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bree_h_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Ableism
Moderate: Genocide, Animal death, Confinement, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Racism, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
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
hailstorm3812's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
I wasn't sure about this at first because it has a very young vibe and worried I was too old to enjoy it, but I was pleased to be incorrect. It is very silly and charming in a way that makes it enjoyable for all ages. It has mythology, fairytales, queer characters, shapeshifting cats, and good looking giggles, what's more to want? I liked the characters and relationships, especially Zhara and her sister. I will definitely be tuning in for Yulana's book and this Beast character's story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Body horror
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: War, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Death of parent, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
guessgreenleaf's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Alcoholism
writteninmagic's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
(Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with an eGalley copy to review.)
I thought the premise and the world were interesting. The writing was simple and easy to follow along with for the most part; there were instances, such as mentioning locations in the world and not really having something like a map to indicate where they were in relation to one another, that made it confusing to keep up with when I was reading the story. Unfortunately, the writing style was written as telling everything as it is, which took out any tension the action scenes/battles would've had.
There's a diverse cast of characters, but I felt like none of them really stood out as characters except Xu. All of them basically remained the same throughout the book. However, this is the first book in a series, so there's room for character growth and I'm curious to read more about the magical world and the adventures they'll go on.
Something that frustrated me while I was reading was when something major happened, but then none of the characters mention it until a few chapters later. And then when it gets outright explained several chapters later, Zhara is somehow still surprised even though it should've been really obvious.
The writing got really repetitive with all the instances of Han being like "But how?" and then immediately going "Oh" afterward.
I'm not a fan of instant romantic attraction between characters. Han is instantly drawn toward Zhara and there's also an instant attraction between the two side characters.
Despite the criticisms I've written, I'm curious to read about the story's world (more about the history, the magic, and the elemental Guardians' powers).
I thought the premise and the world were interesting. The writing was simple and easy to follow along with for the most part; there were instances, such as mentioning locations in the world and not really having something like a map to indicate where they were in relation to one another, that made it confusing to keep up with when I was reading the story. Unfortunately, the writing style was written as telling everything as it is, which took out any tension the action scenes/battles would've had.
There's a diverse cast of characters, but I felt like none of them really stood out as characters except Xu. All of them basically remained the same throughout the book. However, this is the first book in a series, so there's room for character growth and I'm curious to read more about the magical world and the adventures they'll go on.
Something that frustrated me while I was reading was when something major happened, but then none of the characters mention it until a few chapters later. And then when it gets outright explained several chapters later, Zhara is somehow still surprised even though it should've been really obvious.
The writing got really repetitive with all the instances of Han being like "But how?" and then immediately going "Oh" afterward.
I'm not a fan of instant romantic attraction between characters. Han is instantly drawn toward Zhara and there's also an instant attraction between the two side characters.
Despite the criticisms I've written, I'm curious to read about the story's world (more about the history, the magic, and the elemental Guardians' powers).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent
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