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mysimas's review
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was ok.
What I liked:
What I liked:
- Lots of female characters, absolute equality of sexes, queer rep (polyamory, nb character)
- Flawed, imperfect older female lead who nonetheless had some admirable qualities and whose journey was rendered with depth
- The whole idea of sleeping gods, towers reaching to their sleeping places, winged warriors
- Some of the fight scenes (the fight in the air and the fight against the Tooth were my favourites!)
What I disliked:
- Who is Zemolai, our lead? What are her hobbies, why isn’t she shown having fun with any friends or lovers? All she does is work work work, her whole character is built around her one conflict. I read one similar book earlier this year (in themes, if not genre or setting) — Foxlowe, where the protagonist was shown in a way more humanising light.
- The paper-thinness of literally every other character in this book. Even Vodaya who’s supposed to be Zemolai’s whole world — the scenes of support, tenderness, as well as cruel abuse are all there but I never quite ‘felt’ them. They were all the same, Vodaya pushing Zemolai beyond some physical or psychological limit, breaking her a little, then praising her.
- The shallowness of the worldbuilding. Zemolai scarcely leaves her sect’s tower and so do we. We know nothing about this world besides that there are sleeping gods, their towers and the warring groups of their followers.
Might come up with more points eventually.
Overall, I think the idea of this book is worthwhile but I wish it was integrated in a story and characters’ relationships rather than worn straight on the sleeve. Give me things to feel and fangirl about and stop hitting me over the head with the preaching.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Body horror and Torture
woolerys's review
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 3/5
Characters - 3/5
World-building - 4/5
Personal tastes - 4/5
TOTAL: 3.6
Following a recent(?) trend of speculative fiction about fascism, this novel takes the angle of focusing on abusive relationships, on both a micro and a macro level. I found it a poignant portrait with just a touch of thoughtful philosophizing on cities, community, the search for knowledge, and faith.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Drug use, Torture, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Death and Self harm
Wide-ranging content warning for abusive relationship between an authority figure and their charge. But, no sexual abuse.sarrie's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
TL;DR: An intense and dark story about a women untangling her faith and herself from an abusive relationship and society.
Zemolai is a winged warrior in service of the Mecha God in the city of Radezhda, where the people build towers to reach their sleeping gods. After a brief lapse ‘in judgement’ Zemolai is cast down, her wings ripped from her, and she is left for dead. What follows is her coming to grips with what her life was ultimately in service too. We follow both this timeline and how Zemolai became winged, and the toxic, abusive relationship that destroyed and remade her.
This book was intense, I can’t emphasize that enough. The focus on the book is much less on the world, the gods, and much more on Zemolai and her reckoning with her faith and relationships. Zemolai is the victim of abuse and manipulation by her mentor Vodaya and we see that on page, graphicly. Gaslighting, physical and emotional abuse, abuse of power, it all happens and breaks Zemolai down so far as to loose her family, and turn on those that helped raise her.
If you aren’t ready for something that’s simply exhausting at times from the amount of loss and abuse, this is a definite skip. But if you’re willing to read through that this payoff is great for Zemolai and the final scenes really stick with you.
3.5 Heretical Books out of 5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and War
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
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