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thelostartofsecretkeeping's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Bullying, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Classism, Gaslighting, Gore, Torture, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
rbz39's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow, this was a tough book to read. Challenging but rewarding! Don’t be fooled by the cover (which felt a little YA but still kicks ass regardless), this is a brutal tale of military sci-fi, magic, and systemic racism.
The author showed her world-building skills with this story and while I enjoyed it, I think the ending slowed down because of exposition. Most of the book is made up of the Trials, so I felt that the story began to feel long in the tooth after they concluded. On the other hand, the ending sets up an exciting book two and plenty of moral quandaries for our main character to grapple with. I will check it out!
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read for me since the mix of fantasy and sci-fi was really well done, and I thought the aspect of race in the story was well-executed. The constant abuse and hardship of the characters did make for a difficult read since it was a bit of a downer, but I had plenty of time to read it. Worth a read if the blurb or anything in this review sparked your interest! N. E. Davenport is an author to watch for sure.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, and War
emfass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Torture, Gun violence, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Cursing, Misogyny, Body horror, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Violence, Blood, Racism, Sexism, Gore, Death, Racial slurs, and Bullying
Moderate: Cannibalism, Confinement, Alcohol, War, Grief, and Colonisation
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Racism, Cannibalism, Classism, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Bullying, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and War
ann99'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
Graphic: Cannibalism and Racial slurs
alyanna_dm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Racism, Abandonment, Bullying, Classism, Blood, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death
Minor: War
allisoninfictionland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: War, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Racism
Moderate: Cannibalism, Death, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Sexism
luckykosmos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There were also some mild pacing issues - thrown into the murder mystery too quickly, a romance that felt rushed, her friendship with Enoch mentioned in passing once and then becoming a major plot point. I think these elements could have been spread out better, but my main issue was the dialogue.
(To be clear - I liked this book! Which is why the dialogue frustrated me so much, because I feel like I would have loved it! It has a lot to say about the toxicity of nationalism that I really am excited to see in book 2. )
Graphic: Cannibalism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
readwithsaray'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence and Cannibalism