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madamenovelist'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
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Grief
vagaybond's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Gore, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Confinement, and Death
annorabrady'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: Violence and War
Moderate: Sexism, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Self harm, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
quinnpjd930'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: Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent and War
maple_dove'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
I think I should be honest, I had a hard time thinking of Esha as this ruthless assassin. Her actions don't really match her notoriety.
The world is beautiful but this book doesn't feel unique (again, not all books have to be unique).
Definitely reading the next book.
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Blood, and War
Minor: Genocide, Sexual content, and Death of parent
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Minor: Death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and War
rensreading'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
4.5
esha was my everything. she was deadly and beautiful with enough of a soft heart to really draw you in and keep you there. im a sucker for a tortured and morally ambiguous mc thought so that was no surprise.
kulan faltered sometimes but his character development was superb. i’m glad he’s able to make his own life decisions now. i hope he keeps making the right decisions and stay true to his choice of sticking by esha. they deserve each other.
4.5 stars from me (:
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Genocide, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry
caitlin_bookchats'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
4.0
Key ways this book differs that might make you really want to read it:
- Esha is a more skilled and dominant rebel in this book than Laia in AEitA (cannot speak to Laia's development in later books which I am sure is substantial)
- Esha and her rebels have a stronger foothold and stance in this book, from a neighboring land, so they are making progress faster.
- the mythology that inspired this is clearly different. It's not the background mythology that makes them feel similar it's the political structure and male character background.
- we only get Esha and Kumal's POVs, no Helene to deal with.
- the romance is more prominent/progresses more quickly in this book than in AEitA.
Personally I picked this book up off my TBR because of a readathon prompt to read a book with a time of day in the title, but had no real expectations going in (I couldn't remember why it was ON my TBR) and was surprised and delighted to find myself drawn in and speeding through. It was engaging and interesting and I am a sucker for some elements of the plot here that could technically be considered spoiler-y although they're very heavily lampshaded. Specifically
Anyway, I think it's worth taking a look here if you liked AEiTA but cannot guarantee it will scratch that same itch.
If you haven't read/aren't interested in AEitA and are somehow still reading this review, you might love this book if you love very competent soldier/assassin trying to defeat each other but also hot for each other narratives or if you want to read some stories about good people being deprogrammed and fighting for good!
Sexual content:
Moderate: Death, Murder, and War
Minor: Death of parent
Hard to know exactly how to identify the potential triggers here: