queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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? No
3.5
3.5⭐ CW: violence, death
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim is book 2 of the Blood of Stars duology. I've been having a really hard time with sequels in duologies lately. It's not that I don't like them, it's more that they don't grab me in the same way as the first book did. I can't even really put my finger on why.
We catch up with Maia after the events in book one. Maia struggles with her transition into becoming a demon along with using the powers of Amana's dresses. It definitely felt like Maia is surrounded by enemies: the emperor, who is cold and cruel and lets his pride take priority; lady Sarnai, who is resentful at being sold to the emperor for peace; the Shansen, a warlord trying to wrest the throne and the country from the current emperor who also has a demon on his side; the demon that cursed her; and the demon she is becoming.
Most of the book is Maia fighting the changes within her. An internal battle of dark demon magic versus the light of Amana's magic. Maia finds herself trying to hang on to the pieces of herself as they fade away the more she succumbs to the demon magic. I do wish we had gotten more from Lady Sarnai, because she is a fascinating character. A warrior princess, whom Maia believes is the only one who can bring peace. Unlike book one, this book did focus more on violence and fighting rather than on the tailoring and clothing, although some of that was still present.
For some reason, I just didn't feel as invested in the characters, and I thought the ending was a little too Deus Ex Machina for my taste. I did enjoy this author's writing, so I will probably read her other books as well. At least I finished another series!
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim is book 2 of the Blood of Stars duology. I've been having a really hard time with sequels in duologies lately. It's not that I don't like them, it's more that they don't grab me in the same way as the first book did. I can't even really put my finger on why.
We catch up with Maia after the events in book one. Maia struggles with her transition into becoming a demon along with using the powers of Amana's dresses. It definitely felt like Maia is surrounded by enemies: the emperor, who is cold and cruel and lets his pride take priority; lady Sarnai, who is resentful at being sold to the emperor for peace; the Shansen, a warlord trying to wrest the throne and the country from the current emperor who also has a demon on his side; the demon that cursed her; and the demon she is becoming.
Most of the book is Maia fighting the changes within her. An internal battle of dark demon magic versus the light of Amana's magic. Maia finds herself trying to hang on to the pieces of herself as they fade away the more she succumbs to the demon magic. I do wish we had gotten more from Lady Sarnai, because she is a fascinating character. A warrior princess, whom Maia believes is the only one who can bring peace. Unlike book one, this book did focus more on violence and fighting rather than on the tailoring and clothing, although some of that was still present.
For some reason, I just didn't feel as invested in the characters, and I thought the ending was a little too Deus Ex Machina for my taste. I did enjoy this author's writing, so I will probably read her other books as well. At least I finished another series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
sydapel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Elizabeth Lim (by her own admission according to the author's notes) really struggles with sequels. I found an already confusing magic system becoming even less well explained, and a poorly placed plot that did little to support even it's main character's arc. I do appreciate seeing the Japanese folklore interwoven into the story, as well as Lim's focus on female leaders, but it fails to come together in a satisfying way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
Minor: Sexual content
melina_30's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Nicht so gut, wie der erste Teil, aber trotzdem spannend. Die Stimmung des Buches war sehr deprimierend und hoffnungslos, daher kein Buch, was man unbedingt gerne liest... Trotzdem war es sehr gut geschrieben, spannend und ein relativ guter Abschluss der Reihe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
jaerishyuk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexism, War, and Death
hilarylouise's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Blood
empathreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5
A lot of events unfolded throughout the novel, which was overwhelming, but it was understandable from the fact that the author had a desired flow of action for its characters. There was this push and pull manner that can end up frustrating readers as there are various challenges being faced by the heroine, one of which the other voice, as the demon inside Maia, really evokes that temptation to pull her on the evil side. In trailing for the last chapters of the book, there was still that confusion tugging at the character, making you choose between good and evil. Though I appreciated how the story ended with her troubles not solved just on her own but with the involvement of those she loved and has loved, it spoke of fairytales and myths, and it spoke of life and the ordinary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Grief, Murder, Violence, and War
hibou's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
pierwsza moja pisania recenzja od dłuższego czasu :D
ostatnio oglądałem Rayę i Ostatniego Smoka, więc podążając za dalekowschodnimi klimatami postanowiłem skończyć dylogię "krew gwiazd"
i nie żałowałem tego!
naprawdę, rollercoaster emocji do ostatniej strony
potwierdza to czas przeczytania przeze mnie tej książki, tj. dwa dni
im really impressed
bardzo się cieszę, że w drugim tomie przeważały te aspekty fantastyczno/przygodowe nad romantycznymi (które były przytłaczające w pierwszej części)
niektóre cytaty żywcem z literatury pięknej
5/5
jeżeli podobał wam się pierwszy tom, to ten spodoba wam się jeszcze bardziej!
ostatnio oglądałem Rayę i Ostatniego Smoka, więc podążając za dalekowschodnimi klimatami postanowiłem skończyć dylogię "krew gwiazd"
i nie żałowałem tego!
naprawdę, rollercoaster emocji do ostatniej strony
potwierdza to czas przeczytania przeze mnie tej książki, tj. dwa dni
im really impressed
bardzo się cieszę, że w drugim tomie przeważały te aspekty fantastyczno/przygodowe nad romantycznymi (które były przytłaczające w pierwszej części)
niektóre cytaty żywcem z literatury pięknej
5/5
jeżeli podobał wam się pierwszy tom, to ten spodoba wam się jeszcze bardziej!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Minor: Terminal illness, Sexual content, and Abandonment
januaryt123's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War, and Death
millysreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Again, Elizabeth Lim's world building is so excellent. Building on the first book, Unravel the Dusk took a deeper dive into the world of Alandi, focusing and developing more of the magical side of things as well as the characters.
She really puts everyone through it, but throughout you still root for these characters, even when you're yelling at them for making stupid decisions.
I found the pacing a little off with quite a slow start but it picks up quickly and even the slower parts you can appreciate looking back as they contained some of the necessary world-building for the climax.
The characters are all so great and three dimensional. But we are also limited by only having Maia's point of view. There's nothing wrong with that I just would have loved to see something (anything!) from Edan's point of view. And also Lady Sarnai's, a character that really shone through in this. Honestly, I would have read the entire series from her point of view I loved the character so much - I might even prefer her to Maia!
This was an excellent read with stunning descriptions and storytelling. The characters were believable and compelling. The story was unique and beautifully woven. I can't wait to read more from Lim!
She really puts everyone through it, but throughout you still root for these characters, even when you're yelling at them for making stupid decisions.
I found the pacing a little off with quite a slow start but it picks up quickly and even the slower parts you can appreciate looking back as they contained some of the necessary world-building for the climax.
The characters are all so great and three dimensional. But we are also limited by only having Maia's point of view. There's nothing wrong with that I just would have loved to see something (anything!) from Edan's point of view. And also Lady Sarnai's, a character that really shone through in this. Honestly, I would have read the entire series from her point of view I loved the character so much - I might even prefer her to Maia!
This was an excellent read with stunning descriptions and storytelling. The characters were believable and compelling. The story was unique and beautifully woven. I can't wait to read more from Lim!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
jesthemess's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, and Death
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent