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bookishkellyn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
- 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
If you loved the first book, you may hate this because it has a vastly different vibe. It’s written in split POV and features less gore but deals heavily with friendship, heartbreak, and grief. I absolutely loved all the character introspection this sequel provided.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Racism and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Abandonment
lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed the first book. Jane had such an engaging, funny voice, and she was really a character to root for. It is an intriguing alternate history, where zombies (called shamblers) rise from the dead on the battlefields of Gettysburg, and kill and bite/turn people. Black people are used as cannon fodder in the war against the dead, and young Black women can be trained to fight the dead and protect white women. In the sequel, after the town of Summerland falls to shamblers, Jane and her friends escape, but there is an immediate death that sends Jane into depression and on a quest for revenge (over a character that I did not think was remotely worth it, but love is weird). While the change in her character makes sense due to the plot, I really missed the old Jane's voice, and consequently didn't enjoy this book nearly as much. It didn't feel like there was a lot to this book, if that makes sense. On the plus side, we now have Katherine as a narrator, in addition to Jane, and I liked seeing her POV (and her ace rep). Katherine, and her loyalty to her best friend Jane, is the saving grace of this story. Ireland shows multiple races in the 1800s Western US and handles well the explanations of racism against Black people, and the stress that puts on them, just to survive. On the negative side, story lines feel half-fleshed out, characters that should interact don't, the pacing was uneven, and I'm not entirely comfortable with the way Ireland handled the discussion of the Chinese immigrants or the Native Americans. The book felt way too long for the amount of plot that actually happens. I was looking forward to this one, and unfortunately, I was disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
outtoexist's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5
This book was amazing!! It has some pacing issues, as any fantasy book pushing 700pg is going to, but overall I loved it. I loved the explicit aro/ace representation, and I appreciated that the only Indigenous representation got his own redemption arc. I also just adored the genuine love between the main characters, and having a chance to see behind Katherine's eyes. I feel like the first book of this duology get so much love, but this sequel deserves just as much!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Abandonment