cleo_reads's review against another edition
4.5
It’s the second in a series (it’s set 500 years before the first one) but it definitely works as a standalone. I thought the first book was promising but this one is just fantastic, a quantum leap in author skill. It’s a thoughtful exploration of faith, loyalty and duty and it’s also a really gripping story that was hard to put down. All 850 pages of it.
Like the first book, there are lots of LGBT people. There is one character who reads as ace/aro who struggles with acceptance because ace/aro doesn’t seem to be a recognized option. But LGBT identities are understood and accepted as no big deal.
One interesting thing about the structure and the overall epic-ness of the story is that there’s lots of room to explore different ways to deal with similar situations. There are several young young women dealing with different cultural requirements about who they can love or marry or have kids with and they respond in really different ways.
Parts of it is pretty violent. There’s no sexual violence but there’s some sexism, especially in the western location (Virtuedom).
Graphic: War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death and Child death
Minor: Cancer, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
the_bees_books'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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, War, Violence, Religious bigotry, Grief, Misogyny, and Genocide
Moderate: Animal death, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Vomit, Sexism, and Terminal illness
donatio's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The characters and the world were well-fleshed-out, I came to care about them deeply. There were no plot holes and it set up Priory nicely.
The writing was beautiful, I only found that it was quite slow for me but towards the end it got better.
Representation of everyone (gender-equality, POC, LGBTQ, etc.) was there, just like it ought to be.
I loved the themes, motherhood, religion and duty, and how they were explored.
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Cancer, Alcohol, Drug use, Kidnapping, and Miscarriage
alexalily'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
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Confinement, War, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, Animal death, Child death, Body horror, Classism, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Chronic illness, Vomit, Suicide, Cannibalism, Infidelity, and Kidnapping
librariangeorgia'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: Cancer, Misogyny, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and War
heartbrekker'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: War, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Sexism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Murder, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Cancer