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solarmatrixcobra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Murder and Sexual harassment
e_gallego'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: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment
mokkekitty'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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual harassment
Minor: War
klynnie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual harassment
cicizzy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
There are also no good characters.
I think these quotes by Jude capture her character and the vibe of the story pretty well “If I can’t become better than them, I will be so much worse
If you like grimdark Fantasy you will like this book.
Warning: If you want to consider parts of this romance then it is definitely bully romance.
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence and Murder
lyss_kane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have SO much to say and SO much to react to!
To start this review off, I want to state that I have technically read up to 80% of book 1, about 1.5-2 years ago. I had soft DNF'd it back then, mainly because I had just finished reading both ACOTAR & FBAA and thought The Cruel Prince was also on the same level of those. I wasn't into booktok or anything at the time, so I didn't realize it actually was YA fantasy, not adult. So, quite frankly, I was a little bit bored at the time of first reading it, back then. I knew that it was a beloved series so I decided to soft DNF it, and come back to it when I was ready to give it my full attention. This time around, I was able to take my time with it and overall had a pretty good time with the story and characters.
"Here's why I don't like these stories: They highlight that I am vulnerable. No matter how careful I am, eventually I'll make another misstep. I am weak. I am fragile. I am mortal. I hate that most of all. Even if, by some miracle, I could be better than them, I will never be one of them."
In my heart of hearts, I think this book wouldn't need a whole lot done to it to elevate it to the new adult/adult category. I kind of wish that it was, to be honest. I feel like there is so much potential to expand the story & characters, as well as all of the dark stuff and crucial scenes that happened within the book. Add 100-200 pages worth, add more tension between Jude & Cardan (and probably Locke at the beginning, even though that pains me to say), create more complex sentence structures and <i>bang!</i> - you have a new adult book. I can definitely see exactly why this series is so beloved by many. I wish I had read this is in high school, to be honest. I can still appreciate it as an adult, but I think it definitely would have hit harder in my teens/early 20's.
Also, as a side note, it should be said that I also rate books differently, depending on the categories they fall under (i.e. I wouldn't rate an epic fantasy the same, mentally, as I would a rom-com. The same goes for this, I wouldn't rate a YA necessarily the same as I would an adult book). I think that's more fair, to be honest, and it's become second-nature for me to do.
"Children can laugh all day and still cry themselves to sleep at night."
"I can see why humans succumb to the beautiful nightmare of the Court, why they willingly drown in it."
"Three is an odd configuration of sisters. There's always one on the outside."
"I get why he chose her. I just wish she had chosen me."
"Welcome," says the Roach, "to the Court of Shadows."
"Father, I am what you made me. I've become your daughter after all."
Overall, I did enjoy my time reading this book, so I would probably rate it a 4.5⭐
• Loved the characters and the relationships within (mainly Maddoc/Jude's messy relationship).
• Loved the setting, and the atmosphere Holly Black created, in the world of Elfhame.
• Enjoyed a lot of the plot, and how it's now set up for the next book(s).
• I was left wanting a little bit in the writing, I wish some sentences were a little more complex. However, there were still some amazing quotes throughout that I really enjoyed.
Recommend? Yes, I would probably recommend this, depending on the person.
I have a feeling that once I'm done with all three books, that I'll probably consider it a favoruite - but we will see. I just loved the whimsical setting so much.
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
fraugremlin'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
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Classism
thejackalopeswarren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
diana_raquel'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: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, and Trafficking
nexusthegreat's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual content and War