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bashsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, and War
Minor: Incest, Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
ya_el31's review against another edition
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse and Incest
cielosiluminado's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual content, and Slavery
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Incest, and War
divine529's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This follows our main protagonist, Damen, a prince from Akielos whose father was killed and his half-brother sent him off to be a slave in a neighboring kingdom. His master is the cruel and cold prince of Vere, Laurent. What follows is a story of cruelty, survival, pain, political intrigue and cultural clashes.
As I said above, I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I really enjoyed my time with it because of the plot and the politics. The characters aren't that loveable and I feel like we really don't know much about them by the end of the book. Plus the things Laurent put Damen through? That's a kind of trauma that doesn't sit right with me for any kind of relationship they form, even if it were to be resolved later.
The amount of rape, CSA and torture is a lot and was really rough for me to read.
Some people have said this is a sort of gay GoT and I can sort of see what they mean.
All in all, I didn't love this, but it's intriguing enough for me to want to continue on. Definitely "book candy" for me.
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
nikki_saulnier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Slavery
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
handove's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
Minor: Incest
book 3 spoiler that pertains to this bookmilfmarner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Kidnapping and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Incest, Pedophilia, and Death of parent
issyharvey's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Incest, Miscarriage, Torture, Abortion, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War
astrozombies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
this book contains gratuitous displays of violence and assault accompanied by some of truly the worst depictions of victims to the point where you ask yourself “is the author enjoying this?” and, worryingly, it seems as though the answer is yes.
the entire plot hinges on the truly wild assumption that nobody in the entire novel would recognize the face of the prince of a sovereign nation. really? you’re saying there was not a single important military figure in the veretian court? do portraits not exist in this world? but honestly, this convenience is something i can get over.
what i can’t get over is the overarching fact that NOTHING MATTERS IN THIS BOOK! nobody learns any lesson.
the differences between slavery in the two nations are seemingly negligible however we are meant to believe that one country is better than the other, and that the slaves in both are happy, actually, unless they’re in the other nation. crazy.
i’ve read dark rise before reading this book but going into this with that (terrible) novel as reference really colors the questionable choices pacat made in hindsight. wild
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Incest and Violence
chaptermaggot'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: Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Confinement, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Drug use, Incest, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol