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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
lsaunder0724's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Medical content, Death of parent, and Classism
writer_egreene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
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
ashconklin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
ladybug12793'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
Decent read with good plot and pretty writing. Some grammatical errors, though. Hated the ending. Made no logical sense. IYKYK
0-0.25 🌶️ closed door
Graphic: Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death
lauramparis's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
emerentina's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse and Kidnapping
elledanie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
mrsalexisrjones's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism