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caitlinjohnson's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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
3.75
It slowed down a bit towards the end but I loved Eva as a main character. There were some scenes where she annoyed me a bit but all in all, she was an easy character to root for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
honyombooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Oh man! Something about this book I just loved! Such a captivating magic system and the characters I just love so much! I canβt wait to get started on the next book!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
antonique_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The book had a couple of things going for it. The magic system was incredibly unique. There wasn't just one type of magic present, and each type had been really thought out. I found Eva's the most interesting, especially the marrow aspect. Additionally, I really enjoyed the world building. It is mostly transmitted through Eva's POV, but there are great snippets of it in stories told by Baccha. I also liked how real Eva felt in her responses to what was happening around her.
However, apart from these things I found this read to be kind of underwhelming. It was just a bit boring - not slow-paced, but not a lot happened. I also couldn't back the romance as although Aketo's age is never explicitly stated, it is implied he is 20, when Eva is 16. Also, for a plot based on sibling conflict, Eva's sister Isadore barely features. I'm hoping that the second book (and conclusion to the series) amps things up a bit!
However, apart from these things I found this read to be kind of underwhelming. It was just a bit boring - not slow-paced, but not a lot happened. I also couldn't back the romance as although Aketo's age is never explicitly stated, it is implied he is 20, when Eva is 16. Also, for a plot based on sibling conflict, Eva's sister Isadore barely features. I'm hoping that the second book (and conclusion to the series) amps things up a bit!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War
shmarr's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
laequiem's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence
abbajane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There were a lot of things in this book that made me feel like the most popular YA tropes of the moment had been tossed into a bag and pulled out at random -- heir sisters forced to kill each other, infuriatingly beautiful men, wily old fey with a smart mouth, magic to control shadows, half-human half-animal creatures, blood magic. It got a little annoying a few times, and as I read I could tab each reference that felt like it came from another YA fantasy novel. The characters stayed a little shallow, the plot stayed a little predictable, and the dialogue stayed a little awkward. The writing was nice, and I feel like Joy had some really great lines and turns of phrases. I appreciate the nuance of this book in contrast to the most popular YA novels on the market, but overall it stayed just "meh" for me. Not sure if I will read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
tahsintries's review
4.25
I loved this so much!!
Full rtc to come someday,possibly.
Full rtc to come someday,possibly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Death of parent
girlonbooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
medium-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
5.0
πππππ (5 stars as rated in crowns worth killing your sister for)
As it has been for eight generations, the Rival Heirs of Myre must face one another to the death for the Ivory Throne on the youngests' seventeenth nameday. For Eva, untrained in her magick and long estranged from her elder and more refined sister, Isa, the day might as well be a death sentence. Though her sister's magick - that of influence - is well known and admired, the court vocally reviles the magick of Eva, with her Mother as the loudest of them all. But when an assassin is sent to take her life, Eva realizes how much more is at stake in the Queendom than the fate of Rival Heirs. Though the magick of blood and bone has only ever been mastered by few, if Eva is to stand a chance against the powerful sorcery of her sister, she must find someone to teach her to wield this dangerous power and quickly. With so much on the line and so many who would wish her ill, Eva turns to the help of foreign allies. But she knows as well as anyone that in the court of the Ivory Throne, no one is ever quite what they seem; least of all those knights in shining armor whose timely arrivals may be a little too convenient.
As it has been for eight generations, the Rival Heirs of Myre must face one another to the death for the Ivory Throne on the youngests' seventeenth nameday. For Eva, untrained in her magick and long estranged from her elder and more refined sister, Isa, the day might as well be a death sentence. Though her sister's magick - that of influence - is well known and admired, the court vocally reviles the magick of Eva, with her Mother as the loudest of them all. But when an assassin is sent to take her life, Eva realizes how much more is at stake in the Queendom than the fate of Rival Heirs. Though the magick of blood and bone has only ever been mastered by few, if Eva is to stand a chance against the powerful sorcery of her sister, she must find someone to teach her to wield this dangerous power and quickly. With so much on the line and so many who would wish her ill, Eva turns to the help of foreign allies. But she knows as well as anyone that in the court of the Ivory Throne, no one is ever quite what they seem; least of all those knights in shining armor whose timely arrivals may be a little too convenient.
I'm calling it now, this is the kind of book you're going to wish you'd picked up sooner. I absolutely adored the concept and the characters were really dynamic without ever bogging me down in supporting info. The story itself moves very quickly while also managing never to ask great suspensions of disbelief from the reader. A big thumbs up to that alone! The main character, Eva, responded really reasonably to everything she faces. In fact, she acted exactly the way I would have in almost every scenario - particularly when maneuvering her relationships with Prince Aketo and Lord Baccha. Seriously, who doesn't love when a character does and says what you were thinking!?! *raises hand* BAH! My only gripe here is that I wanted her to pursue a different love interest at the end. Womp. Still, my fingers are crossed that we'll get a switch-a-roo in book two, A Queen of Gilded Horns, which incidentally is released ONE WEEK FROM TODAY on March 16th 2021!
Freedom that could cost your life was just enslavement under a different name.
β¨ Rep in this book: Black protagonist, diverse characters, gay supporting character, own voices
β¨ Content warnings for this book: violence, themes of war and battle, death of an animal, mind control with magic, murder, racism, estrangement from family members, self harm, bullying, blood
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Self harm, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Racism, and Murder
valeriabee's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
To be frank, I didn't expect to like the book because I know that it is hard for me to become immersed in a high fantasy world. That is to say that I did like the book. I appreciated Eva, Princess of Myre, magick of marrow and blood, and her internal struggle. It was an interesting approach to the struggle of identity and self-love that every person goes through at some point, especially in their teen years. The threat of death was a fun and interesting twist, especially as it was not a completely external threat. There was a plot-twist at the end that genuinely surprised me -- which is not something I can say often. It's the kind of surprise that makes you say "oh wow, i did not see that coming but that makes total sense." It bodes well for the book that I did shed a couple of tears along the way. I wasnt particularly fond of the romantic aspect of the novel because I generally have a dislike towards any romance that feels unnecessary or like a detraction from the main plot, when the romance isnt the main plot. Fortunately, this romance was not completely unnecessary and served as a healthy reminder that Eva is just a girl...sort of. Everything that I would usually consider a flaw is actually a strength in this novel and is part of what makes it great. I'm only upset that I didn't get all the answers I wanted right away. I also appreciate the theme of oppression without it being a blaringly obvious allegory for our real societies and histories of imperialism and colonialism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent