Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

2 reviews

odunayo_y's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Thank You to Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC 

A very strong sci-fi debut, the prose and overall writing was tight. Despite being an ARC I didn’t notice any typographical errors. The characters were all interesting amd compelling in their own ways. But it seems I’m a black sheep in reviews as i HATED Esek, i get that she’s meant to be awful but gyatt dam she was grating. Lol and i was kicking my feet when Esek starts having a Bad Time. 

I will say that the characters being ultra talented Badasses as teenagers was giving a bit YA lol. Like no a 16 year old is not going to be a galactic level mastermind. But other than that it was great!

I did enjoy that Esek & Chono’s relationship was purely platonic. 

Another aspect I appreciated was how religion and religious people were treated. It was good to see Chono not be denigrated by the narrative for her beliefs. While still being realistic that there are people and institutions who cynically use the veneer of religion to justify their actions or hold onto power. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lktx's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs is adult sci-fi following Jun, an occasional thief, that has gotten her hands on a secret that could destroy the Kingdom. Though it doesn’t start that way. It begins following clerics of the Righteous Hand of the Kingdom and continues weaving the past through the three different POVs: Esek Nightfoot, Cleric Chono and Jun. Esek and Chono’s storylines focus quite a bit on the mysterious Six, while Jun seems to be completely separate, but they quickly come together.

I don’t know if I can express how much I utterly enjoyed this book. To start, the title grabbed my attention and got me excited for the book. And let me tell you, I enjoyed this story SO much. All the characters were amazingly strong in their own ways and Jacobs had me invested in every single one of them. At one point I started questioning how the author had me rooting for Esek Nightfoot, it was done so masterfully. The reveals at the end are all fantastic, particularly the one that relates to the Wheel. 

The world is well developed and feels real, the lore deep. Every place felt like a place I could touch. It was vivid and beautifully described.

I loved These Burning Stars and I can’t wait to read the second. I’ll be smashing that pre-order button when it’s available.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pros:
- The characters are so good. All of them are distinct, with strong POVs and voices. I really like Chono a lot.
- The world is vibrant and beautiful, all the places were easy to visualize. 
- I loved the world building around the Jeveni a ton.
- Fantastic story all around. 
- Jun and Liis are fantastic together.

Cons: 
- I could have done without the sex scene, but it didn’t ruin the story.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...