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archane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
hugobluue's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
esme_may's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
starrysteph'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
3.0
This was a complex (& dense) high fantasy read. I would strongly recommend taking it easy and reading small chunks at a time to slowly become immersed and gain a better understanding of the world.
There was a lot of richness here (and I don't think I've read a Jamaican-based fantasy before – so, very cool!), but it was very slow and often overwritten.
Here's what I enjoyed:
• I also really liked the magic system and how the viewpoints of different characters physically changed the way they were able to utilize magic
• Both POVs played with power & victimhood in interesting ways, leading to a unique and complicated setup of good vs. evil and general villainy
• The premise is awesome! Two rival witches ... an examination of revenge and leadership and sacrifice
• The book needed some editing (it was unnecessarily long & some word choices were peculiar) and the pacing was off; the first 75% was incredibly slow with most action happening offscreen but then everything came together in an overwhelming way
• I'm speaking for myself but I think other readers can probably relate: I desperately needed a glossary for the amount of names/positions and terminology
• While the POVs were theoretically very different, their voices blended together for me and it wasn’t obvious who was speaking - this was especially frustrating because it was told in first person
CW: violence, blood, death, murder, child death, death of parent, war, torture, confinement, body horror, vomit, bullying, sexual assault (mentioned), suicide (mentioned)
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
kshertz's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Minor: Body horror, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
reader_in_the_meadow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
This book had it in it. Although I found it a bit sluggish at first and taking me a while to get into, it started getting more fast paced later on.
Th plot in itself was so intriguing and took so many sharp turns that I was gobfaced multiple times while reading this. I loved how everything was just put together in such a good way and how everything concluded at the end.
And don't get me started on the influence Jamaican folklore and mythology had on this book. I had only little knowledge about it when I started this book. Thankfully, a lot was explained throughout the story and introduced within the very intricate worldbuilding.
I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel as soon as it comes out the see the culmination of all the questions I have right now!
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
spinesinaline'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
3.75
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Rape