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erins_bookshelf_'s review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This was so good omg
It was a little slow at the beginning and there may have been too many flashbacks/ exposition towards the beginning but other than that it was amazing
I love Mulan inspired books/ retellings because she’s my favorite Disney character and the storyline has so many possibilities like how more modern ones can make it obvious that Li Shang-inspired character (in this case, Tristan) is bi because they still have romantic feelings for the Mulan-inspired character (Veronyka here) and I love it. I wasn’t aware that this was going to be a trilogy and now J need the rest because that twist at the end was incredible and I need more
I think I wasn’t paying enough attention to the timeline because I didn’t realize that the end of the Blood War was so close to Veronyka’s birth time (though her being Avalkyra’s niece/ “shadow sister” makes is clear it’s only 16 years later and also the book description says it, I just wasn’t paying attention lol) and also the niece/“shadow sister” thing was very unexpected but very interesting.
Very very good book, definitely picks up a lot after getting the backstory stuff out of the way (but it also weaves the history into the rest of the book and it’s very good).
It was a little slow at the beginning and there may have been too many flashbacks/ exposition towards the beginning but other than that it was amazing
I love Mulan inspired books/ retellings because she’s my favorite Disney character and the storyline has so many possibilities
Very very good book, definitely picks up a lot after getting the backstory stuff out of the way (but it also weaves the history into the rest of the book and it’s very good).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Murder
paperbackprincess19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is a fast paced fantasy world that will draw you in from the first few pages. I was truly hooked from the beginning.
Its a new world and the empire is trying to eliminate the previous warriors, The Phoenix Riders. They've nearly succeeded with fully eradicating them, but a few remains and those who are loyal to them remain on the mission to see The Phoenix Riders rise once more.
This book is so well written, pacing is amazing, it fitted so much information, plot and history into a not so long novel without overwhelming the readers.
The ending is satisfying, it's not a cliff hanger but I'm still wanting to read the sequel sooner rather than later.
Its a new world and the empire is trying to eliminate the previous warriors, The Phoenix Riders. They've nearly succeeded with fully eradicating them, but a few remains and those who are loyal to them remain on the mission to see The Phoenix Riders rise once more.
This book is so well written, pacing is amazing, it fitted so much information, plot and history into a not so long novel without overwhelming the readers.
The ending is satisfying, it's not a cliff hanger but I'm still wanting to read the sequel sooner rather than later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Slavery, and War
stormywolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- 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
Audiobook Read by Cassandra Campbell, Samantha Desz, Gibson Frazier, Joy Osmanski & Jacques Roy
Unabridged Length: 17.4 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, a solid production, but not as spectacular as I might have liked. I did appreciate being able to hear the terms Xe Xie and the slightly different pronunciation of Avalkyra than I had, but there wasn't much else in the fantasy category that had me puzzled. I also noticed a couple places where the text had "community" in place of "tribe" in the audio, so I assume those were edited later, but they were the only minor differences I caught. In short, this may be a fun change of pace for those who are used to only one narrator per book, but lands pretty standard for those of us who've experienced more complex productions.
Unabridged Length: 17.4 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, a solid production, but not as spectacular as I might have liked. I did appreciate being able to hear the terms Xe Xie and the slightly different pronunciation of Avalkyra than I had, but there wasn't much else in the fantasy category that had me puzzled. I also noticed a couple places where the text had "community" in place of "tribe" in the audio, so I assume those were edited later, but they were the only minor differences I caught. In short, this may be a fun change of pace for those who are used to only one narrator per book, but lands pretty standard for those of us who've experienced more complex productions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Gaslighting, Slavery, Emotional abuse, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent and Murder
cottonspun's review
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Slavery
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Toxic relationship
lennie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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
5.0
So I'm going to *attempt* to form my thoughts into coherent sentences that aren't just me constantly gushing about this book.
This story is kind of like Mulan meets GoT in South America. I'm not saying the world is meant to be like South America but that's the vibe I got and I'm sticking with it 👍
So a few things that I ADORED about this book were;
Veronyka
Sev being gay AF
Tristan being the cutest little bi cinnamon roll ever
The trans acceptance from Veronyka
THE TWISTS
The characters
The Phoenix's
The world building
The relationships
The multiple POVs
The hugs & affection 😭 (this is something I don't think we see enough of in Fantasy books and I really enjoyed it)
The writing style was excellent and genuinely Very funny in places. The battle scene at the end felt so tense and exciting and that's not an easy thing to achieve on paper.
The magic style was also unique. An affinity with animals isn't a new power idea as such but for it to be the protagonist's main power, and for the book to identify the good and bad ways it can be used, felt very refreshing.
My only qualms with this book are that Avalkyra (a historic character) should have been older. She was a very intense and mature character and for her to die after a war at the age of 18 felt off. I assumed her and her sister would at least be in their mid-20's, if not older. (Avalkyra is already dead when the book starts, this isn't a spoiler).
My other qualm is that as animages, I thought it was a bit odd that they still ate animals. It was sort of quickly explained that all creatures have their place but, as a vegetarian, I was like hmm, could just not eat meat 🤷♀️
Either way, I'm super excited to read the sequel!
This story is kind of like Mulan meets GoT in South America. I'm not saying the world is meant to be like South America but that's the vibe I got and I'm sticking with it 👍
So a few things that I ADORED about this book were;
Veronyka
Sev being gay AF
Tristan being the cutest little bi cinnamon roll ever
The trans acceptance from Veronyka
THE TWISTS
The characters
The Phoenix's
The world building
The relationships
The multiple POVs
The hugs & affection 😭 (this is something I don't think we see enough of in Fantasy books and I really enjoyed it)
The writing style was excellent and genuinely Very funny in places. The battle scene at the end felt so tense and exciting and that's not an easy thing to achieve on paper.
The magic style was also unique. An affinity with animals isn't a new power idea as such but for it to be the protagonist's main power, and for the book to identify the good and bad ways it can be used, felt very refreshing.
My only qualms with this book are that Avalkyra (a historic character) should have been older. She was a very intense and mature character and for her to die after a war at the age of 18 felt off. I assumed her and her sister would at least be in their mid-20's, if not older. (Avalkyra is already dead when the book starts, this isn't a spoiler).
My other qualm is that as animages, I thought it was a bit odd that they still ate animals. It was sort of quickly explained that all creatures have their place but, as a vegetarian, I was like hmm, could just not eat meat 🤷♀️
Either way, I'm super excited to read the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
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