lydiasturges's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
Interesting story with compelling characters. The betrayal ‘twist’ didn’t really surprise me, but I don’t really care since the other elements were so good! It does have the start of YA love triangle nonsense, but hopefully that won’t play out too much in later books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Injury/Injury detail
luuley's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Sexual harassment, Death, Violence, Abandonment, Grief, Child death, Sexual assault, Genocide, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent and War
Minor: Rape and Suicide
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Kidnapping, Blood, Bullying, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, and Classism
bzliz's review against another edition
dark
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
3.75
Big note right up top: mind the trigger warnings! This is a brutal world and there is little reprieve from accepted (and encouraged) behaviors that many readers may find seriously triggering.
Laia’s brother Darin has been keeping secrets, including a sketchbook filled with things he shouldn’t have seen, and soldiers are coming for him. A Mask is also after the book which spells danger for the family; Masks are skilled hunters and killers who live life without emotions to stop them from their brutal tasks. Their grandparents become collateral damage and Darin is taken, giving Laia the chance to run. She does the only thing she can: tries to find the Resistance. She does and when they refuse to help her she is forced to reveal that her parents were their revered former leaders. She cuts a deal- the Resistance will help rescue Darin if she goes undercover as a slave to the Commandant in Blackcliff- the military Mask training school.
Inside the school, Elias is planning to desert even though he knows his capture would be his death. He’s convinced not to go by an Augur, who foretells that he will only find freedom by remaining and following the path ahead. He embarks on the Trials- a prophecied event to select a new emperor when the old line falls.
Laia starts with little confidence, convinced her cowardice condemned her brother. She also tends to see things in black and white: the Resistance is good and everyone at Blackcliff is the worst kind of bad. She comes to learn there’s exceptions to every rule and I loved her journey. Elias is a highly trained killer who is ready to give it all up for a chance at freedom. His journey teaches him what humanity still lives inside him despite his mother’s best efforts.
This was hard for me to get into but once I was halfway, it flew by. The sheer amount of violence and threats of sexual violence were almost overwhelming. There were a few points I was frustrated that information wasn’t being shared between Laia and Elias but she wasn’t in a place to trust yet and I don’t know what he would have done with the information.
Now that I’ve made an investment in the world, I’m looking forward to the next book and their continued growth.
Laia’s brother Darin has been keeping secrets, including a sketchbook filled with things he shouldn’t have seen, and soldiers are coming for him. A Mask is also after the book which spells danger for the family; Masks are skilled hunters and killers who live life without emotions to stop them from their brutal tasks. Their grandparents become collateral damage and Darin is taken, giving Laia the chance to run. She does the only thing she can: tries to find the Resistance. She does and when they refuse to help her she is forced to reveal that her parents were their revered former leaders. She cuts a deal- the Resistance will help rescue Darin if she goes undercover as a slave to the Commandant in Blackcliff- the military Mask training school.
Inside the school, Elias is planning to desert even though he knows his capture would be his death. He’s convinced not to go by an Augur, who foretells that he will only find freedom by remaining and following the path ahead. He embarks on the Trials- a prophecied event to select a new emperor when the old line falls.
Laia starts with little confidence, convinced her cowardice condemned her brother. She also tends to see things in black and white: the Resistance is good and everyone at Blackcliff is the worst kind of bad. She comes to learn there’s exceptions to every rule and I loved her journey. Elias is a highly trained killer who is ready to give it all up for a chance at freedom. His journey teaches him what humanity still lives inside him despite his mother’s best efforts.
This was hard for me to get into but once I was halfway, it flew by. The sheer amount of violence and threats of sexual violence were almost overwhelming. There were a few points I was frustrated that information wasn’t being shared between Laia and Elias but she wasn’t in a place to trust yet and I don’t know what he would have done with the information.
Now that I’ve made an investment in the world, I’m looking forward to the next book and their continued growth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Slavery
charlizardbookboi17's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Slavery, Abandonment, Torture, War, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Grief
esconce's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have read this whole series but just wanted to write my final reviews, the characters in this book definitely get better as the story and series as a whole progresses. I personally really disliked Helene in the beginning but over time she became my favorite character by the end of the series. It definitely has a couple “Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire” sort of moments, but it deals with a surprising amount of classism racism and more that honestly just fits really well. The world building is just top tier and Keenan stays as one of my favorite characters from the beginning to the end. :D 9/10 would read again
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Classism, Cursing, Hate crime, Death, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual harassment
takarakei's review
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
If you like books where no one is who they say they are and you don't know who you can trust... this is it! It's very dark, honestly I am surprised this is labeled as YA. Besides it following young adults and them all being horny teenagers, the subject matter that this deals with is very adult (see TW). I really enjoyed the dual POVs, world building, and the mysterious qualities. It is very attention grabbing and interesting right from the get-go, and it was a very unique concept. I can feel a much more intriguing plot line to come in the rest of the series...
You have a soul. It's damaged, but it's there. Don't let them take it from you...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Death, Child death, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: War, Rape, Colonisation, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Genocide, Misogyny, and Grief
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Death of parent
This is an extremely dark book hence the long list of TW Rape/SA - there is none graphic on page, but rape is referred to a lot (seems to be common occurrence in this world) andSpoiler
a main character nearly is raped on pagejessannderson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Loved this book (could have rated it higher but found it a bit predictable and Keenan was unnecessary), hope there’s more plot development and no love triangle in book 2!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Sexual harassment
fareehareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have not read a fantasy book this quickly in years. Saaba Tahir is a talented wordsmith & world-builder and has definitely made an engaging book and I'm sure, overall engaging series. I was interested in the plot and I had some stake in the characters introduced. Also I have to say my favorite part of this book was the world of jinn, wraiths, efret, and ghuls. I love the lore introduced in this book and I love that the jinns were actually scary and mysterious. I would read an entire 400 page book on just the jinn of this world alone.
All that being said, there was a lot that fell flat in this story. This book is entirely told in the perspective of Laia and Elias whose destinies clearly are intertwined in some way even though they come from vastly different worlds. The character development for both protagonists was severely lacking.
Laia's whole plight is the continuous hope that her brother is alive out there somewhere and her predicament (literally choosing to be enslaved to a ruthless woman) will lead to his freedom. Throughout the entire book she clings to this hope even as she endures violence at the hands of her slaver and abusive men, and constant condescension from her so called allies in the Resistance. She never thinks of herself, only her brother and how she can aid in freeing him. At a certain point, her resilience stop making sense to me, because we never see her falter and for a girl raised in a mostly comforted home life, I don't know why we never saw a breakdown of will. So much of her characterization is hinted at but never explored; like her feeling of being inferior in a family of revolutionaries, the sinking despair that physically personify into ghuls that chase her everywhere,etc. I felt like we could have learned more about her motivations if her fears and failures were more fleshed out. Even her desires made little sense to me and felt forced through her entanglements with Elias and Keenan who both view her in ways that make me sigh in dismay. For once it would be nice to read a story with a single female protagonist who is respected just for being there and not for her involvement with a man.
Now Elias... he's a character archetype I haven't read in years. He has a dark and tragic backstory and is on the "evil" side but in his heart of hearts believes he is not meant for this life and attempts to break out of it after years of grueling training, only to be pulled back in by a greater destiny. He is that typical man man, the most ruthless, the most physically capable fighter, good looking, a natural leader etc etc. He is the type of protagonist most fantasy books feature and that I, personally, wish would die out in popularity. (More soft men in fantasy please). His inner monologue when he even looked at a woman was startling each time and painful to read through. Maybe like 40% of what he thought was grounded in what we learned of him as a character that is plagued by all the death he's wrought as a Mask and his striving to do good and constantly questioning the world he was forced into, but the rest was just heavy handed sexism. What up with that ?
Also the consistent threat of r wording female characters was also very troubling and not at all what I expected to read. I wasn't a fan of Marcus' characterization at all. I understand having foils to the capable morally upright male protagonist, but having that be a r*pist like Marcus... I was not a fan.
Overall I gave this book a 3.5 but it was probably more of a 3.
All that being said, there was a lot that fell flat in this story. This book is entirely told in the perspective of Laia and Elias whose destinies clearly are intertwined in some way even though they come from vastly different worlds. The character development for both protagonists was severely lacking.
Laia's whole plight is the continuous hope that her brother is alive out there somewhere and her predicament (literally choosing to be enslaved to a ruthless woman) will lead to his freedom. Throughout the entire book she clings to this hope even as she endures violence at the hands of her slaver and abusive men, and constant condescension from her so called allies in the Resistance. She never thinks of herself, only her brother and how she can aid in freeing him. At a certain point, her resilience stop making sense to me, because we never see her falter and for a girl raised in a mostly comforted home life, I don't know why we never saw a breakdown of will. So much of her characterization is hinted at but never explored; like her feeling of being inferior in a family of revolutionaries, the sinking despair that physically personify into ghuls that chase her everywhere,
Spoiler
the loss of so many of her family members including parents and an older sisterNow Elias... he's a character archetype I haven't read in years. He has a dark and tragic backstory and is on the "evil" side but in his heart of hearts believes he is not meant for this life and attempts to break out of it after years of grueling training, only to be pulled back in by a greater destiny. He is that typical man man, the most ruthless, the most physically capable fighter, good looking, a natural leader etc etc. He is the type of protagonist most fantasy books feature and that I, personally, wish would die out in popularity. (More soft men in fantasy please). His inner monologue when he even looked at a woman was startling each time and painful to read through. Maybe like 40% of what he thought was grounded in what we learned of him as a character that is plagued by all the death he's wrought as a Mask and his striving to do good and constantly questioning the world he was forced into, but the rest was just heavy handed sexism. What up with that ?
Also the consistent threat of r wording female characters was also very troubling and not at all what I expected to read. I wasn't a fan of Marcus' characterization at all. I understand having foils to the capable morally upright male protagonist, but having that be a r*pist like Marcus... I was not a fan.
Overall I gave this book a 3.5 but it was probably more of a 3.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Murder, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Gore
cocpop_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
This is definitely a fantasy book with political intrigues. I almost kind of wish that there was no romance because I felt like the story didn’t necessarily need it. I could understand why there would be some between Helene and Elias, and Laia and Elias but Keenan felt unnecessary.
I liked the way the book switches every chapter between Laia and Elias because the reader gets to see how their lives slowly begin to intertwine.
I read as well as listened to the audio, and that is always enjoyable for me. Both the narrators did a great job.
This book does a great job of setting up for this to be a series. Some questions get answered but a whole host of them remain. I’m excited for the next book because we get to add Helene’s pov.
I liked the way the book switches every chapter between Laia and Elias because the reader gets to see how their lives slowly begin to intertwine.
I read as well as listened to the audio, and that is always enjoyable for me. Both the narrators did a great job.
This book does a great job of setting up for this to be a series. Some questions get answered but a whole host of them remain. I’m excited for the next book because we get to add Helene’s pov.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Slavery, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual violence, Rape, Gore, and Sexual harassment