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aesarctic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
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
sassmistress's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
Minor: Slavery, Suicide, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War
c_serpent's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
I cannot STAND how much I love these books. There were multiple points where I had to take a break because I was experiencing a physical pain in my chest, because these books fill me with an ache. It feels like wanting to go home, but to a home I've never had. To a home that is in the capital city of Eddis, in a library smelling like ink and stale, ancient time, in front of a fire, in a place that does not exist anywhere except for first in Megan Whalen Turner's head, and then mine. And I belong there. An enormous part of me belongs to these books.
I think I first read this series when I was around 13 years old, and I had no idea how very deeply "cold and cruel woman who has been forced to kill to survive grievously wounds dark edgy boy who loves her despite all odds and teaches her to trust again because redemption is REAL" has been engraved in my DNA until I was rereading this book and almost perished from the romance. Nothing else compares. What the heck.
And for REAL. When will MY small dark and handsome show up in my castle for the gods to bring him into my clutches and I make the grave unforgivable error of chopping his damn hand off only for him to end up kidnapping me out of my own megaron in the middle of the night to sail me across the sea and demand my hand in marriage or else he will drown me even though he doesn't want to because he forgives me, he loves me, he's been in love with me since we were children? Huh? When, Megan. WHEN.
Also, the gods in these stories feel like *real* ancient deities. If you told me that we had discovered some tomb in what was Macedonia, and in it there were statues of the goddess Hephestia with the goddess Moira and the god of the Aracthus river, I would believe it. I would say, "duh." And then I would say, "do you think a museum will have little miniatures? I'd like to buy one of each. Maybe two," and then I would plan a tattoo.
And since I have read the entirety of the series, the conversation Gen has at the end of the book with the gods makes SO much more sense. The gods are like, "didn't you get your girl? Stop asking if you offended us" but REALLY all of this is to protect their people from the Medes?! holy cow.
A star for Helen, a star for Irene, a star for Eugenides, a star for the fact that Gen is a MORON who didn't consider marrying the love of his life would force him into becoming a king , and a star for red ruby earrings. An extra star for the gods, because I would hate, of course, to offend them.
Total score: 6/5 stars
I think I first read this series when I was around 13 years old, and I had no idea how very deeply "cold and cruel woman who has been forced to kill to survive grievously wounds dark edgy boy who loves her despite all odds and teaches her to trust again because redemption is REAL" has been engraved in my DNA until I was rereading this book and almost perished from the romance. Nothing else compares. What the heck.
And for REAL.
Also, the gods in these stories feel like *real* ancient deities. If you told me that we had discovered some tomb in what was Macedonia, and in it there were statues of the goddess Hephestia with the goddess Moira and the god of the Aracthus river, I would believe it. I would say, "duh." And then I would say, "do you think a museum will have little miniatures? I'd like to buy one of each. Maybe two," and then I would plan a tattoo.
And since I have read the entirety of the series,
A star for Helen, a star for Irene, a star for Eugenides, a star for
Total score: 6/5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and War
Minor: Animal death
cynicalraven's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and War
jenjerusha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
slow-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
Once reduced me to tears at one or two points, but I was a different, un-medicated, pre-COVID, woman then.
Still in my top ten and highly recommended for: nail-biting tension, A+ terrible choices, creepers of all kinds, awkward conversations, and at least one questionable beard. I would cheerfully read another thousand pages if they were on offer.
Still in my top ten and highly recommended for: nail-biting tension, A+ terrible choices, creepers of all kinds, awkward conversations, and at least one questionable beard. I would cheerfully read another thousand pages if they were on offer.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Alcohol, and War
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