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cerina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
These characters are complex with many subtleties, and there is definitely great character development. I love Vin. She embodies women as I know them so well. Wanting to love, but scared to trust; intelligent, but careful; highly empathetic, able to see through how people present down to who they are. I both love and hate that this girl needs to be the more level-headed one that gets things done while the men are brash and fool-hardy. It feels representative of real-life, and I don’t like that that’s how things are. Though, as I write this, I’m realizing it might just be those parts of the book that resonate with me, which is why they stood out. The book might actually be more balanced, more nuanced, than that.
When Kelsior’s big plan came to fruition, it felt so hollow. Like, that’s it? I understand the purpose of it, giving everyone something to believe in. I just didn’t feel anything when it happened. I didn’t cry. I can’t remember if I cried during the first Red Rising book. I know I cried during the third, and that the scene that made me do so is part of why it’s my favorite series. I’m holding out hope that a similar thing will happen as I continue reading this trilogy.
The world building in this book is fantastic. It’s a combination of the depth of the world building, the relationships between the characters, and the twists that I didn’t see coming but that fit seamlessly into the story that makes me love this book.
Graphic: Slavery and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Rape, Torture, Vomit, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
siblingsofthevoid'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, and Rape
nixoneshoe'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: Child abuse, Slavery, and Abandonment
Moderate: Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, and Torture
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Grief, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Ableism, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, and Alcohol
queermothman'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
3.75
I enjoyed this much more than I did almost 10 years ago. Brandon, when I catch you.
I still think this thing is slow as hell, especially the first 50%, but I understand why it was written this way. The Jesus/religious paralleling was a little too on the nose by the end, but I can appreciate how it was handled overall. Especially since I found out that Sanderson is a Mormon asdfghj;
I did get kind of lost trying to keep track of side characters, but that could also have been bc I was listening to the audiobook this time around.
One major ick for me is Vin and her love interest. I just don't like age gaps, especially when one is a teenager. I'm interested to see how they're handled in future installments, though.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Infertility and Alcohol
jawclencher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I wasn’t a fan of how Vin is thrown into high-stakes missions with Kelsier so early on—it felt unrealistic given the risks involved. Similarly, some events seemed improbable, with characters taking on extreme dangers and walking away (nearly) unscathed. The balance of detail was uneven; some aspects were overexplained, while others lacked sufficient depth.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves heists, colorful characters, and magic that are okay with a YA-but-with-gore writing style.
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, and Alcohol
achingallover'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
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Murder, and Abandonment
el2319's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Child abuse
Minor: Rape and Slavery
beau_b_reading'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, War, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Racism, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
joriana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Child abuse and Child death