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chrisljm'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
I love how this sequel builds upon the world we’re shown in the first book, but from a completely new setting and perspective, so despite how familiar it is, it’s still a unique experience.
In the first book we see through the POV of the elite and the magical city they live in, while in this we read the story through the lens of regular citizens who live in the shadows far below the city in the sky, more removed from the gods, where suddenly one day a large tree blooms and integrates into their lives. The events of the first book seemed so cosmic and important, and so it’s fascinating to see how in this book majority of the citizens aren’t even aware of the events that transpired with the gods and the specific reasons why their lives have changed so drastically.
I enjoyed this book far more than the first. The plot was gripping, and ultimately so <i>sad</i>. If I were to have been the author of this novel, I'm not sure what choices I would've made, the conclusions I would've settled on. I don't disagree with the decisions in this book but I just hate (in the most neutral sense) how sad it was.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Rape, Slavery, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Incest, Slavery, Vomit, and War
debthebookworm'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
5.0
Seeing Shadow, Sky, and all the gods and godlings through Oree's eyes painted such an interesting picture. N.K. once again created a beautifully vivid new world for readers to get lost in, and the plot was so good. I still marvel to think this was her debut series.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Kidnapping
Minor: Ableism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
ecmbeanie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
risaleel'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
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Grief, Pregnancy, and War
mlynch133'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Incest, and Cannibalism
Minor: Slavery, Torture, Pregnancy, and War
achingallover'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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Everyone has a past in a way that makes them feel real, like we have a snapshot of their lives and they were here before and will continue on afterwards. This, to me, is a hallmark of a well-written story with complex characters. Oree and Madding had a relationship in the past which has echoes now, but their current dynamic is clearly different than what it must have been before the story started. Shiny knows various people and gods in ways that speak to past relationships, whether casual or intimate, and we have enough information to inform our understanding of what is unsaid, but without constantly explaining backstory.
In trilogies, especially in series that are intended as trilogies by the time book two is written, there is usually a problem where book two isn't complete enough to stand on its own. Even in series I love, I've noticed this problem, and usually book three makes up for it in terms of the strength of the trilogy as a whole. But not here, book three won't have anything to atone for; The Broken Kingdoms is rich, complex, full enough to stand on its own while also building on the history from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.
Oree feels like a distinct voice from Yeine, in book 1. Her focus is different, her concerns are different, and her approach to obstacles is grittier, more direct. She is functionally blind, and I appreciated how her comparison between the magical sight she does have and what she guesses ordinary sight must be like made sense in context. It would have been easy for her (as a character written by a sighted person) to continually opine on what seeing must be like, but instead she only discusses it when she has magical sight and uses parts of the language around ordinary sight to try and get a better description of the unique manner of her sight.
It felt so good to read this book. I loved every minute of it and I'm very excited for The Kingdom of Gods.
Graphic: Sexual content and Suicide
Moderate: Ableism, Death, and Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault
CW for ableism, suicide, sexual assault, slavery, death.