Scan barcode
ireadinbed's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
I felt so many fucking feelings.
I cried like 40% of my reading time.
No joke this is a rough one but this series speaks to me on a deep level and this book is by FAR the best. And i say that having rated thd other 2 books 5⭐️ as well.
The character arcs. The deep messages about the radical nature of forgivness and the continuous work of a good life. The hope.
Chefs kiss. 5 stars. Hell 6 stars.
I cried like 40% of my reading time.
No joke this is a rough one but this series speaks to me on a deep level and this book is by FAR the best. And i say that having rated thd other 2 books 5⭐️ as well.
The character arcs. The deep messages about the radical nature of forgivness and the continuous work of a good life. The hope.
Chefs kiss. 5 stars. Hell 6 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism
coffeebot18's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
A stunning conclusion - to a brilliant trilogy - that makes sense of the events of the first two novels and clarifies El’s purpose . Novik’s magical world is desperately dark, but protagonist El and her people are tenacious in their pursuit of a glimmering, golden hope for a better future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Body horror, and Violence
Minor: Cursing, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Murder
alyssasaurus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Racism, Confinement, War, and Kidnapping
jewishpadme's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
this book has a load of very casual racism throughout and i don't understand how any editor let all that shit slip through
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
dabow's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-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
My life is different now. Novik is directly up my alley and into my lizard brain.
This book also feels extremely relevant to our current moment, for all that it's about wizard kids who don't know how to use phones. It's also about the little ways we hurt everyone and how we justify it to ourselves, and about how ultimately it's not justifiable. I'm in a daze thinking about climate change and capitalism after finishing this book (and series) and I probably will be for weeks.
This would make an excellent double-feature with "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas."
This book also feels extremely relevant to our current moment, for all that it's about wizard kids who don't know how to use phones. It's also about the little ways we hurt everyone and how we justify it to ourselves, and about how ultimately it's not justifiable. I'm in a daze thinking about climate change and capitalism after finishing this book (and series) and I probably will be for weeks.
This would make an excellent double-feature with "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Death, and Child abuse
Minor: Religious bigotry, Racism, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
greymalkin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An incredibly satisfying and pleasing conclusion to the trilogy. I loved it and immediately started re-reading the series again for reasons mentioned under the spoiler tag.
It is very rare for an author to be able to drop a twist so late in a series and pull it off. Either the twist is predicated on information that the reader never knew or couldn't possibly know (e.g. That there were two murderers, that one particular song has huge personal meaning for the main character even though it was never mentioned, etc.). But Naomi Novik did a marvelously satisfying job at it. As soon as it came up I was like OMG now so many things make sense!! There were always little moments that felt interesting but not particularly significant, and to have them suddenly all be huge clues as to what was really going on was very very cool. The twist didn't feel like it came out of nowhere and it didn't make me feel stupid for not noticing all the hints. I love when I can be delightfully surprised (and horrified because of the actual content of the twist).
I also really loved that this book focused on El really deepening her friendships and feelings for other people and showing how she could bring together disparate groups even though she's not particularly charismatic or great at social things. I had liked Liesel from the second book but I really loved her in this one. And Orion... my heart bled for Orion.
It took me a while to finish the book because I was deliberately pacing it out, savoring the moments because so many huge things happened all the time it was better to take in the book in sips rather than gulps. And once I finished it, I immediately started reading the first book again. Only a few chapters into the first book and I was very pleased to see that yes indeed, there's a huge clue right there right at the start and yet we had no idea what we were looking at so it meant nothing. Tremendous.
I also really loved that this book focused on El really deepening her friendships and feelings for other people and showing how she could bring together disparate groups even though she's not particularly charismatic or great at social things. I had liked Liesel from the second book but I really loved her in this one. And Orion... my heart bled for Orion.
It took me a while to finish the book because I was deliberately pacing it out, savoring the moments because so many huge things happened all the time it was better to take in the book in sips rather than gulps. And once I finished it, I immediately started reading the first book again. Only a few chapters into the first book and I was very pleased to see that yes indeed, there's a huge clue right there right at the start and yet we had no idea what we were looking at so it meant nothing. Tremendous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Minor: Child death
uranaishi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Vomit, Violence, Death of parent, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and War
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
More...