donatio's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Writing style was as good as in the first one and I still liked the characters, especially Ziri and Liraz.
Also liked that we finally got to see the way the angels live, since Book 1 was more about the chimaera.
The characters who were introduced newly felt quite forced, even if they played major roles later. Why didn't we hear about Joram's son before Akiva & Co killed him?
I would have also liked a clearer explanation on how the bodies for the resurrections are made do they just appear, or... ?
Solid read, all in all.
Also liked that we finally got to see the way the angels live, since Book 1 was more about the chimaera.
Spoiler
In the middle, when Karou was on Earth, resurrecting chimaera the pacing felt off, nothing happened for a hundred pages.The characters who were introduced newly felt quite forced, even if they played major roles later. Why didn't we hear about Joram's son before Akiva & Co killed him?
I would have also liked a clearer explanation on how the bodies for the resurrections are made do they just appear, or... ?
Solid read, all in all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, Violence, War, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Body horror, Genocide, and Medical content
yaelaed's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Blood, Death, and Genocide
Minor: Slavery, Violence, Self harm, and Sexual assault
michelles_book_nook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
⚠️ TW: war, slavery, genocide, murder, death, misogyny, torture, execution and sexual assault ⚠️ Wow, this book blew my mind just as much as the first one did! 🤯 This book continues to follow Karou who finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is and what she is but with this new knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo. She loved the enemy but he betrayed her and a world suffered for it. Now she must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Karou finds herself and Akiva on opposing sides of an age-old war that stirs back to life. While she helps build a monstrous army with her allies in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a battle for redemption and hope. But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream? This series just keeps on giving and I absolutely love it! Again, Laini Taylor flawlessly plunges you into this book with incredible world building, complex characters and the most intense storyline. Most trilogies, for me at least, seem to dip in one of their books but so far this series has me gripped in a magical fantasy vice where I want to binge the third and final book right away but I also don't want it to end yet. There is so much I could rave about this book because I love every last little thing but it's so hard without spoilers. Overall, if you are into epic mythical fantasies then you need to read this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Genocide, Murder, Death, Misogyny, Torture, Slavery, and Sexual assault
pavreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, and Violence
lesliehirgelt's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Grief, Sexual violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Injury/injury detail
epsyphus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
This book was set more in the fantasy world than the real world and I felt like that transition was a little lacking, I was a little confused. But still a great book, I have hope that I'll like the last book as much as I liked the first one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Torture, War, Rape, Death, Self harm, and Slavery
ladylunabee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m so in love with this series. These characters have my heart, and though I hated seeing how much pain they were all in over the course of this book (hence, why it took me so long to finish it), I’m excited to head onto the last book to see how everything ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual assault
Moderate: Violence
merenguita's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Okay, so I enjoyed the book, but not as much as the first one. I think this one is pretty much a set up for the big finale. The first half of the book was pretty dull for me, nothing really happened and there wasn't a clear objective, the characters are intresting and that's why I kept reading. But in the second half it started to build up, and the last third of the book was so good. I honestly did not predict some of the mayor plot twists so it kept me on my toes.
In terms of the narrating I think it is pretty intresting that Karou feels different, which makes sense after the flod of memories at the end of book 1. And you can feel how her personality shifts a bit. Buuut i did not like that there were so many different POV's, monst of the time i felt it was used to show something taht would've been more intresting if it kept its mistery. Especially the parts were Zuzana or Mik were the main focus, idk, I found them a bit boring. Not as characters necessarily, but as narrators.
About the love triangle:
Pretty exited to read book 3 tbh
In terms of the narrating I think it is pretty intresting that Karou feels different, which makes sense after the flod of memories at the end of book 1. And you can feel how her personality shifts a bit. Buuut i did not like that there were so many different POV's, monst of the time i felt it was used to show something taht would've been more intresting if it kept its mistery. Especially the parts were Zuzana or Mik were the main focus, idk, I found them a bit boring. Not as characters necessarily, but as narrators.
About the love triangle:
Spoiler
I believe she will end up with Akiva and I really wish she would, I enjoyed Ziri soooo much, he's just so sweet! But yeah... she'll probably end up with the "soul mate" that's morally grayPretty exited to read book 3 tbh
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War
Minor: Incest
martamae77's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, War, and Death
lynnmarier99's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, War, and Violence
Minor: Vomit and Sexual assault