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mallikadesai's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a must read for historical/mythological readers. It revolves around ancient Sumerian culture and feminine empowerment. (You may want to research that before you start reading to gain a better understanding, but you will still be able to follow the book without doing so.)
kthomas16's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it!
Really compelling story, loved it! Kalinda is such a relatable character, you really feel for her. I️ listened to it to and the reader really draws you in to the story
Really compelling story, loved it! Kalinda is such a relatable character, you really feel for her. I️ listened to it to and the reader really draws you in to the story
tashaseegmiller's review against another edition
5.0
I had a feeling this debut would be fast-paced, but I was not prepared for the beauty of the writing while maintaining that pace. Emily King is able to create characters who are both powerful and vulnerable, enhancing the character depth and desire for readers to follow their stories. The magic system unfolds in a way that allows an air of mystery until it needs to manifest in the plot. It was a beautiful story and I cannot wait to read additional stories craft by King.
somehowcoping's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
tishywishy's review
2.0
Was a bit hesitant to read this, really thought it would be filled with misogynistic hogwash but I gave it a chance and came away with a much better impression. The story still has a lot of holes, really lacks growth - does she have to see the man and fall in love same time + suddenly she can defeat persons stronger then her *sigh* - AND it is a series, which to be honest, could have been a single book. Won't be continuing with this story.
crimsoncor's review against another edition
4.0
Could have gone 3 or 4 on this one. Ended up being a fun read, so decided on 4. . We'll have to see where the series goes to see if it is really worth with rating.
Oh wait. The author really thought naming her water mages Aquifiers was a good idea. snort. Should almost take the star back off for that
Spoiler
wasn't thrilled when she fridges the queer love interest. Felt better when she also nuked the straight dude, but apparently he gets to have a miraculous recovery. Ugh. The whole, falling in love with the first man she sees trope is pretty lame and I was really hoping for some sort of subversion of that. Maybe we'll get more in later books? The poison the rajah with the body lotion on the wedding night and then crawl into the rain to survive was a nice touch.Oh wait. The author really thought naming her water mages Aquifiers was a good idea. snort. Should almost take the star back off for that
astraia_sun's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 Stars
This book probably could have been stronger in every way if the romance had been cut out. The world building was very interesting to me, as were several of the characters. The plot had me hooked. But I felt the romance weakened a lot of the characters' motivations and most of the plot would have been the same if the two main characters weren't so bone headed stupid as to keep putting themselves into positions where they could be romantic when they knew that they'd probably be killed for doing so.
This book probably could have been stronger in every way if the romance had been cut out. The world building was very interesting to me, as were several of the characters. The plot had me hooked. But I felt the romance weakened a lot of the characters' motivations and most of the plot would have been the same if the two main characters weren't so bone headed stupid as to keep putting themselves into positions where they could be romantic when they knew that they'd probably be killed for doing so.
kaleyamo's review against another edition
4.0
I was immediately drawn into this book. After a short while, I was concerned I started reading this book too soon after I've gone through the Red Queen series, because I was finding a lot of similarities. And it's true: This book does have a lot of similarities to other beloved YA tales.
There may be spoilers below in the books' similarities, so stop reading now if you don't want to see them.
Being selected and forced to fight to the death (Hunger Games). Think you're average and discovering you have powers that make you more powerful than those in charge (Red Queen). Being betrothed to someone but longing after another (Red Queen).
But there were enough unique elements that kept me going. I was intrigued the whole time and actually finished the book pretty quickly, because once I'd pick it up again I wouldn't want to put it down.
I know some other reviews have pointed to the "instalove" in this story as an element they didn't like or that wasn't believable, but I thought it made sense so I was perfectly fine with it.
There may be spoilers below in the books' similarities, so stop reading now if you don't want to see them.
Being selected and forced to fight to the death (Hunger Games). Think you're average and discovering you have powers that make you more powerful than those in charge (Red Queen). Being betrothed to someone but longing after another (Red Queen).
But there were enough unique elements that kept me going. I was intrigued the whole time and actually finished the book pretty quickly, because once I'd pick it up again I wouldn't want to put it down.
I know some other reviews have pointed to the "instalove" in this story as an element they didn't like or that wasn't believable, but I thought it made sense so I was perfectly fine with it.
Spoiler
Kalinda was immediately intrigued because it was the first man she'd ever seen. She'd heard horror stories about men and how violent they were, but he was always gentle, kind and respectful. And he was, in her opinion, attractive. For someone who'd always heard horrible things, it makes sense to me why she was so drawn to someone who was the complete opposite. I guess maybe the instalove was less believable on his side, but alas, oh well. I still liked it.astoehr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
jmatsumura's review against another edition
1.0
This book was not high quality. The plot is this: Mary Sue with hidden powers becomes engaged to evil king, who she must kill, and along the way falls in love with forbidden soldier. Characters lack any sort of complexity, plot is like a limp noodle and predictable as a math equation. I only read it because it's for a book club and I need to ,set my reading challenge goal.