Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

22 reviews

jlg1's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

helfire124's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

bree_h_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.25

Out of the three Throne of Glass books I read I think this was the one I had the most mixed feelings on. I honestly think I could have rated it mid to high 2 stars if not for the ending. It’s actually that ending that’s made me decide to stop reading the series, if not forever than at least for a while. 

 

To start, I thought the intro was really strong. Celeana’s struggle with her past as a noble and the reality of who she’s become had a lot of potential. I thought it was fascinating to see how the last book ended with all this fear and tension around her reclaiming her place, only for her to get there and be overwhelmed by the past. I think this struggle makes for a great conflict for a main character, even if a bit basic. Not to mention, the exploration of her trauma and everything she’d been through was compelling. I think it really only fell short with the poor treatment of Nehemia as a dead BIPOC woman to motivate the white protagonist and almost everything about her dynamic with Rowen and their training. I felt like a lot of Celeana’s plot and build up was pushed aside to setup a budding romance between her and Rowen, which I couldn’t really get behind. I thought Rowen was an overly aggressive jerk and I just couldn’t find myself enjoying their dynamic. 

 

Back in the castle, I wasn’t overly interested in what Chaol had happening, but was very interested in Dorian. I thought he and Sorscha were super cute and I loved how he and Aedion played off each other. I honestly wish Dorian and Chaol’s plots had played on each other more and wove together DESPITE their interpersonal conflict. Forcing to characters with an already unsteady relationship together would be very compelling! 

 

The only other big plus I can give the book is the build to the climax, or what I assume was the climax. The big battle Celeana and Rowen had to go up against was interesting and actually had me excited. The build up to it was deeply haunting and captured a chilling atmosphere. I really felt the tension leading up to this fight. 

 

Outside of my already noted critiques, I think Manon’s plot was questionable. I didn’t feel like it had a good balance with everything else. Dorian and Chaol’s plot felt overshadowed by her’s. I didn’t think it was a level of detail needed (unless the later books aim to humanise the witches and provide them more moral complexity). I think finding a way to focus Dorian and Chaol’s plots around UNCOVERING these wyvern riders would establish solid tensions for the readers while having someone Celeana isn’t and CAN’T be aware off while allowing the boys more things to do. 

 

There was also an issues with the book seeming to have a weird interest in incest. It felt really weird how it kept narrowing in on Rowen and Celeana being cousins, despite also heavily leaning towards a romance between them. While not first cousins, Celeana referred to Rowen as her cousin more than once. Not to mention them both referring to the same woman as ‘aunt’ over and over and over. If you’re going to do a romance, don’t focus on how these two are related and share an aunt. It just left a weird taste in my mouth. 

 

Finally, the book should have ended two hours sooner. Once they recovered from the fight and Rowen had to struggle with his deal and Chaol and Dorian and Aedion had this hopeful plan to topple the King I think the book should have ended THEN picked up with these events at the start of book four. When I saw I had two hours left in the audiobook I actually almost started crying. I didn’t know what else it could do that would be compelling or interesting in two more hours. While it certainly continued to have a plot, I didn’t feel like it justified having the book carry on. I do think it could have been ended much sooner and would have had a much tighter plot and story. 

 

Overall, I do think this book had a lot of potential. However, it had just enough flaws to put me off from continuing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Animal death

dkamada's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Ok heir of fire was good but the bit at the end where Selena finally frees Rowan from his blood oath and he’s like THANK YOU I MUST SWEAR TO YOU A BLOOD OATH I’m like dude did you not learn your lesson with the last one?? And his reasoning that Maeve could come for Selena any time after she leaves…like ok do you know you can actually defend and protect someone who you’re not enslaved to? Just by choice and free will? My dude…

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism

tiernanalexandria's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

If it had made me cry it would be a 5/5. Maas is a phenomenal writer who draws you into a world so unlike our own. Rumors of magic, love and loss, and Bonds to be Found, Broken, and Created take the lead in the themes through this book. 

We still love all of the characters from previous books, but the new characters we meet find their way into our hearts too. 

Maas lights a small candle flame of hope in our hearts when all feels like despair. 

We are rooting for Aelin, to whatever end. 🖤🙌🏻

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Deadnaming, Slavery, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Feral for Rowan.

eleek0609's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Slavery, Vomit, and Colonisation

darkpizza's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Medical content, Cannibalism, Abandonment, and Alcohol

merrow's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I always like the point where a YA series turns from adventures to a desperate fight for freedom, and this book is no exception.

Quite the tragic turn of events at the end, but they set up for some potentially good ways out.

The first half is a bit frustrating as the focus is placed on rebuilding and crumbling over and over again for the main character, but it finds its direction very well for the second half.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Deadnaming, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Abandonment, and Alcohol

_charliesbooks_'s review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Vomit

britwalsh16's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Omg! Did this series get REALLY good!!! Sarah J Maas seems to start her series off simple with minimum characters & world building & their good. But once she’s a book or 2 in, she like let’s loose! Quadruples the amount of characters, makes the world so much bigger, and just lets all the drama and problems unfold. & I have to say it is a brilliant strategy. You don’t necessarily get fully hooked to the story in the beginning, but she’s not throwing a lot of stuff at you at once. If I started this book without having already known some of the characters, I don’t know if I would have been able to follow along and remember who all the players are. But having been brought into the story slowly, I followed it so easy, and I am thankful for that!
This book was incredible! I can’t wait for the rest of the series & to hopefully meet even more amazing characters!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Genocide, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Excrement, and Abandonment