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corsetedfeminist'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? Yes
5.0
I have to admit that it took a little bit for me to truly be invested in the characters, but once I was I read the whole thing through without stopping.
I think this is the perfect middle ground between romantasy and straight fantasy. There is a romance, sure. There’s even a few hints of spice. But there’s also really well done discussions of politics and race and marginalization. But the plot itself moves along briskly despite those deeper topics being woven in.
I love Keera so much. In many ways I think her brilliance as a main character is that she’s allowed to be what so many male main characters have been in fantasy before. She’s not magically better than everyone else at fighting, she has been trained for decades until she is the best. She doesn’t hesitate to kill, but she does end up an alcoholic over it and has to drag herself to sobriety. She is harsh and calculating and doesn’t trust anyone. And yet, she can be soft and tender- with her Shades, with the halflings in general, with Gwyn. Her position as someone who technically has power and yet practically is controlled every step of the way by the king is also very well written.
I didn’t like Riven until the very end, and I’m still not his biggest fan (he’s not worthy of my Keera yet) but he is very well written- the well intentioned revolutionary who is extremely slow to trust even when it would benefit him and wants the best for everyone but doesn’t always know how to get it.
I did love Syrra. A woman who has devoted her life to being a warrior? Yes please. Give me more. Her scene with a very hungover Keera was one of my favorites in the book for sheer emotion- two women with blood on their hands struggling with the weight of it all.
Oh, and Nikolai. Every revolution needs “playboy who is very smart but useless in battle.”
I’m really looking forward to how the complexities of revolution and racial equality are handled going forward. This book has set up the best discussion of those issues I’ve ever seen in fiction.
The only reason I’m not already reading the second book is that I have to wait for it on Libby, but it shouldn’t be too long.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Racism, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
corditeq'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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide and Grief
crinkledmochi'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
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
_alyssar_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury