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mxpringle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Racism
sophmcgraw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Racism
pocketspoon's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
I also find it annoying that the Howl's Moving Castle characters all have babies in this book, as if that's the only possible progression of a young woman's life/story.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Confinement, Sexism, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Slavery, and War
daisiesandbees's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Fatphobia, Murder, and Police brutality
Minor: Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexism, and Confinement
Minor: Classism and Murder
Toxic familylily1304's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
2.75
Castle in the Air was published in 1990, before it was cool for white people to stay in our lanes I guess, because the setting is a fantasy-stereotyped medieval Middle East. It reminded me strongly of both of Calormen, C.S. Lewis' fantasy Middle East south of Narnia, and the Disney version of Aladdin.
Graphic: Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Kidnapping
minzzi's review against another edition
- 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
The plot was mildly entertaining and I liked some of the new side characters and the ones from the previous book that showed up. Beyond that, I don't have much nice to say.
Basically all the non-white characters were racist stereotypes written by a white woman. The people from Zanzib are described as all being greedy scammers who will do all matter of horrible things for money and power and the one asian princess is described as small, frail, quiet and the only one who doesn't speak the language that all the other characters seen to speak, even thou they are all from different places in the world. And that line were the main character says that Ingary (a place clearly inspired by England were most of not all people are white) was sooo much better and more beautiful than his homeland really bothered me.
Also, for some reason the men in this book are very misogynistic. In the previous book there was no such thing, or at least it wasn't part of the story. Woman worked and owned their own shops, they maried who they wanted and were over all independent and powerful, but in this book there is multiple instances were they are controlled or shamed for their apparence. The only time the main characters thinks the way a female character is being treated is wrong is only because he thinks "she is to beutiful to be treated like that". Big eyeroll moment. And most os the misogyny coming from the POC in the story didn't help either.
To close if of, the romance on this book sucks. I reeeeally don't like storys were the characters know each other for 5 minutes and are already in love, specially in cases like this were the male main character is obsessed with a woman only for her looks, without knowing nothing about her and for some reason the female love interest loves him back and that is seen as a completely normal thing.
<Spoiler> I was going to give this book 2.5 stars, but that scene near the end were the soldier coerces one of the princesses into marriage or else he is going to help the villain keep then captive really upset me. So just 2 stars it is. <Spoiler>
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Body shaming, Sexism, Kidnapping, and Racism
merin_aran's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
- Enchanting, whimsical and fun (mostly). Has much of the same wit and humour that I really enjoyed in the first book, however...
- The new main characters were a bit disappointing. I found Abdullah and the soldier a bit lacklustre and annoying at times and I didn't warm to them much.
- I really wanted more of the OG characters that I fell in love with previously - they are in it, but remain in disguise through most of the book, which was a shame because they were such a big part of why I loved the first book.
- There were also definitely some problems with exoticism and racial stereotyping that changed the vibe of the book - I don’t think it was malicious but rather outdated ignorance and you can tell that Jones is not writing about her own culture.
- There was also a fair bit of fat-shaming and misogyny from the main character too, which is probably why I really didn’t like him tbh
- Overall an ok book, but the characterisation and problematic writing let it down.
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Fatphobia and Racism
Minor: Sexism
poirot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal cruelty and Physical abuse
bpop's review against another edition
- 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? No
2.0
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Racism and Sexism