smiley_ari'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
My favorite aspect of this book were the characters. Every single character was fleshed out and had compelling back stories and motivations.Â
It’s an extremely easy read and super face paced. I’m sad I’ll have to wait for April to read the sequel.Â
Graphic: Blood and Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
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
neonfrills'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
- Magical Military: a niche favorite trope of mine. The order of vampire hunters that Remy belongs to, the Reapers, are also entrenched with political drama and secrets, plus lots of R&D science stuff which I love in a fantasy setting.
- Remy’s entire backstory, how he both 1) doesn’t know he was abused but also 2) how that abuse coloring all his expectations of how relationships are supposed to work and actively impacting his attempts to form new ones.
- WE LOVE A THROUPLE!! Remy, being impulsive and full of pent up rage but also being sooo emotionally damaged, Xiaodan having a “kill it with kindness” attitude as well as being a bad bitch, and Zidan, being the Type A intellectual asshole with a heart of gold and troubled past…all flawless. Things about each member's past gets revealed so well and aids in building up the organic relationship between them. Also, for a book that has surprisingly little smut, the sexual tension is also insane and had me ready to gnaw off my own arm at the slowburn of it all.
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Moderate: Sexual assault
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.Â
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
bookswitheli's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual assault
growplantsreadbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
There was a bit too much "there is no way they both like me" when the hot vampires were literally throwing themselves at him ... But there were enough reasons for Remy as a character to feel that way so it at least made sense.
Spoiler
I thought their sex-filled Fortnite at Xiaodan's placeThe characters didn't have the most annoying features of their Castlevania doppelgangers (alcoholism & not kissing each other), but the characters were so similar in every other way that it was hard to think of these stories separately. I kinda wish Zidan was more moody like Alucard, it felt like
Spoiler
they made him more aggressive because he's a top lolAnyway, this book is full of action and it was hard to put down. I finished the whole thing in a weekend! Id recommend it to anyone a fan of queer fantasy!
I'll definitely read the next one.
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit
mar'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
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Violence, Murder, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content, Grief, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Vomit and Death of parent
lbelow'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: Toxic relationship, Torture, Murder, Child death, Body horror, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Hate crime, Death, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual assault and Adult/minor relationship
A disabled characterSpoiler
is cured by nefarious meansbeepsies'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).Â
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.nightswim78'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? Yes
4.25
Minor: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, and Rape