baearles'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Self harm
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Gun violence
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, Torture, Cannibalism, and Cursing
cowardlyteaman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The plot was good, the characters were good, and I really like its pace.
Especially in the end, I felt like some of the battles were a bit short and shallow? However, I am aware that this is a trilogy, and will give the end game a chance to be tension I'm looking for.
I would very much recommend this to any fantasy fan who likes a bit of a blood bath and very interesting world-building. There's elemental magic, alternative worlds, humorous dialogue, and a small romance sub-plot that doesn't take up tedious space at all.
Graphic: Self harm, Alcohol, Blood, Addiction, Murder, Gore, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Drug use and Sexual content
donatio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
She is one of my favourite authors and in my opinion just a master of storytelling, I can picture clearly in my head what happens and feel with the characters who feel a little like home by now.
This is a book for the ones who like elemental magic, multiple POVs, thieees and adventures.
100% recommend
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Gore, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Grief, Hate crime, Torture, Cursing, Death, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Grief
rinku'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Spoiler
Athos and Astrid just dying was a bit boring, and I really don’t like that Kell and Rhy are bounded to each other, this is just a plot point I personally don’t enjoySpoiler
Barron’s death or Lila first being alone in White London, not knowing what she should doSpoiler
an Antari as well, we’ll seeGraphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Blood, and Torture
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and Police brutality
Minor: Death of parent and Kidnapping
zoeelora's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual content, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexual harassment, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Misogyny, and Violence
theintrovertsbooks'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Blood, Physical abuse, Confinement, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, Death, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault and Police brutality
Minor: Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Abandonment, and Alcohol
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Our main characters are a scrappy survivor whose dream is to be the Captain of her own pirate ship, and a red-headed mage with odd eyes, who is ward to the Royal Family of "Red London". The cast of support characters and nemeses, includes a savvy barkeep with a heart of gold, a charming fop who is the prince and adoptive brother of the mage, a brother/sister pair of scary sadistic royals, and a second broody mage guy who is scary indentured muscle, and not happy about it.
When a dangerous magical artifact gets smuggled into the wrong world, our characters are on a quest to return it to where it is supposed to be, or destroy it.. but like the 'precious' One Ring in LOTR, it's got this luring, dark-magical energy that corrupts those who use it...
I think the star of the show is the setting. The language in the book is easy to read while still peppered with odd sounding other languages. You get a few words here and there as they are learned by the characters. The magic system is explained mainly through explaining it to untalented or ignorant characters, which is a little clunky, but better than an encyclopedic info-dump. And there's this really cool coat that's multidimensional and can be turned inside out a zillion different ways to be different looking coats... ok.. maybe the coat is the star of the show.
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Death, Slavery, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol and Confinement
ashleymg99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Kell and Lila are a great pair, and play well off each other. The book felt like it wrapped up neatly, but not so much that it is decisively over. I am intrigued to see where the next book in the series picks up - will there be a new conflict, or a continuation of what was laid out in the first book?
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol
mozimmerm'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, and Gun violence
Minor: Abandonment
lily_marigold's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Blood, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Cursing