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sophiesmallhands's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, and War
Minor: Drug use, Blood, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
spinebenderbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? Yes
5.0
Continuing my reread of this series, this is the book that really clinched it for me how good this series is (which is wild considering how good the first book is).
We get multiple POVs for this book, which really deepen our understanding of the political and personal conflicts going on and what drives them. I particularly liked the commentary this book has on women in power.We are presented with two queens - neither of which expected to become queen - who are ruling in very different circumstances. The juxtaposition of the two highlights the ways in which women are allowed power and the ways in which their power is restricted. Attolia is embattled by misogynist and power hungry nobles and foreign powers, and must harden and isolate herself to withstand the constant danger of betrayal and her rule being undermined. Meanwhile, Eddis has won the support of her nobles and can rule without fear that the advice she receives is self-serving or designed to weaken her. Attolia leans in to the trappings of traditional femininity - and trappings is an apt word, as they represent a role she has been trapped in since she was a child - whereas Eddis can lay them aside and embrace a more masculine appearance and interests.
The romance in this book is a fascinating slow burn that is only revealed to be a romance a good two thirds of the way through the book. A book which begins with one part of that romance cutting off the hand of the other! But in watching Attolia's fascination with Eugenides and the horror and regret she feels over the act she ordered also shows the slow reawakening of her emotions, opening her up to the love and trust she eventually feels for Eugenides.
For his part, Eugenides' struggle with what was done to him and the portrayal of his disability are very well done. It felt like a pretty realistic journey through becoming newly disabled and traumatised, and figuring out how to forge a new life alongside those things. But the life he forges is not in spite of his disability, nor is it inspiration porn. It's a hard thing that he does and it's a struggle even once he's come to terms with what has happened. There are relapses into depression and a level of self-loathing over the limitations of his disability that I think will feel familiar to other disabled people. Even while in love with Attolia, he remains afraid of her. There is no magic resolution to the trauma he endured at her hands. But they are entangled in each other in a truly compelling way. They are likes cats clawing at each other and then licking the wounds they created.
Just as in the first book, the mythology continues to parallel and inform the plot. The reveal that Eugenides was betrayed by the gods was heart-breaking, and then the second reveal that he was betrayed in order to save Eddis from destruction makes it all make sense again. He was the tool they chose to bring about the salvation of Eddis, because as the book says, the gods know him well and know what he will do, so they could trust him to bring things to the place they needed to be by the end of the book.
There is little else I can say except that this series remains as impressive upon reread as it did on the first read.
We get multiple POVs for this book, which really deepen our understanding of the political and personal conflicts going on and what drives them. I particularly liked the commentary this book has on women in power.
The romance in this book is a fascinating slow burn that is only revealed to be a romance a good two thirds of the way through the book. A book which begins with one part of that romance cutting off the hand of the other! But in watching Attolia's fascination with Eugenides and the horror and regret she feels over the act she ordered also shows the slow reawakening of her emotions, opening her up to the love and trust she eventually feels for Eugenides.
For his part, Eugenides' struggle with what was done to him and the portrayal of his disability are very well done. It felt like a pretty realistic journey through becoming newly disabled and traumatised, and figuring out how to forge a new life alongside those things. But the life he forges is not in spite of his disability, nor is it inspiration porn. It's a hard thing that he does and it's a struggle even once he's come to terms with what has happened. There are relapses into depression and a level of self-loathing over the limitations of his disability that I think will feel familiar to other disabled people. Even while in love with Attolia, he remains afraid of her. There is no magic resolution to the trauma he endured at her hands. But they are entangled in each other in a truly compelling way. They are likes cats clawing at each other and then licking the wounds they created.
Just as in the first book, the mythology continues to parallel and inform the plot. The reveal that Eugenides was betrayed by the gods was heart-breaking, and then the second reveal that he was betrayed in order to save Eddis from destruction makes it all make sense again. He was the tool they chose to bring about the salvation of Eddis, because as the book says, the gods know him well and know what he will do, so they could trust him to bring things to the place they needed to be by the end of the book.
There is little else I can say except that this series remains as impressive upon reread as it did on the first read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Slavery
unmercifulfish's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
Yikes. Eugenides has a hard time in this one.
When I read "romance" in the tags, I was worried that the hijinks and intrigue that I enjoyed so much in the first book would be pushed aside to make room of a love story. Instead, the relationship is woven artfully into the main narrative. The two partiesspent most of the book apart , and yet the enemies to lovers trajectory was credible and quite moving.
When I read "romance" in the tags, I was worried that the hijinks and intrigue that I enjoyed so much in the first book would be pushed aside to make room of a love story. Instead, the relationship is woven artfully into the main narrative. The two parties
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Blood, and Vomit
mimeflower's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
quasinaut's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- 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
If Megan Whalen Turner can make a lot of walking entertaining in The Thief, she can make me interested in the political intrigue surrounding these nonexistent countries. My only complaint is how much we don't see of Eugenides's recovery, though what is portrayed on the page does a fine job capturing the potency of his grief and trauma (which I totally didn't remember from when I first read this book years ago as a teen).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Slavery
nyssbomb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Ableism
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