talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Gaslighting, and Rape
Moderate: Body shaming, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Xenophobia, Body horror, Grief, and Sexism
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Alcohol, Child death, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Slavery, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Homophobia
sassmistress's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Reminds me of A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan, if you're looking for more of the Bingtown/Alise story line.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Rape, Racism, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Death, Alcohol, and Slavery
Emotional abuse from a spouse and from a parent, lying (nearly to the point of gaslighting) about an affair. Three graphic sex scenes-- one an unpleasantly dutiful consummation of marriage, one martial rape, and one violent fade-to-black between the two men having the aforementioned affair. Heavy prejudice based on "birth defects" for which infants are normally abandoned to die, injuries are described in detail--pus, cutting away putrified flesh, pulling out a sick dragon's scales and impaling to siphon blood, andSpoiler
touching the blood flow and tasting it.joelcharig's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
If the next three books pick up the pace, I can forgive the above. If all four books are akin to this one, I may struggle.
But that being said, a lot of consideration was put into the writing; it's very thorough in terms of character development and description. You genuinely feel as if you're inside the characters' heads as the perspective shifts from one to another. Hobb is superb at achieving that.
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Emotional abuse and Blood
gracecrandall's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Excrement, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Ableism, Abandonment, Bullying, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Cannibalism
magis1105's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So if anyone decides to pick up this book without actually researching this will spoil the liveship traders trilogy heavily. If you plan on reading those after this one, well you know the big reveal, not sure if others series. So be aware, this is the first book in a series but it takes place in the timeline of other series.
I already completed it and the following discoveries were spoiled:
-The dragons, where they come from.
-What's the purpose of the sea serpents
-The secret of the live ships
-The mysterious people who live up the river and that have the only wood that makes liveships. They are no longer a secret and even have a place in the council, a big reveal no idea how that came to be.
-A big war, which war no idea, but now I know how they were saved and what the heroes won after saving everyone.
I will still read the Liveship traders but I already know the big reveals and probably it will lose the impact but oh well.
The story is gripping. The dragons are back in the world. But it's not as magical as they were expected. Mainly due to the fact that the right environmental and physical requirement and the wait time was completely disregarded. So the hatched dragons were deemed a complete disappointment.
The people know nothing about dragons and the beings suck at communication as well.
The love interests are awful so far. Bad communication, abusive marriages, women are treated as a property you belong to your father, then to your husband- that irks me greatly. I hate that and is very popular. Also, the only same-sex relationship is a bad bad representation, both participants are awful human beings.
I hate several characters and some are just ok.
Moving on from the romance and social norm for women and men- is a huge joke.
I am intrigued to find out what will happen to the dragons, will they find the city?
Will they get over their pompus ego and actually make a meaningful relationship with the humans that are trying to help them?
This is the first book in the series and it just gives you questions and it builds up the interest- that was well done. I need to continue the series.
The setback, this is personal. I need to go back and find out the correct order of the series and read the previous ones so I don't spoil them any worse than I already did.
Minor: Rape, Classism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
singalana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal death, Blood, and Animal cruelty
mustnotblink's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
I normally do not have a problem reading story lines featuring abusive and manipulative men, but
Spoiler
I absolutely despise Hest.Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexism, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Xenophobia, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, and Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage, Slavery, and Domestic abuse
achingallover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Medical content, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
tea_tamai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4*
On a reread, I still enjoyed the book as a continuation of the Elderling universe and a build up for this series, but I think it can't compare with the joy I got from (re)reading Fitz' stories and the liveship trader series.
4.5*
I am glad to continue in Hobbs' Realm of Elderlings Saga. I was hesitant at first due to the new cast of main characters, but I have to say I enjoyed it none the less. The small cameos of beloved characters from the older books made me really happy! Though it is sometimes slow and more of a build up to the next part of the series, I still found it really captivating.
Graphic: Blood, Ableism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Slavery, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy