Scan barcode
bazer63's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
All in all a good book that could have used a couple dozen more pages to really flesh out the characters and world and make it great. Additonally, the author's thoughts at the end are worth considering and I'm open to the idea that someone of a different background could connect to the themes more than I did.
Graphic: Blood and Medical content
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Racism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Minor: Physical abuse and Dysphoria
gcrkl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Dysphoria
prosenheim'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? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Self harm
larbster90'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
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Colonisation
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.0
I did like the magic system, which was based on blood magic. I also enjoyed the way that pronouns and transitioning was normalized in their world, as well as asexuality, in a queernormative society. The second half of the book picks up on the actual plot and finding out more about the mysterious Illness plaguing the city.
There are definitely some things that could have been helped by an editor. It felt like a lot of the action happens off screen and between sections/chapters in the beginning part of the book. For example: We are constantly being told how Firuz knows a character but not shown their relationship developing on the page first. We skip over them practicing at the clinic on the early days, earning money and moving their family away from the slums, etc.
Also, the explanation of the complex sociopolitical history of this world came in very late into the story, so some world building felt rushed or missing until hindsight.
Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma
Moderate: Xenophobia and Religious bigotry
kayladaila'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide and Fire/Fire injury
historic_wince's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Medical content
Moderate: Genocide, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Pandemic/Epidemic
theirgracegrace'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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Minor: Transphobia and Vomit