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memorykey2'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? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and War
casdelvo's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, and War
Minor: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
lqne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Rape, Self harm, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
rose_88's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Blood, War, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Rape, Torture, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
onefineelephant's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
3.0
Likes:
I liked the part when they break out of the underground cathedral. The scene in the kitchen especially is one of the best scenes in all of the books, imo. The journey to the surface was well done and I like most of the times that everyone is together, almost as a family. The scene where they are being cornered in the field and then Nikolai comes and saves them also was very good.
The Spinning Wheel is really cool and I liked that part of the book. I liked how Baghra sacrificed herself so that Alina and them could escape, it seemed badass and fitting. [After they escaped the Spinning Wheel, I liked the book significantly less.] I also liked the epilogue, it seemed very fitting for Alina and Mal and it was good to read that they and the orphans were able to have some joy.
Dislikes:
I can't stand Alina's power-craving sentiments or Mal's self-sacrificing bs. We barely got Nikolai in this book and then he was turned into a monster. Sergei's death really rubs me the wrong way because it makes it seem like people with mental health conditions are better off dead. The Darkling crashing the Spinning Wheel was super jarring to me and it felt like the author didn't know how to move the plot along so she decided to make him attack (even though it doesn't make any logical sense as to how he got all the way to the Spinning Wheel without being noticed). Nikolai becoming a monster doesn't seem logical either, it felt like a device for the author to just get him out of the picture for a while. Also, the big plot twist of how Mal is the third amplifier is honestly nauseating to me, especially how Alina "knew" the firebird wasn't the third amplifier because of how he "told" her. Then Alina freaking stabs Mal and murders him only to have her immediately lose all of her powers and have them transferred to all the non-Grisha in the area. None of the ending battle scene is logical and all of it makes me mad. Mal is somehow resurrected even though it is not explained at all. And then Alina doesn't even need to have any powers let alone all three amplifiers to stab and murder the Darkling simply because they "lost their connection so he didn't see it coming." It was extremely anti-clamactic and Alina showed too much pity and grace toward him. She stayed with him as he died, humored his request of saying his name, and then allowed him to be honored in death with a proper ceremony and no grave. It honestly makes me sick to think that this man who needlessly murdered and maimed hundreds of people because he "loved his country" was comforted during his final moments. He deserved no mercy.
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
soph22's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
aliyachaudhry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
a_tiny_crow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Stalking
therobinjoyce'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? It's complicated
4.0
So many twists and turns, a slightly slow start but once it picks up it is pretty much non-stop until the end. Tears were shed, books were *almost* thrown at walls, squeals were heard near-constantly while reading, and my face looked pretty much like this →
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
clauglezzz_'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
4.25
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment