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thewereraven's review against another edition
Graphic: Drug use, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Cursing, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Body horror, Bullying, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
anntharai'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
3.5
The issues I have with it REALLY irk me.
The world building is immaculate if a bit on the nose, really vivid writing and visceral descriptions, a great mechanic. Love the use of tattoos and the lore building. Overall I liked the story itself.
The issues, though?
I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the vulgarity because it was genuinely ludicrous at times. Swearing doesn’t bother me in the slightest but the lengths to which these characters went just to get a “banged your relative” joke in was over the top.
Everything has a simile. Everything. The doors locked like a secret. The floors cold like the night. The night air cold like knives. Wind like knives. Words like knives. Running frightened like a startled horse in a barn on fire and the devil whipping it all the way. The lips red like red things.
The repetitive phrases (fuck my face, like his lady’s lips the last time he kissed her, better a bastard than a fool) stopped feeling symbolic and started feeling like a crutch about half way through and using the same *twist* mechanic used twice (gender neutral names being the crux of two stories told so closely together) made it feel less polished than it could have been.
Thanks to various reviews etc I was also expecting a “big thing” to shock me at the end but I kind of felt it was obvious…?
Anti-climactic, in a word, but I do want to know what happens so it’s not like I hated it.
Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, War, Torture, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Outing, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gore, Excrement, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Blood
caitlinbutcher's review
Graphic: War, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexism, Self harm, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Addiction, Violence, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, and Drug abuse
beckybookish'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Death, Murder, Gore, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Self harm
lunaruprising'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
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Sexual content
fromlindenmere's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Gore, Animal death, Addiction, Alcohol, and Child death
adlihtam's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
Moderate: Misogyny and Pedophilia
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Rep: Achillean Black male side character, achillean male side character, two sapphic female side characters, various BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption/alcoholism, animal death, blood, body shaming, child abuse, cursing, death, death of parent, fire/fire injury, gore, homophobia, injury/injury detail, misogyny, murder, religious bigotry, sexism, sexual content, torture, violence, war.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and War
t_higgsreviews'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
Re-Read = 26 October 2022
5 Stars
CAWPILE = 9.43
In the sight of the Seven Martyrs I declare this book a masterpiece! I've taken a while to write this because it's impossible to go into too much about what I loved about it without spoiling anything but I'll give it a shot. It's a dark, snarky, multi-layered, gore-filled deep dive into what a world without sunlight and inhabited by vampires would be like. This has great, immersive world building, complex and flawed characters as well as a rollercoaster of a plot that will have you feeling ALL the emotions. Now just to wait on book 2 with bated breath and pine for yet another thing that Jay Kristoff has come up with that doesn't exist.
Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Grief, Confinement, Cursing, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Murder, Blood, Child death, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Vomit, Child abuse, Excrement, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
Minor: Pregnancy