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akswhy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Solid start to a fantasy trilogy. Lots of lore and texture to keep up with, but the plot of the older timeline makes it easy to get up to speed. Love the dual timeline structure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Sexual violence
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-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
4.0
Rielle grew up in the palace alongside Prince Audric, but she has a dangerous secret: she has the power of all seven elements, a gift that is said only to belong to the prophesied Sun or Blood Queens. When the secret of her gift becomes known, she must pass seven trials to prove that she is the Sun Queen, destined to save the world, and not the Blood Queen, destined to end it. One thousand years later, Eliana uses her skill for violence to provide for her family as a servant of the cruel Empire. When women start to go missing, including Eliana's mother, she cuts a deal with her enemy, the rebel Wolf, in order to find out more, but learns far more than she ever wanted about herself and her family.
I am using this series to get me out of a reading slump and it. is. working! I love the world-building, which was explained well given how complex it is. I found this book on booktok, where everyone seems to like Eliana better than Rielle, so I was a bit surprised that I felt the opposite. Eliana is a bit too violent and selfish for my taste, but I do foresee that Rielle's choices and her love triangle, as well as Eliana's (hopeful) character growth in the next two books may change my mind. I also am a sucker for the type of story that Rielle's storyline was: the classic fairytale "person must complete a series of tasks that their particular skills allow them to do." I found the shifting point of view difficult sometimes because it felt like I was being yanked out of the story, and only some of the chapters felt like natural links to each other. Overall, though, I'm excited to read the next book in the series; here's to escaping my reading slump!
I am using this series to get me out of a reading slump and it. is. working! I love the world-building, which was explained well given how complex it is. I found this book on booktok, where everyone seems to like Eliana better than Rielle, so I was a bit surprised that I felt the opposite. Eliana is a bit too violent and selfish for my taste, but I do foresee that Rielle's choices and her love triangle, as well as Eliana's (hopeful) character growth in the next two books may change my mind. I also am a sucker for the type of story that Rielle's storyline was: the classic fairytale "person must complete a series of tasks that their particular skills allow them to do." I found the shifting point of view difficult sometimes because it felt like I was being yanked out of the story, and only some of the chapters felt like natural links to each other. Overall, though, I'm excited to read the next book in the series; here's to escaping my reading slump!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Cursing and Sexual violence