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corabookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
- didn’t require much thought or mind energy to read
- plot was interesting enough
- characters and romance was eh, didn’t feel super connected to them but reading it wasn’t torture
- VERY predictable plot twists
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Medical content, Death of parent, Sexual content, War, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Torture, Rape, Drug use, Death, Blood, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide
maregred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Violence
khloereads86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Addiction
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Vomit
nirellis's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Confinement
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, and Self harm
ode_to_readers's review against another edition
5.0
Maybe not as good as the first time but that's because I knew all the twists this time. However, I loved all the foreshadowing and reading with the knowledge of what will happen. Its a whole different way of reading the story
_____________
THAT ENDING ONGOMGOMGOMG THIS STORY OMGOMGOMGOGM.
If I could erase my memory just so I can re-read this book, I would. And I would do it 100 more times. This story is everything I ever love about reading. It’s dark but has the most amazing characters with the wittiest and dry sense of humour. So many secrets to uncover and so many different storylines- from the trials to finding the cure for the sickness.
And the ENDING. No spoilers don’t worry but THE AUTHOR JUST HITS YOU WITH SO MANY PLOT TWISTS IN THE LAST FEW PAGES. And not even in the last few pages but towards the end too. I literally <i>gasped</i> out loud at one- so loud my parents were like wtf you okay? And NO IM NOT because I read so many books that you kind of start to see where the story goes and predict some twists BUT NOT THESE ONES. Like maybe a few thoughts passed through my mind but I was like naaaaah that doesn’t seem likely but then WHAM it happens and I’m still like :00000
So it seems like this author is besties with Sarah J Maas and SJM is my favourite author so honestly if you love Throne of Glass as much as I do and her other books, give this series a try too. It is so worth it and this book was my most anticipated read for this year, so I’m thrilled I have the Fairyloot edition of it too because it’s so pretty 😍 AND AND AND the sequel is already set to come this year so it’s perfect. SO READ THIS.
Moderate: Blood, Addiction, Torture, and Child death
Minor: Vomit, Murder, Death of parent, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Sexual harassment, and Drug abuse
emmyb's review against another edition
3.0
The story quickly sucked me in and was very engaging throughout the first 100 or so pages, but I started to get bored and speed read the second half of this book. If the trials aspect of this book appealed to you most, prepare to be disappointed. They were extremely anticlimactic, required no actual effort or skill from Kiva, and she only survived them because one person directly helped her all four times (I'd hardly call this a spoiler--it's the first book in a series, the main character was always going to make it out alive).
The four trials were incredibly lackluster:
trial 2: survive for 10 minutes without burning alive inside a crematorium. The princess gives her a magical necklace that keeps her from burning.
trial 3: tied to the bottom of a water pit for 15 minutes. surprise! Jaren has magic and saves her.
trial 4: escape a tunnel maze. Jaren gets thrown in with her as punishment and uses his magic to literally just show them the path out.
A lot of this book felt very flimsy. Even though life in the prison is harsh for the prisoners, they have a LOT of freedom--they're allowed to roam around the grounds however they please, are never subjected to pat-downs or security searches of any kind. There were never many guards around, and when they were present, the inmates weren't handcuffed or bound in any way. It also felt way too convenient that this infamous traitor queen was so casually placed in the infirmary with only a few healers and one guard at a time on watch. With her importance and high number of enemies she's said to have, why didn't anyone try to break in and harm her? Kiva was also always conveniently saved or favored by powerful people without much reason.
With all this being said, the reveals at the ending shocked me, and the cliffhanger was good enough to make me interested in giving book 2 a try.
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, Rape, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Death
hannahlois's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, and Child death
teri_b's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Loved the beginning and the introduction into the world, then I felt, the story got a little bit of a lull until it picked up pace towards the end again.
Loved the main character and her storyline through the book.
Some twists I did see coming, others not at all.
Star rating during reading was anything between 3 and 5, in the end I settle for a 3.
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Murder, Racism, and Toxic relationship
maimy_ii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Grief, Cursing, and Confinement
Minor: Self harm, Death of parent, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Drug use
risingsunreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The book follows the story of Kiva Merridan, how she ended up in the prison and the past 10 years of her life in there. The stuff she’s had to sustain and survive through. When Jaron, a prisoner who is sent there takes a liking to her and the rebel queen who is deathly sick arrives and has to take place in the trials by ordeal. Strong and determined Kiva takes her place.
I love the characters in this book from strong willed Kiva to a determined Jaren and tipp’s giddy character. Each having an important role in the plot and I love Naari’s character to being described as an ‘amber-eyed woman’, how she has authority and doesn’t hesitate to argue with the male guards.
I loved the plot of this book and how everything isn’t what it seems and how each trial isn’t as easy as it looks and how you think it’s going to turn out. I love the subplots of slow burn romance, magical elements and unexpected loyalty between a group of strangers. The plot moved fast following each of the trials by ordeals which made it an easy read.
If you like magical fantasy, loyalty between a group of strangers, royalty elements then this is for you! I can’t describe how much I loved reading this book and I’m really excited to see the story continue in the second book.
(if you’re after reading this I’d look up the trigger warnings as there’s quite a few in here that are either mildly or briefly mentioned.)
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Violence, and Torture
Minor: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Violence