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jesse_t2003's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Ik was zo bang om hieraan te beginnen vanwege het aantal pagina's, maar jeetje wat ben ik blij dat ik het heb gedaan. Dit is echt een van de beste boeken die ik ooit heb gelezen en waarschijnlijk zullen er ook weinig boeken overheen gaan. Doordat het zoveel pagina's had was er tijd om elk detail mega goed uit te leggen als het ook maar een beetje betekenis had, en dat was zo goed gedaan, echt niet normaal. En het belangrijkste, Samantha Shannon heeft het elke pagina interessant gehouden, waardoor het van mij ook wel 1500 pagina's had mogen zijn. Als je zo lang een verhaal interessant kan houden en telkens weer verrassingen kan ophalen, dan doe je het echt goed hoor. En ook...DRAKEN!
mickey_cass's review against another edition
5.0
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a really immerse high fantasy story! It is very long but definitely worth the read. It was honestly one of the most well-written books I have ever read. The writing style is beautiful and captivating. The first 200 or so pages were a bit difficult to get through with a lot of world building but I was able to read the final 600 fairly quickly. There are tons of amazing & well-developed characters and the book is told from numerous points of view that eventually come together so if you prefer books from singular POVs this is probably not for you. To wrap it up, if you enjoy high fantasy, wlw storylines, magic, and dragons you are going to love this book!!
hannahlopez's review against another edition
4.0
Great book! I loved the world and character building. The actual war was only a few pages but I was hooked on the characters not just the battle. Highly recommend.
tuckermeijer's review against another edition
4.0
Really good! The pacing felt off on the last 3rd but overall, really enjoyed it.
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow, this book is a behemoth, but one of the few books I've read that deserves its length! It truly was an epic adventure akin to Game of Thrones. It has everything - palace intrigue, politics/diplomacy between kingdoms, dragons, assassins, and magic. What makes this book so unique is the women-forward cast, a place where women get to be heroines instead of damsels to just move the plot forward for the men. There are complex, woven plotlines with great history and world building. It stands up to some of the best fantasy books out there!
Strongly recommend this for female fantasy readers once you've gone through all the romantasy books. It's a good next step from a series like Throne of Glass. While I wouldn't say this is a romatasy by any stretch, it is a fantasy with a romance plotline so it still scratches that itch if you're willing to really invest in it!
The only downside is that there are a lot of characters - a ton of names, places, and dragons - to remember. I kept a running glossary in a phone note only to find that there was an actual glossary in the back of the book. Use that and it will be immensely helpful. The few hundred pages were a bit slow as we learned the history and current culture of the kingdoms and people in them, but the build up was worth the pay-off for me on this one!
I'm on the fence as to whether or not I will read the prequel (mostly because prequels aren't really my thing), but I'd take a sequel to this one any day!
Strongly recommend this for female fantasy readers once you've gone through all the romantasy books. It's a good next step from a series like Throne of Glass. While I wouldn't say this is a romatasy by any stretch, it is a fantasy with a romance plotline so it still scratches that itch if you're willing to really invest in it!
The only downside is that there are a lot of characters - a ton of names, places, and dragons - to remember. I kept a running glossary in a phone note only to find that there was an actual glossary in the back of the book. Use that and it will be immensely helpful. The few hundred pages were a bit slow as we learned the history and current culture of the kingdoms and people in them, but the build up was worth the pay-off for me on this one!
I'm on the fence as to whether or not I will read the prequel (mostly because prequels aren't really my thing), but I'd take a sequel to this one any day!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Torture, and Death of parent
graceliz96's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
danap_reads's review against another edition
4.0
This has been on my to-read list since the time it was released, but it took snagging an ARC of the second book in the series to finally force my hand to read it. I was thrilled when this book ticked all the boxes of what I consider good fantasy: intricate world building, complex characters whose actions aren't easily predicted, and the triumph of good over evil. I give it extra points for having strong female heroes and LGBTQ+ relationships. Even though this is book is a tome, weighing in at 850 pages, it kept me engaged and curious about what would happen next. For fans of classic fantasy who aren't afraid of a few steamy scenes, I highly recommend this book.