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mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- 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
Writing: 4⭐️/5
The writing is very well done. I found it fascinating, captivating, and well-thought-out, especially the first half of the novel. Several moments of truly stunning prose stuck with me, and where it lacked, it didn’t lack for too much. Occasionally, a few scenes relied heavily on exposition or felt a bit repetitive, but it didn’t interfere greatly with my enjoyment of the novel.
It’s worth noting that S. Jae-Jones includes a note on the language used in the novel. While there were a few moments where perhaps the writing wasn’t perfectly smooth, I understand that it was likely a bit of a translation issue.
Characters: 4⭐️/5
**Contains Spoilers**
I really did love the characters. I liked Han’s himbo character. I loved reading about Zhara’s abilities. I liked the side characters and the attention given to them. That being said, one of the only things that struck me as odd was Zhara’s stepsister, Suzhan. We get so little consistent characterization of her. She acts young, and then mature, soft and innocent and then ruthless. And, while her betrayal is justified, her actions beforehand just don’t seem to coincide with how she’s explained.
Plot: 3.75⭐️/5
Alright, so the plot starts off marvellously! I love Zhara and Han’s meeting outside the bookstore, how quickly they ignite interest in each other, and how swiftly we see each character’s background and backstories: I loved all of that. And then, about halfway through the novel, the plot starts to fall off. Progressively, the story felt more and more untied, as though it lost its way. Or never had a strong sense of where it wanted to go. I also really didn’t love getting so much exposition in the epilogue explaining to us what happened to our beloved characters.
World 4.5⭐️/5
The world is really cool. I love how magic is described in the novel, I love the emphasis on books, and I adored how vibrant each moment in the world felt.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of young adult fantasy novels
- Fans of YA looking for a cute romance
Content Warnings?
Death, sexual harassment, kidnapping, death of parent, emotional abuse, physical abuse, child abuse, gaslighting, confinement, body horror, grief, gore, toxic relationship, violence, war
Post-Reading Rating: 3.25⭐️/5
A lot of potential but it kind of fell apart around the middle of the book. It was still good, but not nearly as good as the beginning.
Final Rating: 3.75⭐️/5
Final Rating: 3.75⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Body horror, Classism, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief
drtx_bwt's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Death of parent
Minor: Lesbophobia and Violence
sarahyjackson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Satisfied every toonami Sailor Moon childhood nostalgia desire I had for it!
I found myself sort of rushing through the climactic event scenes but I sort of felt that way in Sailor Moon, too. Sometimes it really do be the friends and hero you make and become along the way.
I found myself sort of rushing through the climactic event scenes but I sort of felt that way in Sailor Moon, too. Sometimes it really do be the friends and hero you make and become along the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Lesbophobia
ezwolf's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I feel like I've hit a bit of a wall with enjoying the books I've read recently, but this book was a fun and fast paced read.
The way the author used English to mimic how characters would have spoke in other languages was so interesting and gave it a unique quality. The magic system, while similar to others I've read about, still felt different than what I've read before.
I loved that both Zhara and Han had younger siblings that they were fighting to protect. And Xu! I loved Xu, they are probably my favorite character with Yuli coming in close second. Even though there was a romantic subplot with Zhara and Han, the friendship between them and Xu and Jiyi and eventually Yuli felt genuine and just as important as the romance. And the inclusion of queer characters was a delightful surprise.
The writing was a bit repetitive at times, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
The way the author used English to mimic how characters would have spoke in other languages was so interesting and gave it a unique quality. The magic system, while similar to others I've read about, still felt different than what I've read before.
I loved that both Zhara and Han had younger siblings that they were fighting to protect. And Xu! I loved Xu, they are probably my favorite character with Yuli coming in close second. Even though there was a romantic subplot with Zhara and Han, the friendship between them and Xu and Jiyi and eventually Yuli felt genuine and just as important as the romance. And the inclusion of queer characters was a delightful surprise.
The writing was a bit repetitive at times, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, Body horror, Alcohol, Grief, Kidnapping, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Animal death
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