jenner33's review against another edition
4.0
12/3/22: I enjoyed reading this book again. I agree with my assessment before. I like the characters and the storytelling.
12/5/18: The flow of this book is quite different compared to what I usually read. It was entertaining and I look forward to see how it turns out.
12/5/18: The flow of this book is quite different compared to what I usually read. It was entertaining and I look forward to see how it turns out.
lunarelle's review against another edition
5.0
It still remains one of my favorite books. I like Yelena. She's likeable because she's flawed like everyone else. Valek is irksome, but great as well. The story itself touches upon some very dark topics, but it's done well, in my opinion. Five stars only because I can't give it five and a half!
francium87's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jcantstopreading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Physical abuse
stef_hent_'s review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-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
4.75
The world building was the perfect amount to be understandable, but still detailed. I loved the unexpected romance. I need to reread this in case a sequel somehow exists. Original concept gone right!
wyemu's review against another edition
4.0
When creating a new series, worldbuilding is an integral part which can cause the series to sink or swim. Snyder has created, set-up, and explained with out overdoing it, how the world of her Study series functions. From the hierarchies and political dealings between the rulers of each house, to the way in which magic is viewed and dealt with, everything needs to be set up carefully and well if a series is to be born. Yelena makes a good character to explore, there's clearly a lot going on with her, however, some of it is a bit typical in the sense of the difficult past and then the discovery on previously unknown powers which will push her into the centre of the action. Not to mention the issues of who she can trust, who she falls in love with etc. Some parts of it were a little cliched with respect to those things, but Snyder handled it well and prevented it from becoming too much of an eye-rolling experience. Could be tempting to read more, and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the type of fantasy world Snyder has created, but it's not something I want to invest my time into.