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sophie42's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Graphic: Torture, Blood, and Abandonment
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Medical content
hagwife's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
What is an issue for me is the pacing and the kitchen-sink plotting. This book is incredibly fast paced given the complex issues Thakar handles and the story arc she weaves them through. It's a lot and its hard to get attached to certain characters or pieces because it all moves so quickly. To be clear, I don't think Thrakar needs or should have to slow down introducing the readers to the Earthly cast or the Heavenly one – I love the "deep end and swim" approach. There's just one trope too many piled on top of each other at breakneck speed.
Overall, its a great addition to YA Literature and I'm excited to see what Thrakar writes next!
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
There is a dream sequence early on that is unsettling.00phantom'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Torture and Blood
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm
sssssoup'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Confinement and Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
iffygeneia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
It did require a bit of foreknowledge about Hindu mythology. Mainly, the book assumes the reader will know several different kinds of mythological creatures from Hindu mythology - it doesn't explain much beyond the most basic visual descriptions.
It's with the characters and the plot that it starts to fall apart though.
This could have been an amazing coming-of-age story, but there was hardly any character growth. Sheetal herself was just very, very shallow. Her main worries are about
The plot did finally come together in the end, but in the most predictable way.
In the end, though a lot did change, Sheetal herself didn't seem much affected by all of it.
All in all: its fine for its Teen target audience, but as an adult I expected more depth.
(Note: I listened to the audiobook version read by Soneela Nankani. She was excellent.)
Moderate: Blood and Abandonment
Minor: Racism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
taleofabibliophile's review
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Confinement, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Medical content
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
📚 It's so wonderful to read a YA fantasy that doesn't center white teenagers or build off European mythology.
📚 I wish there had been a lot more world-building in this book - there could have been so much more to the history of the star court and the palace intrigue Sheetal finds herself in the middle of, but instead she is relegated to the sidelines, finding out information secondhand. I would definitely have read a sprawling trilogy version of this book.
Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Murder
nullandvoidlibrary's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content