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bookish_spoonie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
5 Stars
This is an utterly brilliant book and I am unsure how I will wait to read the third book after this ending. I'm so glad the third book is also in Rae's POV as she is now a favourite character of mine. I really enjoyed Thorn and gave it 4 stars but this was a masterpiece and I bow to the brilliant author that is Intisar Khanani.
The story involves a lot of interesting themes and generally looks into kidnapping and slavery of children, plus political corruption. It is filled with twists and turns, and I barely saw any coming. The storyline is fantastic but the characters make it the amazing success that it is. Rae our lead female is an absolute badass. She is disabled from a "clubfoot" and struggles to walk long distance. Due to bullying all her life, she has low self esteem but doesn't let it stop her. I adored her growth through this book, it was wonderful to watch her grow. She is so clever, brave and caring and so so strong. My other favourite character is Bren, a thief who helps Rae in her investigations into the child slavery trade. He is such a complex character, we met him briefly in book one but he shows a lot more sides in this book and I adored the growing connection between him and Rae.
The writing is utterly perfect. I was hooked from the first word to the last. Intisar really knows how to build a world that holds your imagination and writes such brilliant characters.
This is a fantastic addition to the series and my favourite book by Intisar Khanani so far. I am so excited for book 3 and highly recommend this series to all fantasy lovers!
This is an utterly brilliant book and I am unsure how I will wait to read the third book after this ending. I'm so glad the third book is also in Rae's POV as she is now a favourite character of mine. I really enjoyed Thorn and gave it 4 stars but this was a masterpiece and I bow to the brilliant author that is Intisar Khanani.
The story involves a lot of interesting themes and generally looks into kidnapping and slavery of children, plus political corruption. It is filled with twists and turns, and I barely saw any coming. The storyline is fantastic but the characters make it the amazing success that it is. Rae our lead female is an absolute badass. She is disabled from a "clubfoot" and struggles to walk long distance. Due to bullying all her life, she has low self esteem but doesn't let it stop her. I adored her growth through this book, it was wonderful to watch her grow. She is so clever, brave and caring and so so strong. My other favourite character is Bren, a thief who helps Rae in her investigations into the child slavery trade. He is such a complex character, we met him briefly in book one but he shows a lot more sides in this book and I adored the growing connection between him and Rae.
The writing is utterly perfect. I was hooked from the first word to the last. Intisar really knows how to build a world that holds your imagination and writes such brilliant characters.
This is a fantastic addition to the series and my favourite book by Intisar Khanani so far. I am so excited for book 3 and highly recommend this series to all fantasy lovers!
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
I'm counting this as a DNF for now, but I might try to read it again closer to release date. I didn't realize when I requested it on Edelweiss that it was #2 in a series, and even when I realized, I thought it was just a companion novel. However, I'm totally lost on the world building, and who the snatchers are and why they are stealing children. Maybe this was explained more in the first book, or maybe I'm just not supposed to know. Either way, I'm having a hard time getting invested.
edeneldred's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
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
5.0
josisteacup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
The best books are those you finish in only one or two days and you stay up until 1pm, not thinking about having to get up early and when you fall asleep you continue the plot in your dreams. This is one of those books. I immediately ordered the sequel. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow and I'll probably finish it very fast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Slavery, Child abuse, Trafficking, Ableism, Confinement, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Child death, Death, Blood, and Grief
Minor: War, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Child death, and Domestic abuse
thebookishhawaiian's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
ensara's review against another edition
3.5
I’m not sure what was missing, maybe it felt too long, who knows. The ending did leave me with much anticipation though, excited to get to book 3.
athenezadam's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The Theft of Sunlight is about a country girl who travels to the royal court, to seek answers about children who are being snatched from their families. The story blends seamlessly with Book 1, with the return of beloved characters and good subplots. The magic is present but subtle. The prose is mostly light until very tense scenes occur. There is disability representation. The dark themes of violence, abuse, and human trafficking are all navigated realistically and with care. The protagonist's ultimate goal almost disappears at times as she awkwardly navigates court politics, making for a story that is longer than needed even though the journey is interesting.
yoloswag's review against another edition
5.0
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! That is pretty much all I can get out of my brain right now. XD I absolutely loved loved loved loved every single bit of The Theft of Sunlight, and at this point I cannot even provide coherent reasons why without going into an essay on why everybody should read this book (after reading Thorn of course, which is just as amazing!). I am *extremely* excited for the sequel <3
farfetched's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I started this book a long time ago, then realised it ended on a cliffhanger when I read the blurb of A Darkness at the Door, the sequel, and put it down again. Now I'm trying to read more, it was high on my list of things to read first, and I'm very glad that I've managed to finish it.
I really love Rae. She is disabled, but she is strong, fierce and clever. Her disability does mean that she cannot do some things as well as other people, but she does her best. Her loyalty to her family, especially Nita is really harming, and her grappling with her new environment was fascinating to watch. The turns were foreshadowed well - I felt that I only caught some of them a little before they happened, if at all.
This book does directly deal with slavery, more like modern slavery as mentioned in the afterword, and this has a slightly darker tone than Thorn, but it is excellently written, and I'm excited to see Rae get out of her situation and prosper!
I really love Rae. She is disabled, but she is strong, fierce and clever. Her disability does mean that she cannot do some things as well as other people, but she does her best. Her loyalty to her family, especially Nita is really harming, and her grappling with her new environment was fascinating to watch. The turns were foreshadowed well - I felt that I only caught some of them a little before they happened, if at all.
This book does directly deal with slavery, more like modern slavery as mentioned in the afterword, and this has a slightly darker tone than Thorn, but it is excellently written, and I'm excited to see Rae get out of her situation and prosper!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, and Trafficking
Moderate: Confinement, Child abuse, Blood, Death, and Kidnapping