chronicacademia's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Moderate: Stalking, Animal death, Ableism, Death, Grief, Blood, Gore, Pregnancy, Infertility, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, and War
crystalunvrs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Xenophobia, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Body horror, Blood, Slavery, Murder, Miscarriage, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
volsungreads'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, War, Ableism, Blood, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Addiction, Infertility, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Abortion
georgialee01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Infertility, Sexual content, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, and Death
kyleighf'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? No
5.0
World building was long and drawn out and at times in the first 200 pages I’d wonder how the heck I was to remember so much detail. Maps and timelines and more maps and a glossary(!) and an index of people. Plus 4 different narrators with subtle indication of who was at the forefront each chapter.
This book was a test of my strength, memory, will, stubbornness, but it will forever be worth it.
Some of the BEST LGBTQ+ representation I’ve read, and that’s not even close to the focus of the story. It’s refreshing to read about a sapphic couple who are not a plot point in the story but treated as any heterosexual couple would be.
I think this was the first time I put down a book to start another in the middle which is part of why it took so long, but I’m so glad I powered through.
Characters are fleshed out, the character development is immaculate and to die for. The ending leaves you satisfied but curious. Everything wraps up sensibly and doesn’t feel forced. Pieces intertwine and disconnect and intertwine, it’s very satisfying to watch the threads build a tapestry.
Here’s to (eventually) reading the prequel. Not anytime soon, but eventually.
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Pregnancy, and War
caoimhe9876's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Miscarriage, War, Torture, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
internationalreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Spoiler
anyone who was raised to believe certain thousands-years-old truths, let alone a queen and nobles whose entire existence is based on those truths, would believe that their religion is all a lie immediately. Similarly, all of the political leaders coming together incredibly easily to fight the Nameless One at the end, after thousands of years of political estrangement??Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and War
booksjessreads'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? No
5.0
This is my first high fantasy book and I loved every single page. Despite being initially intimidated by its size, I absolutely sailed through it because I was addicted. Every single page had me hooked. I have not felt the thrill of reading a fantastic book for a long time and it made me feel like a giddy child wanting to find out what happened all the time.
The writing is phenomenal. It has such detailed, yet comprehensive world-building and it doesn't feel forced, or like the author is info-dumping. Furthermore, the world that Shannon has crafted is just wonderful. There is so much lore in this world and it has been so intricately thought out. It felt so immersive and learning about the world was not tedious and only served as interesting to me as the reader.
The characters are so well thought-out and completely human, believable and three dimensional. There is great character growth and I think my favourite thing about this, was that despite being told from 4 different points of view, each character felt relevant and I liked them all. I hate it in books where you have multiple POV's and one or two feel irrelevant or they are just unbearable narrators. This never happened and the story was enriched from every perspective.
A sapphic and feminist work of art that has dragons in, I mean, what more could you want?
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Miscarriage, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
jodean'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: Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Murder, Grief, Deportation, Blood, Abandonment, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: War, Sexism, Medical content, Infertility, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Drug use
o_mcg318'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? No
5.0
Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, Miscarriage, and War