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iforgotilivedhere's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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? No
3.25
I had fun with this. It’s not necessarily the most original fantasy book I’ve read but I still rather enjoyed it. I liked the characters for the most part. I see what Piper CJ is doing with this. SJM did the same with Throne of Glass which is start out slow and unoriginal and then EXPAND. I didn’t see the plot twist with Moirai coming and I didn’t see some of the other twists that Amaris had. I really want to see where this romance is gonna go because there’s so much potential!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
masoncasper's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
I really enjoyed this feminist, bisexual fantasy book that explored power and ownership as manipulative concepts. The characters were all amazing and the found family made my heart happy. It’s a lovely introduction and I’m looking forward to seeing where the world goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
sprossa's review against another edition
3.0
Oh where to begin? While the concept as a baseline for this story is really not bad, in fact I think it’s a pretty good concept, it’s execution definitely leaves you wanting. Obviously the editing issues are there, but past that there are some serious issues I take with the actual content.
For one, how has the author created a matriarchal society where in the book she refers to men as the “lesser sex” and yet misogyny and sexism is central to the story? Amaris and Nox’s development and storyline as it stands could not have progressed in any way without rampant misogyny and blatant sexism. If you are going to create a universe that is matriarchal, then having misogyny and sexism present really doesn’t make any sense.
Second, the depiction of Nox. I understand the authors desire to create a diverse story and claim a POC main character. But for Nox to be the only fleshed out POC in the entire novel, and for her be consistently and horrifically abused and tokenized was a terrible choice. From the beginning Nox is aware of her standing as a token in the orphanage she lives in. Then Nox is sold to a brothel where she is sexual assaulted daily! And the author decides to make her a succubus, insinuating that not only did she “need” the abuse to survive but that she enjoys is. This just plays into the jezebel stereotype that women of color face daily. Nox ends up feeling like she was made to be a woman of color just to provide diversity points for the book. She wasn’t written with any understanding of the experiences of WOC and that makes her physical attributes feel like they only exist to be the darkness to Amaris’s lightness.
If the author had taken the time to edit more thoroughly and engage sensitivity readers I think a lot of the controversy with this book could have been avoided. She had a solid idea and I would have been interested to see where the rest of the story goes, but as this book stands I couldn’t support this author and series.
For one, how has the author created a matriarchal society where in the book she refers to men as the “lesser sex” and yet misogyny and sexism is central to the story? Amaris and Nox’s development and storyline as it stands could not have progressed in any way without rampant misogyny and blatant sexism. If you are going to create a universe that is matriarchal, then having misogyny and sexism present really doesn’t make any sense.
Second, the depiction of Nox. I understand the authors desire to create a diverse story and claim a POC main character. But for Nox to be the only fleshed out POC in the entire novel, and for her be consistently and horrifically abused and tokenized was a terrible choice. From the beginning Nox is aware of her standing as a token in the orphanage she lives in.
If the author had taken the time to edit more thoroughly and engage sensitivity readers I think a lot of the controversy with this book could have been avoided. She had a solid idea and I would have been interested to see where the rest of the story goes, but as this book stands I couldn’t support this author and series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Blood
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
teadancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.75
I Adored This Book. I went into it knowing very little other than that I liked the author's online content and that it was a queer high fantasy book. I have 0 regrets about going in blind! There were twists and turns that I just wasn't expecting that had me putting the book down to process (a good thing) and then jumping back in to see what happened next. I absolutely lost sleep reading this book. I am now (im)patiently waiting for the next book in May! The ONLY reason I didn't give this a full 5 stars is because of some editorial issues that took me out of the book when reading.
A specific things that I appreciate about this book were the description of dissociation and mental health struggles. The characters felt very real in their struggles and coping mechanisms.
One thing that I was less a fan of was how the main characters grew up together in what felt like a sibling "us against the world" dynamic that then moved into a romantic relationship. I'm not a huge fan of this relationship arc, but do see how it works for these characters.
If you are a fan of a morally gray protagonist, coming into their own character arcs, political intrigue, and wonderful queer rep (without it being about being queer) - read this book!!!
One thing that I was less a fan of was how the main characters grew up together in what felt like a sibling "us against the world" dynamic that then moved into a romantic relationship. I'm not a huge fan of this relationship arc, but do see how it works for these characters.
If you are a fan of a morally gray protagonist, coming into their own character arcs, political intrigue, and wonderful queer rep (without it being about being queer) - read this book!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement