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missfitz'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
lenorenore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
cozy_tea_reader'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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
mobymaize'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
4.5
Planning on reading the sequels at some point!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Main character uses magic by through self harm. Just a heads up.nat20charisma's review against another edition
5.0
This book had a satisfying conclusion, but I know it’s a trilogy. I’m curious where the second book is going to take off…
Would not recommend for anyone with a history of self harm. The magic system requires users to cut themselves and use their blood.
Graphic: Self harm and Blood
Moderate: War
Minor: Rape
Attempted Rape at the beginning of the book, and a mention of an attempted rape that ended in murder. Neither is descriptive and each is short. Magic is blood magic; lots of mentions and descriptions of blood and cutting.mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Kell, one of the book's two chief protagonists, has the exceedingly rare ability to travel between the worlds. Lila, the other main protagonist, is a cutpurse whom readers are clearly meant to find likable. I did. I liked both the main characters considerably. I came close to liking the book very much, but stopped short and merely liked it.
Two things put me off. Firstly, the level and amount of brutality exceeded my comfort zone. Secondly, to me, the book felt manipulative. The book's popularity indicates my reaction is atypical, so don't attach much weight to this. I like to care about characters in stories and to react emotionally to fictional events, but, with "A Darker Shade of Magic," I sometimes felt those reactions were scripted by the author. For instance, spoiler warning for details,
Three and a half out of five shaded stars.
(*) The second sentence, which describes a coat, is: "It had neither one side, which would be conventional, nor two, which would be unexpected, but *several*, which was, of course, impossible." The sentence wants to establish say that this is no ordinary coat, nor even a reversible coat, but instead a magical coat. I tripped up because I consider ordinary coats as having an inside and an outside, plus a front and a back, plus a left and a right, i.e. multiple ways that an ordinary coat has more than one side. I'd consider this a minor stumble later on in the story, but it was offputting for the second sentence.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
Graphic: Torture and Violence
Moderate: Rape
daniella_lo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Rape and Sexual harassment
veronicabaily's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Child death and War
Minor: Rape
rowbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Death
Minor: Rape
zoeelora'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Self harm, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail