nefariousbee'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
4.5
the world was easy to fall into, the characters and relationships make you squirm inside in a good way, and even tho I found the plot lacking, I'm not a plot person anyway.
Im gonna come back to the series and we better get a lot more Zidan/Remy content. or else
Graphic: Gore, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Bullying, Body horror, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, War, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
alphabetmafiamember'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
4.75
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: War, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Vomit, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Misogyny, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Grief, Confinement, Classism, Drug use, Dementia, Cursing, and Child death
Minor: Sexual assault and Slavery
wilybooklover's review against another edition
5.0
I am in DIRE need of the sequel though after that ending!! Also I wish we had the US cover in the UK, it's so much prettier.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, War, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Drug use, Gore, and Sexual content
Moderate: Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Confinement, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity, Animal death, Classism, Pregnancy, and Adult/minor relationship
ruthlessreads'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: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Body horror, Drug use, Medical content, Blood, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Gaslighting, Grief, Animal death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Biphobia, and Death of parent
Minor: War
ju_ju's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Bullying, and War
beepsies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
However, this book took me ages to get through because I just didn't gel with the MC. I felt really good about him in the beginning -- he's been through a Lot, so it makes a lot of sense that he's deeply mistrustful. It makes a lot of sense that he doesn't know how to work in a team, that he doubts peoples intentions, that when a beautiful woman is sincere and kind to him that he latches onto her, and that he has a "one step forward, two steps back" kind of progression from time to time. He is, however, very stupid (bless him).
I got frustrated with him failing over and over to put two and two together, to the point where I wondered how he managed to survive for so long in such a precarious environment. He seemed so capable when he was introduced -- damaged, sure, but skilled at his craft. As the story went on, though, I felt like he got more and more out of his depth to the point where when he's able to hold his own in a fight it came as a surprise to me.
That's a matter of personal taste, though, and I'd still recommend it to anybody hankering for a vampire story.
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Torture, Gore, Emotional abuse, Death, Chronic illness, Bullying, Blood, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, and Trafficking
Minor: Xenophobia
Spoiler
The main character's father starts pimping him out against his will when he's very young in order to obtain information/maneuver politically around his personal nemesis. (I don't think an express age is given, but it's established that he was underage/too young to be in that situation.) It's not a /huge/ part of the book, and the acts are not explicit, but it, and the trauma around it, are discussed at some length, so that's something to be aware of if you are sensitive to that sort of content.pvbobrien'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
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Bullying, Medical content, Sexual content, Hate crime, and Child abuse
Minor: Cursing, Pregnancy, Child death, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, and Animal death
vigil'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? It's complicated
4.25
i have my fair share of issues about this book, but everytime i wasn't reading it, i was thinking about reading it. i never had a bad moment with this book, despite many warning that it starts to hit it's stride 20% into it. i was invested from page one essentially.
for my critiques, i'll say there is the issue with repetitive word choice, (there's only so many times i can read the word attractive) prose that definitely has it roots in YA despite being an adult book, and too much telling rather than showing in the romance. i think was written for zidan and remy, along with what has been set up for them is great, both individually and character wise. the same unfortunately cannot quite be said for xiaodan, who i feel got the short end of the stick. i know that she likes remy, and her fiance, i know several objective facts about her, but very little beyond that. that lack of interiority unfortunately spread to the relationship somewhat, leaving me fine with her interactions with her love interests, but never truly satisfied in the same way remy and malekh's do. however, this is the first book in what i presume to be a series, and that i expect that there will be more on xiaodan, especially with the events of the ending, a part of the book that really stood out for me.
that's not to say i didn't enjoy the relationship, because i absolutely did. they were always engaging to have on page, and i don't have any specific complaints about them (aside from the issue with xiaodan above). more fantasy authors should include sex scenes in their books.
plotwise, i had a fun time. i think this book would work excellent in a graphic novel or animation format because of how high-action it was. the rot plotline was a good opener for the series,
Spoiler
but i wasn't sad to read the offhanded mention of it being neutralized in the ending. it's a perfect book one plot, but i think i'd be annoyed seeing it be carried into book two, as all the threads and theories surrounding it were solved, or deliberately and explicitly shelved for the sequel.Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Gore
ofbooksandechos'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? It's complicated
- I wish the narrator were either of Filipino or Chinese descent, just like the author, as the pronunciation of some names sounded a bit weird;
- the romance blooming between the main trio was mainly told rather than shown, especially in its early stages. I think the author should have explored the feelings between the trio, or at least Remy's, instead of rushing the whole thing;
- the pacing was a bit uneven;
All in all I enjoyed myself a lot while reading this one, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, and Mental illness
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Rape