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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 ⭐️
Slow start but the ending was so worth it ! Excited to see where book two takes us!
Slow start but the ending was so worth it ! Excited to see where book two takes us!
---⭐⭐ DNF, 2 star — Made it about halfway before I tapped out (around the middle of Part II: The Trials).
I really tried with this one. I gave it more than a fair shot. At first, I was intrigued—Laia's internal conflict and being cowardly rather than the typical "badass female protag with plot armor" felt refreshingly grounded for a YA heroine, and Helene immediately stood out and became my favorite. She's so capable and complex and likeable. I was readyyyy.
But the further I got, the more exhausted I felt.The setting and plot lean heavily on shock value cruelty, particularly toward women: CONSTANT rape threats, leering, forced kisses, sexual violence used as shorthand for "evil," and not a single major female character gets to have a meaningful arc without that trauma overshadowing everything that made them compelling. It became so persistent that it pulled me out of the story completely every single time.
Elias, the male lead, was a major letdown.He's your typical special boy with a hero complex, main character syndrome, and cringe-inducing insta-lust towards a literal slave girl he barely knows. And yet the story bends over backward to frame him as this attractive noble. It soured every romantic subplot he was in. And his overtly childish POV made his chapters a slog to get through.
Laia was probably the worst.She quickly went from a compelling and realistically over-her-head kind of protag to a clumsy, childish, whiny gust of wind just existing. The plot starts to move past her as she wastes time complaining and lusting over Elias and being threatened sexual assault and beatings. She is remarkably unskilled and I became too impatient to see her through to start picking up her weight in the story.
Helene was BY FAR the only engaging, despite therandom assault and rape. This story beat is a bit jarring, as Helene is already someone who is constantly underestimated for being a woman, and with natural obstacles to overcome from this. Throwing in these events to her to artificially make her hesitate and doubt herself and have inner turmoil felt disingenuous, and not even a personal failing or choice she’s afraid of - it’s just pain and humiliation for shock value. But that's when I realized, that's how everything else in the story is treated - from the shoddy love square, to the insta-love, to the childish narrative to the corny dystopian world, everything felt fake and derivative to attract Hunger Games/Red Rising fans.
Other than that, Helene was only reason I kept reading. Her storyline had real emotional depth, and I was hopeful she would be allowed to develop further. But after stumbling across a spoiler:She gets pregnant as a result of her rape , I realized this book was definitely not for me. The sloppy handling of her trauma made it all seem a bit cartoony and goofy.
I’m deeply tired of "it gets better later" being used to excuse cheap storytelling, so I'll just stop here.
I really tried with this one. I gave it more than a fair shot. At first, I was intrigued—Laia's internal conflict and being cowardly rather than the typical "badass female protag with plot armor" felt refreshingly grounded for a YA heroine, and Helene immediately stood out and became my favorite. She's so capable and complex and likeable. I was readyyyy.
But the further I got, the more exhausted I felt.
Elias, the male lead, was a major letdown.
Laia was probably the worst.
Helene was BY FAR the only engaging, despite the
Other than that, Helene was only reason I kept reading. Her storyline had real emotional depth, and I was hopeful she would be allowed to develop further. But after stumbling across a spoiler:
I’m deeply tired of "it gets better later" being used to excuse cheap storytelling, so I'll just stop here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
Завладяваща история. Съжалявам само, че втората част не е преведена за България.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was exactly what I needed. Thank you Kara for being the king of book recs, I owe my hot reading girl summer to you
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I had been recommended this by someone and my hopes weren't too high, but this book blew me away. Partly, because it takes place in a setting that you don't see too often with fantasy books, but the characters are so likable and connectable that you get sucked right in. The beginning was a little slow but around page 75, I couldn't stop reading. Like my mom yelled at me for staying up too late to finish it, I couldn't stop reading. The last time that happened was with the Heroes of Olympus series if that gives you any perspective. It's even better if you don't know anything about this book at all except that it takes place in most likely the past although that is debateable, in a desert climate, it is a high-action fantasy almost like Lord of the Rings but without as much detail into the background of the world, and has a male and female POV. I hope that you guys pick up this book because it was AMAZING!! I can't wait for the second book to come out in August 2016. Like I seriously can't wait. Sabaa, can you please send me the copy now! :)
adventurous
mysterious
tense
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No