The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
dwinn5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I love the way that the author portrays war in this series. It’s horrible, gritty, traumatic, and tragic and craps all over the idea that there is some kind of glory in war. That whole message comes mostly from Max’s personal development, I think, which leads me to my next point, which is that Max is one of my favorite fantasy men ever, and maybe even one of my favorite characters ever.
My Max rant:
I think too often, male fantasy characters-especially if they are warriors/soldiers, like Max- are thrust into the same stoic, serious archetype that prevents them from feeling like a full person. And even when they experience emotion, it feels stilted and shallow. It was refreshing to see a male character who experienced the full breadth of emotions, who had tried so hard to be “tough” and militant the way he knew he was supposed to be, but ultimately failed because he had always had a soft heart. But at the same time, it didn’t make him any less of a powerful character or undercut his powers- only his motivations/willingness to do things. On the flip side, a lot of the male fantasy characters with the sort of unshakable morals that Max possesses come off as condescending or holier-than-thou, and even when Max did wield some sort of moral superiority, he did it with enough humor and willingness to admit when he’s wrong that it never came across that way to me.
He’s a flawed, feeling, human character that I just loved. Also he was hilarious- definitely the funniest lead fantasy man I’ve ever read.
A couple miscellaneous things I really enjoyed about the series:
-I LOVE when the “villains” don’t really seem to fit the title. This has some true moral greyness to it, and even when I vehemently disagreed with character’s methods, I always understood exactly why they did it.
-Carissa does a great job of setting up the stakes of the story in a way that is believable and increases the intensity of the story to keep you invested. The stakes never felt manufactured or overblown to me- which I think had a lot to do with her willingness to absolutely decimate her characters, lol.
Anyway, long story short- I think a lot more people should be reading this series.
Graphic: War, Death, Grief, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder
katvou's review
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Slavery, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Child death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Alcohol
aklovekorn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Body horror, Classism, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Cursing, Gore, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, War, Death, Dysphoria, and Fire/Fire injury
ashley30sawatzky's review against another edition
5.0
I never could decide which side of the conflict I actually stood on. Everyone was so morally grey. No one in this book was free from sin or mistakes, but everyone wanted to accomplish something important and worthwhile. I sympathized and understood both sides. There was no obvious "villian" and that made it so much more.
I cried so often, my heart feeling like it was constantly breaking. There was so much pain, raw and real.
I don't want to spoil anything for anyone but if you've read Daughter of No Worlds and Children of Fallen Gods then this end is EVERYTHING.
And if you are finding this book and wondering if this series is worth a try, it absolutely is!
Max, Tisaanah and Aefe have a special place in my heart. This book was absolutely amazing!
Moderate: Blood, Death, Genocide, Kidnapping, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War