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thecirclek's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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
4.0
Solid fantasy fare with an engaging cast of characters. It is the first of a trilogy, so it unfolds slower than I was expecting. It also really ranges in tone, at time feeling very young adult, and then swinging into discussions of violence/sexual violence that felt more adult.
cheburashka__'s review against another edition
5.0
All the characters were multi-dimensional and had both good and bad qualities that made you really think if you should support their actions or not. They felt alive and as if they were real people.
isirla's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Slow burn story up to page 400, then events happen to shake things up for the least 130ish pages!! I started out really liking Nahri, a strong Muslim woman who came from nothing and did what she had to do to survive. And saved her money so she could study medicine. But then she meets Dara the Daeva and becomes this love sick puppy who's constantly apologizing for her blunders. And then, when she finally gets to practice medicine, all she does is whine, complain and pine for Dara. Ugh!! Such a disappointment!! But then secrets get revealed in the end so perhaps she'll be less of a snowflake in the next books./spoiler>
gclouser00's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.5
kenzibir's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
4.25
northernbookfox's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
5.0
Since finishing this book I have had to pause before picking up any other book because I'm just still in awe and admiration of this book and actively wanted to keep thinking about it and keep it at the front of my mind.
I was never bored while reading this, I was amazed at how it subverted my expectations and reminded me the reader that just because I like my POV character does not mean that they are the smartest in the room.
Just, wow.
A deeply political plot that deals thoroughly with the long-lasting impacts of conflict and nationalism. How Dara's character fits into that story is very unique and complicates matters to such a degree that one must question the morals of all involved.
The characters built out to a point that even when I do not know their motivations I can tell that they are internally consistent. No one is an angel here and I love that. There's a very skilled tactic that Chakraborty uses where because people behave differently in different contexts (like in real life), she uses perspective and context to set up and subvert your expectations of certain characters (Kaveh comes to mind). There is also an understanding that even the villains have people they care about and who care about them (we're working through some fatherhood and some sibling stuff here) and that they are just as capable of loss and grief as they are capable of terrible things.
The world was engaging and fascinating. I was, like Nahri, desperate to find out more about not only how the world worked now, but how it worked before. Chakraborty has deliberately left things out of this book, and it does feels intentional, a wonderful promise for the second and third books to follow up on. We're given enough information to understand what's happening and to start asking questions when things don't line up as we're told they do. Nahri also often catches on, leading to the trust that the author also understands and intends to shed light on it later.
Just... ugh so good. Going to be recommending this for forever.
I was never bored while reading this, I was amazed at how it subverted my expectations and reminded me the reader that just because I like my POV character does not mean that they are the smartest in the room.
Just, wow.
A deeply political plot that deals thoroughly with the long-lasting impacts of conflict and nationalism. How Dara's character fits into that story is very unique and complicates matters to such a degree that one must question the morals of all involved.
The characters built out to a point that even when I do not know their motivations I can tell that they are internally consistent. No one is an angel here and I love that. There's a very skilled tactic that Chakraborty uses where because people behave differently in different contexts (like in real life), she uses perspective and context to set up and subvert your expectations of certain characters (Kaveh comes to mind). There is also an understanding that even the villains have people they care about and who care about them (we're working through some fatherhood and some sibling stuff here) and that they are just as capable of loss and grief as they are capable of terrible things.
The world was engaging and fascinating. I was, like Nahri, desperate to find out more about not only how the world worked now, but how it worked before. Chakraborty has deliberately left things out of this book, and it does feels intentional, a wonderful promise for the second and third books to follow up on. We're given enough information to understand what's happening and to start asking questions when things don't line up as we're told they do. Nahri also often catches on, leading to the trust that the author also understands and intends to shed light on it later.
Just... ugh so good. Going to be recommending this for forever.
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
lactomar's review against another edition
4.0
Can't remember where I found this book, maybe on a WaPo end of year list, but a nice surprise and an enjoyable new fantasy read. Definitely not perfect, a little long and wanders a bit and things just felt not quite fleshed out. Just a few chapters into the 2nd book and I think the whole first book feels like exposition (typical of a big new trilogy, lots of world building to fit in). Enjoy the main character, some nice twists and a very interesting world. I hope the author continues to expand the universe and magic system as I'm sure they will. Plan to finish the trilogy
readbyamity's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0