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1_800_fuck_off's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.75
in all its glory, this book should be a five-star read for me. the world-building, the story-telling, the plot, the writing style—all of it! amazing! i’d love to continue the series, and i will as soon as i find the time to go pick the rest of the books up, but i can’t shake off the feeling that there was something missing.
i think it had to do with the connections the characters shared with one another. something was lacking. i would read how they would feel, but i wasn’t able to connect with it. it didn't feel genuine, though i’m not sure why. perhaps because it appeared that a character would place less importance on a long-standing close friendship than on a recent romantic possibility? i have no idea. i still thought the characters were fantastic, though. they were all so charming in their own unique ways, and they all had such endearing traits.
the fact that the book's major plot twist was actually rather obvious toward the end of the book was another element that i felt was a little bit lacking. i'm not sure if that was the author's intention, but when it became clear thatcaeden was tal'kamar , i wasn't shocked, surprised, or even flabbergasted hehe.
additionally, even though the book kept me entertained as i read it, it never really enthralled me, and i'm not sure why. this book fulfills every mark i enjoy in a high fantasy book featuring cisgender, heterosexual protagonists. nonetheless, i’m eager to get into the next two novels in the series.
i think it had to do with the connections the characters shared with one another. something was lacking. i would read how they would feel, but i wasn’t able to connect with it. it didn't feel genuine, though i’m not sure why. perhaps because it appeared that a character would place less importance on a long-standing close friendship than on a recent romantic possibility? i have no idea. i still thought the characters were fantastic, though. they were all so charming in their own unique ways, and they all had such endearing traits.
the fact that the book's major plot twist was actually rather obvious toward the end of the book was another element that i felt was a little bit lacking. i'm not sure if that was the author's intention, but when it became clear that
additionally, even though the book kept me entertained as i read it, it never really enthralled me, and i'm not sure why. this book fulfills every mark i enjoy in a high fantasy book featuring cisgender, heterosexual protagonists. nonetheless, i’m eager to get into the next two novels in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
there’s too many to remember im sorry these are just the main ones i do remembersaltycoffee's review against another edition
This book is a meal without taste. Incredible plot convenience mixed with characters so paper thin they're made of tissue paper made this story overwhelmingly flavorless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
shadereads's review against another edition
I can't quite put a finger on what bugged me about this book, probably because there were multiple things that all added up to me not wanting to continue. For one, the book is massive, but the catalyst happened in the first 50 pages. That feels too quick. I would have liked a little more time getting to know the 'before' life before such drastic changes happened in their lives, and just get to know the characters in general and how the magic system worked.
For two, I didn't enjoy how the main female lead was being treated. She had her life basically taken away from her before she had a chance, and has seen nothing but trauma and death since the story started. There was a whole chapter that could have been taken out involving her, because it feels like it gave too much away too quickly, leaving little intrigue to get invested in, because we already know who is shady and who we shouldn't trust.
Overall, if this was trying to be like The Wheel of Time or Brandon Sanderson, I don't think it hit that mark for me. It's probably one of those books that's long for the sake of being long.
For two, I didn't enjoy how the main female lead was being treated. She had her life basically taken away from her before she had a chance, and has seen nothing but trauma and death since the story started. There was a whole chapter that could have been taken out involving her, because it feels like it gave too much away too quickly, leaving little intrigue to get invested in, because we already know who is shady and who we shouldn't trust.
Overall, if this was trying to be like The Wheel of Time or Brandon Sanderson, I don't think it hit that mark for me. It's probably one of those books that's long for the sake of being long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Hate crime and Forced institutionalization
iono's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Grief