, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Rape
imcourtneymarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Torture, and War
karinamorozova22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Slavery, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and War
veeronald's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Aelin reaches an all-time goody two shoes standard of Mary Sueness and awkward dialogue in this novel where so much of the action happens after the fact and the characters can't stop farting out awful, cringe-worthy one-liners.
It's honestly insulting how much the book is absorbed with how *amazing* Aelin is, and gives the bare minimum psychological processing to enslavement and war and the fallout of living through it all. I get it, Maas doesn't want to talk about it because she just wants to show how powerful and generous Aelin is, and how attractive (?) Rowan is. But it's a book about war. Make it about war, please. Anything else is insulting.
And should I even get into (again) how hypocritical this book is? Aelin (and the tone of the book) makes a big statement about who can be forgiven for being enslaved, and then goes ahead and blames someone for being enslaved because she never liked them. Yet again, the book presents a certain argument about inclusion or forgiveness or hope, but then only offers that to a select group of Maas' choosing. (I'm being vague for spoilers). Don't promote one thing and the in the very fabric of your book fail to do that very thing that the characters become so high and mighty about. The same thing happened in ACOTAR.
I'm tired of these half-assed books.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, and Violence