nxssistr'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
Leigh Bardugo erzählt eine Geschichte von sechs Außenseitern mit eigenen Motiven, Bedürfnissen, Traumata und Zielen. Jede Figur durchläuft ihre eigene Geschichte, kämpft gegen innere Dämonen und wird mit Schwächen konfrontiert. Dabei verliert das Buch nie an Spannung. Jedes Kapitel beginnt interessant und lässt die Lesenden mit dem Wunsch zurück, umblättern zu wollen.
Das Beziehungsgeflecht ist unheimlich interessant gestaltet, ebenso die Art wie die Charaktere Vertrauen zueinander entwickeln oder auch verlieren.
Obwohl die Kapitel von Er-Sie-Erzählperspektiven getragen werden, hat jede Figur eine eigene Erzählstimme, die zu der jeweiligen Person passt.
Ich liebe außerdem die Art der Repräsentation, die dieses Buch abbildet. Da ist der Roman ein tolles Beispiel dafür, wie gute und organische Repräsentation aussieht.
Die Handlung ist klug konzipiert. Dabei muss ich jedoch sagen, dass ich manchmal die Orientierung verloren habe, wer nun wie involviert ist und welche Aufgabe hat. Alle waren hin und wieder verwirrt, mich eingeschlossen. Am Ende haben mich die dichten Dialoge und fesselnden Szenen aber immer wieder schnell zurückgezogen.
Jetzt, wo wir die Figuren und ihre Fähigkeiten kennen (und lieben), habe ich die Hoffnung, dass Band 2 noch eine Schippe drauflegen kann. Ich bin gespannt, wo es die Figuren jetzt hinführt, nachdem sie damit konfrontiert wurden, dass das was sie immer wollten nicht zwangsweise dem entspricht, was sie tatsächlich brauchen. Es gibt neue Ziele, gelernte Lektionen und brenzlige Hindernisse und ich freue mich darauf zu erfahren, wie die Autorin diese in Crooked Kingdom verarbeitet.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Sexism, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Child death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Racism, and Torture
kiwisandtea'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
Graphic: Death, Child death, Violence, Murder, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gun violence
Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Grief
Minor: Classism, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Kidnapping, Ableism, and Child abuse
natyourusual_'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
2.0
Spoiler
Okay so I have one major gripe with this book and it’s the Nina/Matthias romance. He is a former witch hunter and she’s Grisha. The horrendous things we see from him and his ilk throughout the story are absolutely disgusting. He’s essentially former gestapo yet we’re supposed to be rooting for him to get with someone he was going to torture and murder on several occasions. Even after they’re into each other and they see the burnt corpses of her people, he has the audacity to say to her “have you ever considered that you were never meant to exist?” Like, I get that he “grows” and realizes that maybe everything he was taught was propaganda and wrong, but he also pulls the “killing Hitler means you’re as bad as him” argument when he stops Nina from killing his genocidal mentor. I just think a lot of that arc was not good and I hated it. Them being friends and him growing and then helping her stop more of her people being murdered by helping her end (read: kill) the main cause of that violence would have been a better arc. No romance, though, ever. I cannot stand this type of romance. </spoilerGraphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Cursing, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Slavery, and Ableism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
darcona's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, and War
lelekochka's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: War, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Death, Slavery, Genocide, Gore, Trafficking, Grief, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Blood, Sexual assault, Genocide, Classism, Drug use, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Cannibalism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, and Drug abuse
ghoststations'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, War, Gore, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Child death, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Gore, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Blood
Casual use of the word "cripple", with the context that the books is written by a disabled author.sginnaw'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: Gun violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Racism, Drug use, and Genocide
Moderate: Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, War, Addiction, and Cursing
Minor: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
sarah_hutchins'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Torture, Slavery, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, and Cursing
elizareign'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? Yes
4.0
I don’t particularly gravitate towards fantasy books but after all the hype I’ve seen this book get I had to check it out for myself. I’m so glad I did because this book is truly for anyone who loves the found family trope and a good heist. Admittedly, the lingo is a bit confusing as first if you haven’t read the Shadow & Bone trilogy but it’s not impossible to understand by any means. I would also say it had a slow start (hence the four stars) but after about 5 chapters you really start to get into it and form a connection with these characters. Overall, this book will make for a delightful reread in the future.
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Grief, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
lorenmarie7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Slavery, Addiction, Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Child death, Drug use, and Violence