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persephonefoxx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
hello_lovely13'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
3.75
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
This was a fine book but it is definitely what I’d consider a romance focus with a light dusting of fantasy/magic elements. The fantasy elements are not explored or explained in any sort of depth. Though this is YA, it doesn’t compare to series like Shadow & Bone that gives you a vivid fantasy world with a true magic system. The focus is nearly wholly on the two main characters - both young journalists living in the capital or a fictional country at war. While war rages through their lands, it has not yet come to the capital and many believe it won’t. Their lives and interactions are the focus of this book, with a side quest/plot of the magical war that is apparently tearing society apart at the seams.
My issues with this book is that there are so many things that are really skipped over in service of the romance and to great detriment to the rest of the plot. While I commend the author for her creative way of introducing information (and doing it slowly) via letters, there simply is not enough to understand why the war is raging and what the rest of society is up to (we get a limited handful of side characters, most of which don’t drive the plot forward much).
There are more than a few plot holes - and it’s frustrating to get intrigued by a topic being introduced only to jump immediately to something else happening.
I will give props where deserved - I think the author does a nice job of conveying the brutality of war to a YA audience and setting up a compelling concept - who wouldn’t be intrigued by the concept of a world where the gods were at war and humans were being recruited to fight on their behalf?
I’m intrigued enough by the last ¼ of the book and the cliffhanger ending (which I’m mad about for other reasons but we don’t have time to get into that) that I will likely pick up the second book and hope that Ross treats us to a more developed fantasy world where her characters can truly shine.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying and Sexism
yuna23'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
4.5
Ce livre a été pour moi un monde que je pouvais me réfugier. Le livre a été tellement bien écrit que j'aimerais pouvoir écrire comme Roman et Iris écrivent.
En tout cas, j'aimerais ne pas trop m'étaler sur trop de détails de l'histoire, mais je l'ai vraiment aimé. Il m'a réellement transporté dans un monde de guerre et de lettre. C'était une nouvelle histoire avec des éléments que je n'ai pas l'habitude de lire et c'est ce que j'ai aimé.
En fait, je donnerai une note de 4.5, juste à cause de la scène explicite que je n'ai pas trop trouvé utile de le mettre (peut-être que vous serez en désaccord avec moi, ce qui est tout à fait normal), mais sinon, j'ai bien aimé le voyage que cette autrice m'a transporté.
Moderate: Sexual content
marlajanereads's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Sexual content
isabelle8794's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, and Sexual content
Minor: Child death, Cursing, and Death of parent
anasaffrin'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
5.0
Minor: Sexual content
eeagie01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Sexual content
justagir1'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
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and War
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition
3.5
“I don't think you realize how strong you are, because sometimes strength isn't swords and steel and fire, as we are so often made to believe. Sometimes it's found in quiet, gentle places.”
Hmmmm... This was a very... interesting book indeed. On one hand, I liked the premise of the romance. On the other, I felt like the worldbuilding was a bit confusing and could have been expanded upon more. The ending felt a bit sudden and rushed in my opinion. I think some interesting plots were dropped halfway through, which was a bit annoying. I feel like the pacing was a bit off as well, things were happening way too fast in this book. Maybe it's just the fact that I read a better academic rivals to lovers right before this. Oh well... it is what it is.
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Sexual content