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csmall73's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Inan and Amari keep falling into old childish narcissistic mental traps, ptsd and insecurities. Frustrating close calls and glaringly obvious pitfalls due to emotional attachments.
Still seeing more throne of glass esque than the announced Harry Potter similarities. Especially with the amount of trauma, close calls, and epic empathy fails. I’m
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism
brynalexa's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
amschelly153's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
lady_valhella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Genocide, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism
ginalucia'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Blood, and Classism
kyrstin_p1989'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
debthebookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
But Children of Anguish and Anarchy is coming! So I can focus on how I feel about the pages leading up to the end.
Zélie and Inan hurt. I was excited to learn that Inan was alive, even though he was so aggravating and the reason Baba died. He and Zélie, though, were just something I wanted to work, and watching him fight himself again but this time also having to fight against his mother, I rooted for him to break free so he could do the right thing. It took the whole book, but I'm glad it happened.
Also, so much pain. Having to watch Zélie get broken down to the point where she didn't want to fight anymore was so painful. Mâzeli did not deserve to die, and it was her fault!
Overall, story-wise, I loved seeing more maji, watching Zélie blossom with her own little clan, discovering cênters, and seeing the maji sanctuary. The twists were really good. I was shocked every time. The last few chapters, jumping from character to character every 3 pages, was jarring, but I pushed through. Also unless this is addressed in Book 3, we never learned what happened to Ramaya.
I debated on how many stars to give this, but those issues stop me from giving it 5.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Vomit
angievansprang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief
ci_eden's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Also I love how flawed Zelie is. I love a strong woman going through shit, and she doesn't want to run away anymore, she found her purpose, fuck yeah! Although she has horrible taste in men. Also did NOT expect Amari to kill innocent people. Trauma and abuse really twists you.
These are tortured characters that just keep getting battered and abused. Children fighting wars, as the title says. I feel for them, I really do. I feel like their deaths are inevitable but I can't look away...
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
ravenwolf_waf'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism