opportunitied's review against another edition
2.0
DNF @47%
I wanted to love this. I really did. The story could be right up my alley. The potential is there, but the execution is not. The first chapters were promising and I've heard the ending is great, but I find the middle of the book to be nothing but boring. Since the ending has been spoiled for me anyway, I feel like I can just DNF this. I have no curiosity left for this story. Maybe I'll pick it up again some day when I yearn for the feeling I get when watching C-SPAN.
I wanted to love this. I really did. The story could be right up my alley. The potential is there, but the execution is not. The first chapters were promising and I've heard the ending is great, but I find the middle of the book to be nothing but boring. Since the ending has been spoiled for me anyway, I feel like I can just DNF this. I have no curiosity left for this story. Maybe I'll pick it up again some day when I yearn for the feeling I get when watching C-SPAN.
third_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- 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
This book makes me unwell. It's so, so well done and also so upsetting. Really excellent in many ways. This was my second time reading it, and like all my favorite books it truly hits differently the second time through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, War, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Torture
nettahk's review against another edition
2.0
Nearly unreadable—would have DNF’ed if I didn’t want to talk to Emma about it. There is far too much worldbuilding for a novel of this length; it’s like the naming conventions of Anna Karenina mixed with the fantasy geography of LOTR. I just started skimming halfway through because I couldn’t keep track of anything and the coined names had no consistency. I don’t have a lot of thoughts on the plot/political intrigue—maybe once the confusion settles. Some interesting ideas but hard to parse a book where you’re supposed to assume everyone is lying all the time (including the narrator).
ribshack2012's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.75
mwwils17's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
emeraldrina's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
A masterpiece of world building and intrigue. Each time I picked up this book I was so immersed that I forgot I was reading. The world is both complex and believable, the characters all beautifully complicated, and the plot just the right amount of knotted mystery to keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat without being confusing. At times the strategic planning was a touch over-explained, but that might just be because I have a background in the subject. And it wasn’t redundant enough to put me off or make me feel bored. Other than that, the writing was stunningly beautiful, and yet never so present that it was distracting from the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, War, and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Blood, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Outing, Vomit, Death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
freedryk's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? No
4.5
ambre_spehner's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0