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wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Confinement
lexhayz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, and War
bergha1998'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
3.25
Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Hunger Games, 2 1/2 🔥
“Finding comfort in all the ways she was like me and all the ways I wished I could be more like her.”
“My father loved me. I knew this. But he loved me in spite of what I was. Loved the parts of me that he could make like him.”
“She was a dreamer. Kind, but soft. She’d rather escape to the world she dreamed of than fight for this one.”
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
karhitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
headinthepages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
The only reason it’s not a 5 star is that I would have loved a bit more background on the different houses & magic systems but it is in no way lacking and doesn’t confuse the story!
I love Oraya and her story, I love the enemies to lovers trope and chosen one trope too! The challenges faced by her were cruel and relentless and I loved reading about a feisty human woman fighting against the odds!
The ending was brilliant and I can’t wait to start book 2!
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
moonchild_cos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, and Alcohol
literatureandlattes2022's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape
kotahlotah'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
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Genocide, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Alcohol
booshort's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Where was this book when I was in all of my previous fantasy book slumps?
The first ~7 chapters were fine enough, it felt like any other fantasy read, really. Jumping in to a new world, learning terms, and just sort of accepting things as they come up. Oh there’s vampires with different types of wings? Ya sure. This big mega vamp wants this rando human child as a pseudo child of his own? Go wild. But once you’re securely in the trials that take place in this book, *you get hooked*. The world is simple but still feels so real with the way Broadbent describes it. It was almost a theme while I was reading; expecting something shallow due to how little this book/author has been talked about in the mainstream until now (thank you booktok), but then being utterly surprised when proven wrong. Each chapter just revealed more and more strings and important details and connections and and and. I am thoroughly amazed.
I know many people are comparing Broadbent’s series and their respective tones to Sarah J Maas’ books, but there really is no better parallel. I’ve yet to read any other books by Broadbent, but there is no doubt I will collect as many as I can get my hands on.
Seriously though, if you are a fan of SJ Maas, give this author a go.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, and War
amanda_reads13'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
The vampires in this book are savage, bloodthirsty, and brutal. Humans are merely livestock providing a constant flow of blood.
I found Vincent to be a very interesting character. On one hand he was a ruthless killer responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths. Yet on the other hand, he was a protective and caring father. He taught Oraya how to survive in a world that wants her dead.
Oraya wasn't a super original character, but she was very interesting. I enjoyed her arc through the book as she struggled with her feelings about Vincent and Raihn. She loves her father but knows he is a terrible man. She was a strong, clever badass. She was underestimated every step of the way, but showed everything just how brave she was.
Raihn was a confusing character. He came across kind of bland at some points in comparison to the other characters in the book. He was a vampire, yet very unlike any of the other vampires. He was very human like in his behaviour. This is why he and Oraya worked so well together. They balanced each other. She gave him space to embrace his humanity where he spured her to fight harder.
I am interested to see how their relationship progresses into the next book.
Also I would have liked more backstory as to why the two Nighborne Clans were always at war. We got a bit of the history near the end of the book, but I think having that knowledge near the beginning would have been beneficial.
Tropes: vampires, slow burn, badass FMC, forced marriage, enemies to allies to lovers, forced proximity
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail