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peggyluwho'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
3.75
The author wove a good story with engaging characters. I was curious to find out where the story was going, though I had predicted some of the twists of early on. I feel like too much was put into the description of people’s outfits and some of the immaturity of the characters was off putting. However, it’s YA and I’m not the target audience.
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Violence, and Xenophobia
abby_can_read'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
I had a wonderful time reading this book. I liked that it started post-independence war in a time of unsettled peace while everyone was trying to heal from the previous war. The characters were good and I adored their relationships. I liked the pacing and the plot was entertaining.
Graphic: War, Colonisation, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Death, and Blood
Minor: Racial slurs and Panic attacks/disorders
betweentheshelves'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
3.5
The world building was also pretty well done! The magic system felt unique, and I am definitely interested in seeing where it goes next. Especially with that ending!
However, some of the writing didn't quite feel as smooth as it should be, though the book definitely hit its stride in the last third of the story. Cole is a promising debut author, and I can't wait to see her grow from here!
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Racism
Minor: Slavery, Racial slurs, and Panic attacks/disorders
chellyfishing'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
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation and War
britreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Things I liked:
- I liked the dragons in here. I wished we got more with the dragons actually. There are several different types of dragons and they have their own traits based on their type. I hope in the future book (or books since I'm unsure how long this series will be), I hope we learn more about the dragons and the history of dragons in this world.
- I liked the characters individually, but I didn't have strong feelings about the different romantic pairing. I related most to Elara and Aveline. Like with the dragons, I hope we get more of Aveline in future books.
- I want more depth from the magic systems, but I like the introduction we got here. Astral summoning is really cool and I think there are opportunities for complexity that were missed. (Like how do the summoned spirits feel since they can't rest and serve as a tool even after death?)
Things I didn't care for:
- I wanted more of the dragon-riding school. So much of what we learn about Heartstone is shared after the fact. We never see Elara in her classes or interacting with her peers outside of her den. We also get so much of San Irie and so little of life in the Langley Empire.
- This novel deals with war, imperialism and colonialism, yet I felt like it was a surface level approach. There are child soldiers in here and no one seems phased by that. What does it say that a country fighting for independence relied on and continues to rely on children and just turned 18 adults to fill out their military? The faces of the Langley Empire are the Warwicks and it feels like if they're removed, Langley won't be so bad. But that's not how empire works. There is no deeper wrestling with the many different systems and organizations that prop up a violent, colonial power.
- As much as I liked Aveline...she has GOT to get some advisors in between this book and the next one. Some of her decisions were TERRIBLE. In fact, a lot of characters make poor decisions.
- For some reason, the characters felt so young. Elara and Faron are 18 and 17 respectively, but they felt like they were closer to 14 and 13.
I will probably read the second book when it is released. And I hope the sequel dives deeper into its overall themes.
Moderate: Colonisation, Violence, War, and Grief
erintempleton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: War, Colonisation, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
abookwormspov's review against another edition
Graphic: Racism, War, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
cadence99's review against another edition
4.25
The beautiful strong relationships between characters really stood out for me. I felt the connections between them drive their actions in such a way that kept me invested in their success. I can’t wait to see where this journey leads.
Graphic: War, Blood, Grief, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
silver_violet'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? It's complicated
3.0
There were some really good perspectives on colonization and war, which also make this a good read, but the YA aspect wasn't exactly my thing.
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: War
danaburrreads'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
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, and War
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Racial slurs