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farfetched's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Rae is the best. I love her so much, as I loved her two books. The way she dealt with the Circle was genius and perfect, and just everything came together so well. Her romance with Bren was really well done, there wasn't a 'magic wand' at the end, but it's hopeful all the same. Highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Slavery, Death, Child abuse, Blood, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Torture and Ableism
rexpostfacto's review against another edition
5.0
Rae ilysm
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Slavery
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, and Torture
fromjuliereads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
I feel like I can give this sequel nothing short of 5 stars. That was such a fantastic end to the story! There were twists to how things were resolved that I didn't see coming and absolutely loved! So many fantastic characters and moments. I felt all of the emotions reading this book - it deals with so much darkness but has these wonderful moments of humour and hope. I adored this series, all of the characters, and I cannot wait to read more from this author!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Slavery, Torture, Confinement, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol and Pregnancy
natashaleighton_'s review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
An action packed and thrilling conclusion to the Dauntless Path series, that continues on from the shocking cliffhanger ending of The Thief of Sunlight that had me on the edge of my seat.
After managing to uncover the slavery ring responsible for the kingdom’s missing children, only Rae truly knows how deep the corruption goes. Imprisoned on a slave ship for what she’s learnt, Rae now faces the consequences of a terrifying life debt and the dangerous magic instrumental in her escape.
Now, to free her kingdom from the growing darkness, Rae will need every ally she can find including charismatic Bren, the thief who may just have stolen her heart. But Bren has dark secrets of his own and the curse that’s been circling Rae might just find its way into her mind.
For though the truth can save the kingdom, it might just destroy Rae in the process…
After that jaw droppingly tense cliffhanger in The Thief of Sunlight I was on the edge of my seat desperate to find out what happens next. Fortunately—with thanks to Hot Key Books—I was able to find out just that and can reveal that it didn’t disappoint!
Intisar Khanani’s breathtakingly intriguing fantasy was an absolute pleasure to read through. The world building like her previous works was utterly magical and bursting with vividly lush imagery.
Rae was definitely my favourite character, she’s a strong, determined and resilient young woman who overcomes her own physical limitations and is willing to risk her own life to dismantle the corrupt and unjust system which has allowed people (mostly children) to be sold into slavery.
I also really liked her love interest, the roguishly charming thief Bren and loved how their friendship develops. Rae’s been burned when it comes to trusting people previously, especially given the competitiveness of the royal court but it was really great to see Rae learning to trust Bren, inspite of his chosen occupation.
It’s a clean romance so there’s no explicit content but I was genuinely surprised by how much emotion and longing Intisar Khanani managed to evoke in to every scene Rae and Bren shared & was rooting for them every step of the way.
I enjoyed getting to see old favourites characters from Thorn again (Alyrra, Kestrin especially) as well as some newer characters such as Lirika who I really enjoyed getting to know.
I do have to warn that, as it does deal with darker subject material there are scenes that show or allude to violence, death, kidnapping, trafficking, slavery, child abuse, ableism, torture, murder and gore.
Overall, a breathtakingly adventurous fantasy that fans of immersive world building and charming, heist style intrigue definitely need to check out.
Also, a massive thank you to Eleanor Rose and Hot Key Books for this fantastic finished copy.
After managing to uncover the slavery ring responsible for the kingdom’s missing children, only Rae truly knows how deep the corruption goes. Imprisoned on a slave ship for what she’s learnt, Rae now faces the consequences of a terrifying life debt and the dangerous magic instrumental in her escape.
Now, to free her kingdom from the growing darkness, Rae will need every ally she can find including charismatic Bren, the thief who may just have stolen her heart. But Bren has dark secrets of his own and the curse that’s been circling Rae might just find its way into her mind.
For though the truth can save the kingdom, it might just destroy Rae in the process…
After that jaw droppingly tense cliffhanger in The Thief of Sunlight I was on the edge of my seat desperate to find out what happens next. Fortunately—with thanks to Hot Key Books—I was able to find out just that and can reveal that it didn’t disappoint!
Intisar Khanani’s breathtakingly intriguing fantasy was an absolute pleasure to read through. The world building like her previous works was utterly magical and bursting with vividly lush imagery.
Rae was definitely my favourite character, she’s a strong, determined and resilient young woman who overcomes her own physical limitations and is willing to risk her own life to dismantle the corrupt and unjust system which has allowed people (mostly children) to be sold into slavery.
I also really liked her love interest, the roguishly charming thief Bren and loved how their friendship develops. Rae’s been burned when it comes to trusting people previously, especially given the competitiveness of the royal court but it was really great to see Rae learning to trust Bren, inspite of his chosen occupation.
It’s a clean romance so there’s no explicit content but I was genuinely surprised by how much emotion and longing Intisar Khanani managed to evoke in to every scene Rae and Bren shared & was rooting for them every step of the way.
I enjoyed getting to see old favourites characters from Thorn again (Alyrra, Kestrin especially) as well as some newer characters such as Lirika who I really enjoyed getting to know.
I do have to warn that, as it does deal with darker subject material there are scenes that show or allude to violence, death, kidnapping, trafficking, slavery, child abuse, ableism, torture, murder and gore.
Overall, a breathtakingly adventurous fantasy that fans of immersive world building and charming, heist style intrigue definitely need to check out.
Also, a massive thank you to Eleanor Rose and Hot Key Books for this fantastic finished copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Ableism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
onthesamepage's review
adventurous
dark
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? No
5.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Not that it's something I keep track of, but I'm pretty sure Intisar Khanani is the only author to date where all the books I've read by them (in the same series, even) have received 5 stars.
Just...wow.
It's not an exaggeration to say that this author is one of my favourite authors, and this is some of the finest YA fantasy I've ever read. It does lean pretty dark, and could make for a good bridge book if you're looking to read a YA that's a bit more mature and could almost be adult.
I also think Rae has become one of my favourite characters ever. Her growth throughout these two books is just amazing. I love her passion and determination, and the way she will do anything for those she cares for or feels responsible for, but also the way she learned to love herself more, and trust herself, and let others help her instead of taking on the world on her own. Her character arc is chef's kiss. I will say that the first 20% or so worried me a bit, because Rae was making some really unwise decisions, but I'm going to write that off as acts fueled by delirium, and everything that she does later more than makes up for it.
There's not much I can say that won't spoil parts of the book, but I do want to touch upon the romance and the way the relationship between Rae and Bren develops. They were never going to be as good for me as Alyrra and Kestrin; as far as I am concerned, that is top tier romance, and I don't know if anything will ever knock them off their justifiably high pedestal for me. But Bren and Rae have their own sweetness to them. Khanani excels at slow builds, but also at realistic obstacles. Watching the two of them communicate clearly and often, and figure out what would or wouldn't work, was honestly one of the best parts of the book for me. I'm so used to being frustrated when it comes to the romance, because the conflict is often based on either miscommunication or a lack of communication, but the author deftly sidesteps that in favor of mature discussions, and I am here for it.
In general, one of the highlights in all three books, for me, has been the way the characters act, and how logical for their circumstances it all feels. Of course I had moments of frustration, where I wanted them to make a different choice, but I never felt they were being ridiculous for dramatic purposes. Even if I didn't always agree, I understood their motivations, so the frustration I felt was the healthy kind, and not the "I want to toss my expensive Kindle at the nearest wall" kind.
There's definite potential for more stories in this world, and I really hope the author will write another book that explores the fae, because so far they've been fascinating, and I'd love to see her spin on them. But I will buy and devour anything she writes at this point.
Not that it's something I keep track of, but I'm pretty sure Intisar Khanani is the only author to date where all the books I've read by them (in the same series, even) have received 5 stars.
Just...wow.
It's not an exaggeration to say that this author is one of my favourite authors, and this is some of the finest YA fantasy I've ever read. It does lean pretty dark, and could make for a good bridge book if you're looking to read a YA that's a bit more mature and could almost be adult.
I also think Rae has become one of my favourite characters ever. Her growth throughout these two books is just amazing. I love her passion and determination, and the way she will do anything for those she cares for or feels responsible for, but also the way she learned to love herself more, and trust herself, and let others help her instead of taking on the world on her own. Her character arc is chef's kiss. I will say that the first 20% or so worried me a bit, because Rae was making some really unwise decisions, but I'm going to write that off as acts fueled by delirium, and everything that she does later more than makes up for it.
There's not much I can say that won't spoil parts of the book, but I do want to touch upon the romance and the way the relationship between Rae and Bren develops. They were never going to be as good for me as Alyrra and Kestrin; as far as I am concerned, that is top tier romance, and I don't know if anything will ever knock them off their justifiably high pedestal for me. But Bren and Rae have their own sweetness to them. Khanani excels at slow builds, but also at realistic obstacles. Watching the two of them communicate clearly and often, and figure out what would or wouldn't work, was honestly one of the best parts of the book for me. I'm so used to being frustrated when it comes to the romance, because the conflict is often based on either miscommunication or a lack of communication, but the author deftly sidesteps that in favor of mature discussions, and I am here for it.
In general, one of the highlights in all three books, for me, has been the way the characters act, and how logical for their circumstances it all feels. Of course I had moments of frustration, where I wanted them to make a different choice, but I never felt they were being ridiculous for dramatic purposes. Even if I didn't always agree, I understood their motivations, so the frustration I felt was the healthy kind, and not the "I want to toss my expensive Kindle at the nearest wall" kind.
There's definite potential for more stories in this world, and I really hope the author will write another book that explores the fae, because so far they've been fascinating, and I'd love to see her spin on them. But I will buy and devour anything she writes at this point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and Murder
clarabooksit's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Blood, Police brutality, Ableism, Trafficking, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Grief, Classism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Kidnapping, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury
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