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banannafox's review
- 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
This was a reread and I loved it all over again.
Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Rune often uses fire attacks on enemies.starlitpage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol and Classism
lanid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual harassment
faehistory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Eating disorder, Rape, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
20sidedbi'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Trafficking, and Alcohol
anna_brawn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Minor: Slavery, Trafficking, Death of parent, and Colonisation
so_many_books's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The Last Sun is an urban fantasy with a storyline rivalling epic fantasies. Some aspect I loved about the book:
- Rune is strong but not perfect main character. He also pretends to not care, but he does. A lot.
- Rune and Brand friendship is one of the focus of the book and it's epic and wonderful
- There's a found family. We all love a found family and this one is especially lovable.
- The magic system is confusing, but I didn't mind because it's unique and well-though-out.
- The story is fast paced and there is not one boring moment.
- The subtle romance is so good.
- All supporting characters are lovable.
Rune and Brand are hired to look for a missing scion and they soon learn that there is much more behind the scenes than a simple disappearance and darker force are in play. They get into tricky situations time and time again and there is always something extra happening. While this action-packed nature of the book ensures that there is not a single boring moment, it also makes it hard to keep up. Especially that the world and the magic system is so new. I never thought I would say this but I missed some info-dumping about the world. But that's maybe just me constantly wanting to know every detail.
I enjoyed this book a lot and will definitely read the other published books. I think the story will build up to be one of the best I've read. Can't wait to continue.
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
toopunkrockforshul'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, and Death of parent
wardenred's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
I hear all the cool bodyguards love to shut their clients in a strange room with a strange man. Extra points when zombies are involved.
This series has been recommended to me more times than I can count, but I've shied away from it because of the trigger warnings. I cracked open the Amazon sample once, and the way Rune's past trauma was mentioned/handled at the very beginning didn't sit well with me. But the recs kept coming, so I eventually caved, and wow, I don't regret it one bit! There were some aspects of the trauma narrative I remained slightly put out by until the end, I admit, but there were also scenes where I liked the handling of it, and anyway, there is just SO MUCH MORE to this book.
I really loved the worldbuilding and how it was delivered. The author uses my absolute favorite approach: just plunge the reader in the middle of things, throw in a bunch of stuff that is completely natural to the POV character so he doesn't dwell on every detail and just experiences things instead of actively explaining them, and wait until it all makes sense. A tad overwhelming at first, but by the end of first act I felt like I had a strong grasp on the basics of the setting, and then more exciting stuff kept getting added throughout the book, making for a super exciting kitchen-sink-type urban fantasy setting with complex political relations between the Tarot-inspred courts and an interesting take on the Vancian magic system. And it's not just the worldbuilding info that's delivered this way: Rune definitely keeps secrets from the reader that he alludes to periodically—or rather, it's not that he actively keeps secrets, it's that he only narrates what is immediately relevant. So I'm very excited to keep reading and learning more about all the things that's been hinted at.
The character dynamics are a huge strength of the story. There's a big web of relationships growing around Rune, each of them unique and compelling. I particularly adored the relationship he has with Brand, and how most of their interactions consist of sniping at each other in fluent sarcasm, but when it matters, they're always able to brush it aside and have an honest, vulnerable conversation. I also liked the budding relationship between Rune and Addam, and Rune's interactions with Lord Tower, and so many more connections. Also, the banter is absolutely to die for. I may have burst out into loud laughter at least four times. I also found myself a huge fan of action scenes here. A lot of them are long, but they never feel drown out and are always exciting in more ways than one, slipping in plenty of character development and worldbuilding info between all the tension.
The plotting overall is solid, both in terms of delivering a self-contained adventure and setting up the foundations for an overarching plot. I was, however, a bit annoyed by the number of times the characters were backed into a corner and then saved by a happy accident. Though this kind of thing was easier to stomach when I remembered that
Finally, a shoutout to Josh Hurley who's 100% one of the best audiobook narrators I've come across. Such an amazing job making every character feel distinct and maintaining the mood throughout!
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Rape
kenzie_f's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail