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dilara2912w'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
3.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ksilvio'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Miscarriage, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
solaris_zip'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
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mcc1210's review against another edition
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
yarnarh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Some authors would write pages of descriptions and I would be lost about what the plot is. I love the way they write. Few sentences and then move on to the plot. Love the twist and turns though I suspected most of them before it happened.
BookTok was right about this book. It was good and I enjoyed it.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and War
fieldofhats'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
Spoiler warning from here on.
I was skeptical with this book at first, but it grew on me with every chapter. I read this via Audible and it took me a couple hours to get into this book, but once I did, it was smooth sailing. The YA writing style threw me off a little at first since the themes seemed pretty mature, but I quickly got used to it. We are seeing this story told through the perspective of a young adult/old teen, so it makes sense, and it’s done very well.
It also took me a while to get into the court politics, because that’s just not my thing, but I was sufficiently engaged and understood 85% of what was going on! The spy and intrigue plot was so-so for me; I didn’t care much for it at the beginning, although I thought Jude and Dane’s relationship was very interesting; but after Dane was killed and we got to see the whole Court of Shadows at their lowest, I was invested. I’m very excited to see where that plot goes in the coming books! I’m still not the biggest fan of all the politics in general, but I love all of the characters and their dynamics (and my best friend assures me the sequels are amazing), so I’m going to go on with the series.
Jude is an amazing main character. She has relatable flaws and deals with them in such a realistic way. She’s headstrong, which is both a strength and a weakness, since she’s bold but doesn’t know when to stop. She has a great sense of pride, which makes her a brave and determined, but also gets her in trouble with both her enemies and her family, especially towards the end when she duels Madoc. This may not be universal, but I related to her so much so I really enjoyed being in her head the entire time.
Cardan’s journey is also one that I did not expect at all. He was so cruel in the beginning, but by the end we see him in an entirely new light. He’s been through so much by the end that we pity and feel for him — especially because he’s being screwed over by Jude. I can’t wait to see that dynamic play out later on.
Overall, I think it definitely lives up to the hype! It’s more focused on politics and drama rather than romance, but the romance that’s present is done very well!
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
thelibraryofjen'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
lovers. I loved the plot and the overall political intrigue which really kept me entertained. Some people find this book boring because of that aspect but personally me I really enjoyed it. I will be continuing on to the second book whenever I get around to that.
Jude was an absolute badass and I was rooting for her through the whole book
If you Love:
-found family
-bully-to friends-to lovers
-knife to throat
-batter
-lots of tension between love interests
Genre/Type: Fantasy Fiction 15+
(paperback)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️
Series or Standalone: First book in a trilogy (has a spin off series with oak this needs to be read first in order to understand the spin off series)
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Gore, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gaslighting
starryeyedreads's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
The spoiler bit:
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Incest
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
ericius's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Racism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Alcohol