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shellballenger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
What made me pick it up: Maas sucked me in with ACOTAR and now I just want more of the Maasverse and let's be honest, to prepare for the interconnection of all her literary worlds.
Overall rating: I think one of my favorite things about Maas is how they can create a world and all of these beautiful, broken, horrific, relatable characters but still make you feel like you're transported a million miles away while you read. 'Queen of Shadows' was another builder for me. Honestly, it wasn't until the last one hundred pages or so that I was literally sitting there gasping, squirming, screaming, and frustrated. I don't think 'Queen of Shadows' sucked me in as much as some of the earlier in the series, but I did really like that we got so many varying perspectives and experiences. We also get some great backstory and additional insight on multiple characters, which is always nice. Overall, not mad. It's not a throw-across-the-room book by any means, but I feel like we're getting to a place where the story is going to stab me in the heart here soon.
EDITED TO ADD: I've had a couple days to think on 'Queen of Shadows' and I'm getting angrier that literally all the good parts are stuffed into the last 150 pages or so. Grrrrrr.
Reader's Note: 'Queen of Shadows' includes themes of death, dying, forced pregnancy, kidnapping/capture, and torture.
My extended reading time of 'Queen of Shadows' has nothing to do with the content and more to do with the fact that I was working through buying and selling our house when I started. My nights and weekends were spent packing instead of in Rifthold. If I squished all my reading sessions together, it'd be about two weeks' worth.
Moderate: Death, Torture, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
jessicakauffman15'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Vomit, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Drug use, Genocide, Sexual content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
hxlleann'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
5.0
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
jmitschke's review against another edition
4.0
The only reason this one isn’t closer to five stars for me is that I started getting really bored with the big bad guys. Way too much time was spent on the villains and their evils; I would have much preferred that narrative focus on any of the badass leading ladies.
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Torture
librarybookfamily's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Child death, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
This book references sex, but not in a graphic way. The characters list for each other but don’t actually fulfill those desires. Minor storyline dealing with pregnancy and a miscarriage. Lots of blood and carnage, but she’s an assassin and they’re fighting a war.mrsjburgin'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
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and War
unboundbooklover'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: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
booksemmahasread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
eleek0609's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
raeann_barnes'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: Child death and Torture