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roguebiblio's review against another edition
3.0
I like the LGBTQ+ representation and the diversity in this book, but in all honesty I felt ambivalent about the plot and characters. I couldn’t get a solid grasp on the world, either.
bean_222's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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
3.0
romanticalrj's review against another edition
5.0
SPOILERS LATER IN REVIEW - WILL GIVE WARNING
I previously read Of Fire and Stars by the same author, and liked it, but wasn't supremely impressed by it. I wasn't expecting much more from this book, but I was really craving some sapphic fantasy, so I picked it up anyways.
I am SO glad I did.
I wasn't immediately drawn in by the characters at the beginning of the book when I started it over spring break, and so I stopped reading it for several weeks. The book begins with Ina and Asra already in a relationship, and without any build up, I couldn't really find a connection to their relationship or story. However, I ended up pushing through a couple weeks later, and completely changed my mind.
The book evolved into an epic story of fantasy, betrayal, love, and family, and it was AMAZING. I actually can't get over how surprised I am that I loved this book. The writing was absolutely gorgeous; every description allowed me to taste the world inside the book. The writing of the characters was absolutely splendid, and really took into account the reality of humanity for every single character, in the sense that people make choices based on what they believe is good in the moment even if it turns out to have disastrous consequences.
Basically I loved absolutely everything about this book, from the fantasy, to the writing, to the characters, to the character arcs, the plot development, the lessons learned, the observations on humanity, and the discovery of family. Did not seem trope-y or cliche at all, despite having some well known story tools (like chosen family, chosen one gets pushed out of home by extenuating circumstance). Everything about it was simply and completely lovely. I was pleasantly surprised by how hard I fell for this book.
SPOILERS
I also absolutely adored how Asra's relationship with Hal evolved throughout the story, and how he ended up becoming her family after becoming her best friend. I also loved how Asra ended up with the little baby (despite Ina being.... Ina). The little family they made was so sweet, and I absolutely fell in love with the three of them.
And despite hating Ina from the beginning, I actually grew to kind of like and understand her by the end of the book. And I was strangely glad when it was revealed that she had grown to love Hal's sister. It was another one of those moments that revealed that even villains can find love, and no one is the villain of their own story. Ina wasn't doing evil for the sake of it - she believed she was doing what was right, even though it hurt Asra.
END OF SPOILERS
I previously read Of Fire and Stars by the same author, and liked it, but wasn't supremely impressed by it. I wasn't expecting much more from this book, but I was really craving some sapphic fantasy, so I picked it up anyways.
I am SO glad I did.
I wasn't immediately drawn in by the characters at the beginning of the book when I started it over spring break, and so I stopped reading it for several weeks. The book begins with Ina and Asra already in a relationship, and without any build up, I couldn't really find a connection to their relationship or story. However, I ended up pushing through a couple weeks later, and completely changed my mind.
The book evolved into an epic story of fantasy, betrayal, love, and family, and it was AMAZING. I actually can't get over how surprised I am that I loved this book. The writing was absolutely gorgeous; every description allowed me to taste the world inside the book. The writing of the characters was absolutely splendid, and really took into account the reality of humanity for every single character, in the sense that people make choices based on what they believe is good in the moment even if it turns out to have disastrous consequences.
Basically I loved absolutely everything about this book, from the fantasy, to the writing, to the characters, to the character arcs, the plot development, the lessons learned, the observations on humanity, and the discovery of family. Did not seem trope-y or cliche at all, despite having some well known story tools (like chosen family, chosen one gets pushed out of home by extenuating circumstance). Everything about it was simply and completely lovely. I was pleasantly surprised by how hard I fell for this book.
SPOILERS
I also absolutely adored how Asra's relationship with Hal evolved throughout the story, and how he ended up becoming her family after becoming her best friend. I also loved how Asra ended up with the little baby (despite Ina being.... Ina). The little family they made was so sweet, and I absolutely fell in love with the three of them.
And despite hating Ina from the beginning, I actually grew to kind of like and understand her by the end of the book. And I was strangely glad when it was revealed that she had grown to love Hal's sister. It was another one of those moments that revealed that even villains can find love, and no one is the villain of their own story. Ina wasn't doing evil for the sake of it - she believed she was doing what was right, even though it hurt Asra.
END OF SPOILERS
socorro44's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lesbrary's review against another edition
2.0
This is just purely my own subjective experience. I don't think it was a bad book, but it didn't work for me, at least in audio format. I lost track of what was happening, and although I liked elements of it, my overall feelings are "it was okay." Which is too bad, because I adored Of Fire and Stars.
(Full review at the Lesbrary to come.)
(Full review at the Lesbrary to come.)
wellingtonestatelibrary's review against another edition
4.0
I ended up enjoying this a lot more than I had expected to! The plot and characters were compelling from the start, and the magic system was fresh and interesting. I didn't realize, when I pre-ordered it, that it was a prequel to an existing book, but I will definitely be picking up Of Fire and Stars in the near future.
ken_untitled'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? No
3.5
cynthia_nobear's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, and Torture
celina_666's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
I must admit. I had a hard time beginning this, but once that was over it went really smoothly.