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kkulhannie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Death, Forced institutionalization, and War
Moderate: Trafficking, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Confinement, Genocide, Violence, Slavery, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
micksland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
While I'm a huge fan of the author's "Murderbot" series, I thought this fantasy novel was somewhat lackluster.
The story alternates between two timelines, only one of which had an interesting plot. The present-day story involves a missing person and a tepid whodunnit mystery, while the flashback scenes (which take up about 50% of the novel) involve a daring escape and several excellent battle scenes. I kept wishing that the present-day scenes would end and send me back to the exciting part of the story.
The magic system is complex but under-explored. It seems that there are many different kinds of magic with their own limitations and uses, but none of the rules are fleshed out sufficiently for the magic to be used except as a deus ex machina.
I appreciated the exciting battle scenes and the potential for expansion in future installments, but this felt more like a debut novel than something by an experienced author.
Graphic: Confinement and Murder
Moderate: Genocide
hanz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I was captivated by this start to finish and was thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. It almost felt like another installment in a beloved series, despite never having read about these characters before.
Graphic: Murder, Self harm, War, Genocide, Colonisation, Confinement, and Kidnapping
skudiklier'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? No
4.75
You just sort of land in the middle of things without a lot of context in the beginning, so it can be hard to follow, especially with the time jumps. But I think it all came together really well and I cared about the characters and was engaged in the story. That said, I do think if I hadn't been reading an audiobook, I would have struggled more. It probably would have taken me a lot longer to read it.
All in all I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested, especially if you like Wells's writing or if you like fantasy more broadly. However, if you're just looking for more Murderbot, you might be disappointed. I wasn't though, and I'm glad I read it.
Graphic: Murder, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Genocide
Moderate: Grief, Child death, and Slavery
julesadventurezone'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
My favourite relationship was
Kai and Ziede I didn't really care for until late in the book, when
Ziede is very cool but I feel like for a main character she was a little underdeveloped.
Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Genocide, Violence, Death, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Child death
stephaniemcuervo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, War, Violence, Genocide, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Grief, and Kidnapping
briely's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Slavery, Violence, and War
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Body horror and Confinement
softanimal's review
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Confinement
julesadventurezone'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
3.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Genocide, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Self harm
msawyer77's review
- 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
Minor: Confinement, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Violence