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lochanreads'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Colonisation
lady_valhella's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail
aseel_reads'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
2.75
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
koerli'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, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment
It is a great book, deals amazing with all the problems!studieswithj101'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: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death and Emotional abuse
some_random_person_hi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Starting from arnd pg 300 this book got from good to great.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content, Transphobia, and Alcohol
strawberrytheauthor'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? It's complicated
5.0
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, untimely ascension, Found Family, assassinations.
I loved the magic system and how Roseanne A. Brown made it all fit within a set mythology of the world. Nothing about the magic system seemed out of place or like it didn’t make sense.
There is wonderful disability representation with anxiety, depression, and what seems to me to be autism. There is also a lot of LGBTQ+ representation and I think every character is a person of color (don’t quote me on that I don’t see pictures when I read I have no idea what these characters look like).
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Groomingsunlit_music'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
Plot - 5/5. The plot is original, easy to follow, makes sense, was exciting and full of tension and action, and kept me engaged from start to finish.
Characters - 5/5. All characters are believable, complex, act in character. They're all distinct and easy to tell apart. All of them are so interesting - not just the major characters, but also the minor ones! I love Yaema, Driss' and Tunde's relatives. I love Malik's sisters Leila and Nadia. Nadia is so freaking adorable!! The way she comforts Hanane by saying, "You look like a princess! You look normal!" Was so cute!
Caracal is funny and delightful, and Karina is badass and vulnerable. Afua is lovely and sweet, Hanane is fierce and lovable, and Malik has an incredible character arc. There's so many great characters to read about!
Pacing - Pacing was fast during action scenes, while still easy to follow, and that's when you know you're reading a great book. Pacing slowed down during thoughtful scenes where characters are resolving disputes, goofing off, supporting each other, which helped me understand and appreciate them more. Pacing was great, in short. :)
Representation - representation is INCREDIBLE! There's Ife, who is autistic and non binary, has a great sense of humour and so much charm. Malik has depression and self harms, and isn't portrayed as a saint or villain, but a real, flawed human being who is sometimes kind and at other times ruthless. He redeems himself in the end and what I appreciate about him is that he admits redemption is an ongoing thing, not a one off action.
Characters are BIPOC (Black, from different nations) and portrayed in a nuanced, thoughtful manner. There's plenty of interesting, strong and brave characters of all genders and ages.
World building - the history and mythology of the story's world is rich, detailed, lush and immersive. I love reading about the necropolis and pharaohs, and learning about the complex and painful history between Karina's and Malik's ancestors. I appreciate how this isn't a simple story of people who are purely good and evil, but flawed people trying to do what they think is right. I love how the story shows that some people can change for the better.
The scenes about the omens are vivid, spine chilling and I didn't see the scenes with the last omen coming! It was a totally unexpected plot twist, but made sense.
Ending - I love the ending, it's hopeful, uplifting while still being realistic. The way Karina solves her problems is inventive and clever, and feels hard won.
The narrators are all amazing, they're so talented! They all added humour, pathos and emotion to the characters they voiced. The e-book is wonderful, but if you can do it, buy the audio book - because the narrators/voice actors all make the characters and story come to life!
Graphic: Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Kidnapping, Grief, and Colonisation
internationalreads'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
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
blueberry0531'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
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Torture, and Blood
Minor: Sexual assault and Trafficking