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gwynnfox's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The complex relationships of war-time is very well written. The magic of the world is easy to understand and unique. They seem to keep forgetting that the main character, who holds thousands of lives in her hands is 16 years old, but the worst part is the supposed romance. There is 0 chemistry between Mare and Cal. Their feelings for each other is unbelievable. The most chemistry Mare ever had with anyone is Maven, and he's a douche and a half. Even Shade and Farley have no chemistry. The pairings don't seem to match up well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism
micaelamariem's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
I absolutely loved finally diving back into this world and seeing how Mare’s journey progresses. I’m always a sucker for YA fantasy and dystopians, so I probably will always rate them highly, but I didn’t want to stop reading this. Lately, though I’ve always loved a redemption arc, I’ve been loving the exploration of when it’s okay to do some morally gray things and when do we turn into monsters if that’s who we’re trying to defeat? Mare’s grip on her own morality and her learning to love and trust again are the biggest themes of this book. I loved meeting new characters and getting more depth in the old ones. I didn’t like Cal in the first book, but now I’m in love! And I don’t hate Kilorn anymore. And I have a deeper understanding of Farley. Though there may be animosity between characters, I’m sensing some found family vibes coming and I am so here for it. Though the ending was such a disheartening cliffhanger, that I’m almost scared to start the next book! (Good thing I don’t have it yet I guess eh?)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Animal death, Slavery, Pregnancy, and Abandonment