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lady_sharp's review against another edition
The book is mostly fine, in that sewage is mostly rainwater. Most of it is perfectly competent court intrigue/post apocalyptic fantasy with interesting characters, but it'll occasionally float by that the man who told a teenager she was too ugly to rape is meant to be a charming rogue (and her reaction to this is to be disappointed he finds her ugly....tip to writers: teenagers are hormonal, not complete idiots), the only people of color are harem-owning slavers despite it making no sense worldbuilding-wise, the albino woman just exists for us to gawk at how unnatural she is, and the obsession with evil female vanity that would make a fundamentalist Puritan proud. I'll give it credit, it was well-written enough that I spent a truly inordinate amount of time thinking that these things would be challenged later on...but it seems not. And I don't think I could stomach one more scene of a woman going doe-eyed over a man that treats her like garbage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Religious bigotry, and War
Moderate: Ableism
mazomazli's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I’m really not sure how I made it to the end and still want to read the next book. I found a lot of the worldbuilding to be the main reason I kept going because I want to know how things came to be. However this book is very much packed full with triggering content, often done carelessly and thrown in for what feels like shock factor. The main character is not likable at all, though I’ve never liked her to begin with. Here are the following that the author did that doesn’t sit right with me:
- constant obsession with beauty equaling goodness and fat phobia (only when the main character loses weight and magically takes on someone else’s appearance is she pretty) and the other evil queen would never be beautiful. How tragic to be ugly I suppose.
- one of the most graphic homophobia scenes I’ve ever read. A gay church member is castrated and his wound is left to get infected. There was no reason to put this in. There’s no commentary it’s just to show how evil the new church leader is
- graphic rape and constant sexual assault. Graphic domestic violence in full detail. Repeatedly.
- graphic self harm that is also deeply concerning because it seems the main character is always reopening her wounds by the slightest movements. There was no need to describe her start into it.
- bizarre portrayal of a woman with albinism being magical and wicked and very sexual…?! That was deeply uncomfortable and I think ableist
- stereotypical orientalism with describing a neighboring king of having a harem with 20+ wives and how the main character was offered to be the highest rank
- improper “seizure” care where they held down the MC and put things in her mouth - huge no’s
- slavery is used as a casual tool
And so much more.
Jonathan deserved better than to meet an end of self sacrifice.
- constant obsession with beauty equaling goodness and fat phobia (only when the main character loses weight and magically takes on someone else’s appearance is she pretty) and the other evil queen would never be beautiful. How tragic to be ugly I suppose.
- one of the most graphic homophobia scenes I’ve ever read. A gay church member is castrated and his wound is left to get infected. There was no reason to put this in. There’s no commentary it’s just to show how evil the new church leader is
- graphic rape and constant sexual assault. Graphic domestic violence in full detail. Repeatedly.
- graphic self harm that is also deeply concerning because it seems the main character is always reopening her wounds by the slightest movements. There was no need to describe her start into it.
- bizarre portrayal of a woman with albinism being magical and wicked and very sexual…?! That was deeply uncomfortable and I think ableist
- stereotypical orientalism with describing a neighboring king of having a harem with 20+ wives and how the main character was offered to be the highest rank
- improper “seizure” care where they held down the MC and put things in her mouth - huge no’s
- slavery is used as a casual tool
And so much more.
Jonathan deserved better than to meet an end of self sacrifice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Racism, Slavery, Vomit, Abortion, Dysphoria, and War