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bree_h_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
This was a pretty solid read, which was a nice surprise considering I wasn’t sure what to expect from the book.
The characters felt really well rounded. The MC actually read as a teen thrown into a situation she didn’t know how to handle, but that did lead to moments that I was extremely frustrated with the MC because she came across as incredibly stupid. The rest of the cast I found considerably more enjoyable and she we had gotten more of. I also really liked the character dynamics, both posters and negative. Each character played off each other in a unique and interesting way that I really enjoyed.
The mystery of the book was also really solid. A lot of the conclusions the MC came to I also suspected and pieced together, even if getting there felt a bit rushed at times.
My only issue was the world building. There were a lot of details that felt conflicting with what had been established and what we were seeing on page. And a lot of what was established didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Why was the MCs family so violent and prone to killing each other? What sense did that make? Why was the issue of following the MC was that people believed she killed her family when every leader before her had? I just didn’t feel like it was super consistent at times, despite how interesting most of it was.
Overall pretty solid sapphic fantasy read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Medical content, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Incest, Misogyny, Sexism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
wondereads13's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a great fantasy book with political intrigue, a wlw relationship, and emotional turmoil. It avoids some of the more annoying YA tropes, such as love triangles and the power-powered MC, and the plot and mystery drew me in so quick. Also, the relationship is so cute; a fate-dating arranged marriage!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Toxic relationship
Toxic relationship does not apply to the main romance!