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roaming_enn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-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
"Nothing like the imminent loss of life to let you know you are truly alive." -Storm
Once I learned that this book is a retelling of the epic Indian poem the Mahabharata--which I didn't know anything about--I decided to try to go into the book as blind as possible. Needless to say, some of the characters I liked were actually supposed to be antagonists in the Mahabharata, and some the characters I disliked were the poem's heroes. (E.g., I liked Shishupal a lot, especially in part 1, and he was supposed to be an antagonist; and I disliked Krishna all the way through, and he was supposed to be a hero.) I thought that was funny.
I still don't know much about the poem, so now that I'm done with the book, I will look at the poem more carefully to see how Mohanty changed it or not changed it.
I read this as an ebook, which made it harder for me to refer back to the character lists and maps. So I found the book to be a bit difficult to follow, especially with remembering who did what. So just be aware that there are a LOT of characters that you'll need to remember. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. There were a lot of twists and turns in the plot, characters backstabbing each other, etc. There is some child torture, especially in the beginning, which caught me a little off guard. And of course, war scenes, including graphic murder and graphic rape scenes.
Once I learned that this book is a retelling of the epic Indian poem the Mahabharata--which I didn't know anything about--I decided to try to go into the book as blind as possible. Needless to say, some of the characters I liked were actually supposed to be antagonists in the Mahabharata, and some the characters I disliked were the poem's heroes. (E.g., I liked Shishupal a lot, especially in part 1, and he was supposed to be an antagonist; and I disliked Krishna all the way through, and he was supposed to be a hero.) I thought that was funny.
I still don't know much about the poem, so now that I'm done with the book, I will look at the poem more carefully to see how Mohanty changed it or not changed it.
I read this as an ebook, which made it harder for me to refer back to the character lists and maps. So I found the book to be a bit difficult to follow, especially with remembering who did what. So just be aware that there are a LOT of characters that you'll need to remember. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. There were a lot of twists and turns in the plot, characters backstabbing each other, etc. There is some child torture, especially in the beginning, which caught me a little off guard. And of course, war scenes, including graphic murder and graphic rape scenes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Rape, Torture, Murder, and War
2treads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? No
5.0
I was hooked! I love a layered fantasy with every increasing stakes: villains and heroes, who knows who is who; political maneuverings that always change, and cunning minds that move allies and enemies alike as chess pieces on a board. Looking forward to the next book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, War, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Misogyny, Grief, and Murder
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.0
What an interesting and engaging high fantasy!! Was definitely confused at the start and got the details wrong/assigned them to the wrong sides, but by page 80, was all over it and was super intrigued by everyone's story and their connection to the grander picture. I have only read the story about the queen and her five husbands, so this was such a good retelling, but explaining a wider sphere of characters and influences. Keen for the next book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
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