booksalacarte'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
2.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Confinement, Sexual content, and Torture
saramarinho'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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, and Physical abuse
samantha_blue'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: War, Murder, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide, Trafficking, and Torture
forgottencupoftea'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
3.0
It took around 170 pages to get to the good stuff. It shouldn't take this long for a book to get interesting! It's a real shame, as I was very intrigued by Keris and was interested in learning more about him! (I, unfortunately, can't say the same about Zarrah...)
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Suicide, and War
Minor: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
maira_h's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Zarrah and Keris were pretty average, to be honest. Zarrah was described as a well known warrior/ general but not much of her skills was being displayed. Same with Keris, he was said to be really clever but not much of his wit was being showcased. Their relationship was not really believable nor memorable, to me. They were constantly mentioning their desire for each other to the point that it felt more like lust rather than love– not that there's anything wrong with lust but I would have preferred more of an emotional connection first. (There was a spicy scene that took place through a window and I was a bit put off by it, to be honest.)
The plot at least was enjoyable to read about, mostly because this book took place right at the end of The Bridge Kingdom and spanned throughout the timeline of The Traitor Queen. Seeing glimpses of Aren and Lara was super fun. They stole the show even when they were not the main characters. Other than that, since we already knew what happened, I wasn't really surprised or shocked by certain revelations.
I was contemplating whether to continue on with the series but the last 3 chapters of the book was pretty interesting, so I guess l'll give the next one a chance.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
sami_leigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide
jnichols'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? No
3.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Suicide
sarah_cameron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, Violence, and War
kate_d_best's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Suicide, and Violence