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harperxxxx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Holy shit
Okay I loved so much about this. One- the amount of world building alone was enough to keep me engaged. The dragon religion spawning off from vanishing them centuries ago? The discussions of caste and honorifics, the concept of becoming starving, the difference between countries views on gender- it all kept me very entertained and intrigued. Also, Everen and Arcady both having their own issues and having to work past them to even BEGIN trusting each other was a good thing to witness, mostly because a lot of what I've read recently is instant trust or one big feat creates trust.
All in all, the heist and the assassin plotlines were well balanced to me and I thoroughly enjoyed them both.
As for characters, Soren was an interesting arc as she very much is codependent on Magnes who is also like the worst and did actually make me angry. An antagonist that's truly despicable, he was perfect for the mood of the book.
The title alone also was very pleasing for me especially when it occurred to me it was a reference to whale falls- something that usually creates and maintains an ecosystem for years where they fall and decay- much like how Arcady is now thriving due to Everen falling.
Dear lord this one won't be leaving my brain for a while.
Graphic: Violence, Cannibalism, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Genocide, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Classism, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Grief, and Terminal illness
Minor: Cursing, Abandonment, Homophobia, Ableism, and Medical content
*Holy shit* *slight spoilers* Okay I loved so much about this. One- the amount of world building alone was enough to keep me engaged. The dragon religion spawning off from vanishing them centuries ago? The discussions of caste and honorifics, the concept of becoming starving, the difference between countries views on gender- it all kept me very entertained and intrigued. Also, Everen and Arcady both having their own issues and having to work past them to even BEGIN trusting each other was a good thing to witness, mostly because a lot of what I've read recently is instant trust or one big feat creates trust. All in all, the heist and the assassin plotlines were well balanced to me and I thoroughly enjoyed them both. As for characters, Soren was an interesting arc as she very much is codependent on Magnes who is also like the worst and did actually make me angry. An antagonist that's truly despicable, he was perfect for the mood of the book. The title alone also was very pleasing for me especially when it occurred to me it was a reference to whale falls- something that usually creates and maintains an ecosystem for years where they fall and decay- much like how Arcady is now thriving due to Everen falling. Dear lord this one won't be leaving my brain for a while.abookwormspov'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: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Violence, and Murder
cookiecat73'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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Grief, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Body horror, Cannibalism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Classism, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Grief, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Torture, and Self harm
Minor: Transphobia, Animal death, Drug use, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, and War
dezzella'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? It's complicated
2.5
I did like the two worlds concept between the dragons and humans, and some of the magic pieces. I wish there was more clarity on some of the worldbuilding, it made sense for the characters to already know things about the magic and world. As a reader it felt like I was missing out on details, though the magic system was interesting and unique.
I also found myself a bit bored/losing interest while reading and had considered DNF'ing but ended up pushing through. I will admit that the last 10 chapters or so were better than the rest of the book. The training scenes started to feel repetitive and stretched out over many chapters. And the changes of perspective were unique but they were a bit jarring and felt strange when reading; it felt like the flow of the narrative was interrupted when the type of POV would change.
Also how pronouns were tackled for this world was very cool and I hope that more people will do something like it.
Overall this story wasn't really my cup of tea, and I probably won't continue the series as of right now, but I'm glad there are others who enjoy it and perhaps the author will improve the style in future books. :)
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Death of parent
norwegianforestreader'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: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Gore, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Violence, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and War
atthelibrarywithmegan'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
5.0
I received a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited about the concept of this book: dragons, queer characters, mystery, magic. It did not disappoint!
I havenât read very many dragon magic books (theyâre kind of hard to find tbh), but I really felt like the way L. R. Lam created the magic system and the worlds of Loc and Vere Celene was very unique. I loved that there was no real âexplanationâ for why the queer characters were queer; they just were, it is just apart of them. I wouldnât say this qualifies as a romance (or even having a romance subplot) thereâs just a little sprinkle of attraction and desire.
The anticipation of whether or not their big heist was going to be pulled off, if Arcady and Everen could figure out the forbidden magic that held them together, and if either of their big secrets were going to be discovered captivated me from the very beginning. Not to mention a plot twist I didnât see coming AND a cliffhanger!
L. R. Lam wrote an amazing story. Not only can I not wait to get my hands on a physical copy, but also for whenever book 2 comes out!
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Blood
puttingwingsonwords'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
Another complaint I noticed is the amount of âinfodumpingâ at the start, which surprised me because I thought the worldbuilding was set up in a very organic way for a high fantasy⌠So Iâm guessing those last words are key. If youâre used to reading books from writers like Robin Hobb, or worse (/teasing) Tolkien, this kind of worldbuilding set up is probably second nature to you. If youâre me itâs one of your favourite parts of the genre.
I could tell you about the painfully slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance (they canât touch! because it hurts because of magic!), but I wanted to centre my review on the stuff I liked that some other people didnât. Not to hate on those people, because tastes differ and thatâs fine! Just to show that one personâs turn-off can be another personâs favourite thing.
I loved the setting, the characters, the magic system, everything and especially the âweirdâ stuff. More please! Where is the fanart of dragons and dragon people! Send it to me! I will be over here, patiently waiting for the sequel.
Review originally posted on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu1a8Lmrh_9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Classism, Death, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, Cannibalism, and Gore
abiofpellinor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Death, and Death of parent
marleywrites'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
The first 12% of this book, I wasnât sure if Iâd like it. But then, it picked up tremendously and I became obsessed. I read about 60% in one sitting.
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Vomit, War, Alcohol, and Chronic illness
Minor: Animal death
kellysbookverse'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: Murder, Abandonment, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Vomit