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blewballoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this adventure a lot! I loved having an older and more experienced fantasy protagonist, I loved the diverse cast of characters, and I had fun being immersed in cultures and locations that aren't as familiar to me as typical fantasy settings. I think this book delivered solidly on its premise and my expectations were definitely met. I am not sure why, but despite all that, I had a slow time reading this. I found myself having to force a little to pick it up, and it wasn't until I felt like I was nearing the end that I began to read with more momentum. I am not sure why this was, since the book is fairly action packed throughout. It may be that I got lost a little in the unfamiliar terms and creatures? I'm not sure. This is more of a personal issue that I have with some romance books as well, but I found Amina's horniness and ogling of the males around her to be off-putting. I was mildly disgusted that she had sex with her "demon" husband again towards the end of the book after everything we know he has done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Vomit, and War
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
- mid-aged badass main character
- who is also a mother
- swashbuckling pirate adventures
- ancient magic
- reunited found family
- celestial/magical beings
- LGBTQIA+ representation
This book has a wonderful central theme about the complexity and depth of being a woman. How we contain multitudes. How someone can be both a mother and also want to pursue adventure and their own dreams.
The first half is a bit slow, and there's a lot of character set up before the plot gets going. But honestly the characters are so fun, & I really love the dynamic between Amina and her crew. The second half really gets intense and interesting and I didn't want to put it down. There's kiiiiiind of an enemies to lovers thing, it's hard to describe without giving much away: Amina's fourth husband and her are estranged for *reasons* and when he shows back up there is a lot of general animosity, exasperated dialogue and tension which will likely continue through the series. The ending of the main plot is fairly resolved, but it sets up very well for the rest of a series, which I am excited to read.
1.5/5 🌶️ (closed door) My personal preference would be a bit spicier (because Raksh is HOT), but maybe it will go there in future books idk?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, Slavery, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Dysphoria
Minor discussion of rape in historical context, and Amina is threatened to be SA at one point (which doesn't happen)