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ripxreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Moderate: Genocide, Violence, Murder, and War
reddeddy'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, Outing, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual harassment
jenn_amanda'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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism
seanml'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Outing
librarianeno'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Blood, and Colonisation
queerreaderchaos'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Cancer and Religious bigotry
pandaintheshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed the Middle Eastern mythology and the Muslim rep in a fantasy setting. Can't attest for their accuracy because I don't belong to the culture, but it was a nice change of pace. So, if you're a fantasy lover looking to diversify your readings, I'd definitely recommend this one.
The FMC is resourceful, brave, and witty, without falling into the "I'm not like other girls" type. She's also morally grey, impulsive, and relatable as a young character in a dangerous world with very high stakes she's learning to navigate. And she's not the only interesting one
One of the things that I enjoyed the most about this book is that every single character has its own voice. No one feels flat, and you end up caring for them no matter how little time they appear.
Yes, this is a YA story (or at least is how it's marketed around here) but it has very adult themes. Also, there are moments of very explicit violence. So, please, check the content warnings.
What could be a deal breaker for some readers but wasn't for me?
It's slow-paced, especially at the beginning. But as the first book of a trilogy, that's not surprising. Around the 50% mark, things start moving faster.
Also, the world-building takes a lot of pages. But given the complexity of the universe we're reading here, and the way it was balanced with presenting the characters and their conflicts, I was not bothered.
If you're a fast-paced, give-me-some-action-now kind of reader, this may not be for you. But if you want to give it a try anyway, I'd recommend the audiobook.
Also, I would like to clarify THIS IS NOT A ROMANTASY BOOK. Yes, there's romance, but it's not the center of the story. This is high-stakes fantasy WITH a romantic subplot.
Having said that, I loved the banter between the characters involved romantically. Some of the scenes got me giggling and kicking my feet in the air while making tea kettle noises.
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Kidnapping
Minor: Genocide and Rape
inez_hunter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Death of parent, War, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny
kat1105's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jess_sherlock'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? Yes
4.25
Nonetheless I absolutely devoured this book and have recommended it to all my friends. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. I don't like fantasy, I don't have a particular interest in Muslim/Middle eastern stories, I don't really fancy magic so don't ask me why this was on TBR-pile to begin with... but god I'm glad it was. I'll definitely be picking up the Kingdom of Copper & the Empire of Gold.
Minor: Genocide, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Blood, and War