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boba_nbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This gorgeous novel takes readers on a fantastical journey throughout the djinn world in the Middle East: Daevabad. Told through two perspectives, one insider and one outsider, you slowly learn more about the politics and racial tensions between the different tribes of djinn and the half-breed shafit.
Tensions run high, and allegiances will be tested as both POVs learn to navigate the world of Daevabad. Everything is not as black and white as it seems. Who can they trust? And how can they tell what is right?
You will absolutely fall in love with this world and the characters who inhabit it. I’m immediately picking up book two because I have to know what happens right now.
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I tackled this book as part of a book club (Lighthouse Library thicc bois :) ). It wasn't something I had heard of before that. It starts off set in Cairo with a young woman of unknown origin who is a theif, swindler and survivor, and who has a mysterious healing talent and the ability to understand languages, which she hides to avoid people thinking her a dangerous witch.
Her world is upended when she utters some words of power while doing a faith healing scam, and unexpectedly summons something to her. This leads to her and a big scary soldier guy on the run from murderous ghouls and ifrits. She learns of the world of Daeva and Djinns and journeys to find sanctuary in a magical hidden city, all the while being hunted and tracked by mysterious forces and magical creatures.
Having read a children's translation of the Persian epic Shahnameh, some of the creatures and names were familiar to me. I did keep wondering if Nahri's uncle had an epic warhorse called Rakhsh. I find that I clearly have a lot more grounding in the myths of the Pacific Islands, the Mediterranean, Europe and the British Isles, and need to read more mythic stories from other parts of the world. This story weaves together myth from many places in Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, South and East Asia. Thematically it pits Tradtions, family, individualism, duty, and survival together in a story that sets up a world that I feel is yet to be explored and played in. That's quite a big book for an intro!
The main character is antiheroic. She is a thief, a liar, and a con-artist. She is used to not having a lot and needing to swindle what she can, and so she is out of her depth when she is cast into a palace with opulence at all turns. She is under no illusions that everyone has their own agenda, and that appearances are often skin-deep. It can make for slippery footing as you try to come to grips with a story where there are centuries of history, of alliances and rivalry.
As far as the elemental magic goes, it's generally coherent. The story has some curiosities but non of the "surprises" are overly so. I'm interested to wade into the world and see a little more.
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Excrement
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Dementia, Kidnapping, Abandonment, and Classism
corvusastrum's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
I was on the fence throughout most of this book. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. The ending absolutely changed that though and makes me think that this is a villain origin story, because both Nahri and especially Dara are horrible and I don't know in which universe I could/should like them.
I don't know what she sees in him. He's utterly psychotic, and has been a jerk from the very beginning. I don't care that they spent a month travelling together, or that he's oh so good looking. He tried to marry her off so she can produce offspring. He tried to kidnap her by threatening to kill her (only) friend and would have succeeded. He mercilessly killed over 20 soldiers in front of her eyes, and after all thag she STILL loves him. Woman. Does he have to ram the red flag into your f a c e?
Anyway, as said, most of this book was okay to me. Nothing much happened, but the writing was rather pleasant and I admittedly like the concept of the story, though I would have liked seeing a bit more of the other djinn tribes. A bit of a pet peeve of mine is all the sexism in this book. I understand it's realistic, I just have personal issue with it and it gives me a very sour taste reading. I also really like that this story takes place outside of the USA or Great Britain for once, it's very refreshing to get a glimpse into another culture.
Sadly I won't be continuing this series, for as much as I like Ali, I don't want to put up with Nahri or Dara ever again.
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Rape
hurricane_noel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Biphobia, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Alcohol
madamenovelist'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
laurareads87'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, and Sexual assault
kerrygetsliterary'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
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ok7a's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and War
macknificent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was fine with only reading one of the books until I got to the very end, now I'll need to read the next entry in the trilogy. I'm not mad it's just a rather cliche trick to pull.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, War, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Islamophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Religious bigotry
kueki'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment