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noellegrace8'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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
That being said, I really like the main characters. Some of the side characters are a bit flat, but Jude, Cardan, Maddoc, Vivvie, Dain, Taryn, Oriana... none of them are "good" or "bad." They just are. They make decisions, they have instincts and natures that make those decisions difficult. I love the complexity! I also think this book set up a series (trilogy) well, so I'm hoping to like the next two even more! The worldbulding is awesome. Holly Black has created a very interesting mix of "fae" and "mortal," complete with rich history and quirks and physical descriptions.
I don't factor audiobook reader into my overal star rating, but I give Caitlyn Kelly 3.5/5⭐️. Honestly, I think she was part of the reason I struggled to get into this book, but there's no telling for certain. She oftentimes doesn't seem to read with the same cadence that the words on the page suggest. She also has a cheesy tone when voicing male characters and over-acts when it comes to emotional (and even sometimes non-emotional!) scenes.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Excrement, Grief, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and War
dramagirl2003'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
5.0
thoughts while reading
p33: love jude's imagination
p35: well that is a surprise
p39: i can just see jude quickly becoming a killer just to prove madoc wrong. i don't think she'd dare to sneak into the running for knighthood without his approval
p77: based on trope norms, i suspect this is the point that carden starts to secretly admire jude
p88: I'm scared dain is gonna abuse her in some way. faeries are mischievous at heart, no matter how supposedly honourable they are. but then maybe carden will save her, and then it might be alright
p96: hmm bet scattering jude's salt is just a cover for saving her
p100: HE DID THAT ON PURPOSE
p118: oh. my. gosh. no wonder carden is so cruel!
p197: i could never
p200: well due to spoilers i think i know that
p211: interesting. and all of a sudden, now she's a killer
p245: CARDEN KNEW I SWEAR HE MUST HAVE KNOWN AND THAT'S WHY HE'S MISSING
p275: well i did think that
p292: that makes so much sense
p307: well this is a mysterious turn of events. i feel so much more sorry for carden because jude is a badass manipulator who will break him with any fraction of vulnerability he displays
p353: what. a. badass. move.
p358: ah meirda
p365: now that i was not expecting. i'd actually forgotten all about the spoilers after i getting fully invested in the story
quotes
I draw my sword, and he does, too, the scrape of metal loud in the room. I hear distant laughter, but here in the hall, we are alone.
My hands are sweating, but this had the feeling of inevitability, as though this is what I was careening toward the whole time, my whole life.
"You can't beat me."
"I already have."
"I imagine you're not feeling quite yourself," I tell him.
His sword sags a little, and he looks at me in sudden comprehension. "What have you done?"
"I poisoned you. Don't worry. It was a small enough dose. You'll live."
"The cups of wine," he says. "But how did you know which one I would choose?"
"I didn't," I tell him. "I poisoned them both."
"Have I told you how hideous you look tonight?" Carden asks, leaning back in the elaborately carved chair, the warmth of his words turning the question into something like a complement.
"No," I say, glad to be annoyed back into the present. "Tell me."
"I cannot."
Graphic: Bullying and Murder
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infertility, Suicide, Stalking, Pregnancy, and War
cloudysky123'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
orakuruno's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Slavery, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
stewartj0421's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.5
Despite my dislike of the writing quirks, the book eventually captured my attention. I also found it to be really well suited for the young adult genre. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, and Grief
aysha_blake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and War
noellelovesbooks's review against another edition
4.5
OMG how do I even start this review. I just finished reading...not even 10 minutes ago and my brain is still processing everything that happened.
This was a recommendation [and book gift] from Roni...I got fomo seeing all her updates when she was reading the series and decided I needed to read it too...and she was awesome enough to gift the trilogy to me 🥰
I've heard a lot of people talk about the trilogy but not really giving any real spoilers away...like literally all I knew before reading was that there was a Jude and a Carden...someone murdered her parents and she was raised in fairy...and that there was an entire page of just her name over and over. Which really...those 3 facts don't make for much info 🤣 Ngl I think I loved that though...I really had no idea what I was getting into.
From the start I sympathized and loved Jude. I had weird feelings of distrust towards certain characters...which ended up being well founded!
Maybe I can formulate my thoughts better soon...but until then I'm going to go marinate my thoughts and probably start book 2 😝
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Gore, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
mirtegroen'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
1.5
Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Infertility and Alcohol
druzyquartz'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
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Incest, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and War
theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia, Incest, and Pregnancy