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emerentina's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Bullying, Murder, Torture, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexism, Body horror, Blood, Miscarriage, Death, Violence, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
rbz39's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
<I>“If you want blood, you got it!” - AC/DC</i>
Wow, this was a tough book to read. Challenging but rewarding! Don’t be fooled by the cover (which felt a little YA but still kicks ass regardless), this is a brutal tale of military sci-fi, magic, and systemic racism.
The author showed her world-building skills with this story and while I enjoyed it, I think the ending slowed down because of exposition. Most of the book is made up of the Trials, so I felt that the story began to feel long in the tooth after they concluded. On the other hand, the ending sets up an exciting book two and plenty of moral quandaries for our main character to grapple with. I will check it out!
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read for me since the mix of fantasy and sci-fi was really well done, and I thought the aspect of race in the story was well-executed. The constant abuse and hardship of the characters did make for a difficult read since it was a bit of a downer, but I had plenty of time to read it. Worth a read if the blurb or anything in this review sparked your interest! N. E. Davenport is an author to watch for sure.
Wow, this was a tough book to read. Challenging but rewarding! Don’t be fooled by the cover (which felt a little YA but still kicks ass regardless), this is a brutal tale of military sci-fi, magic, and systemic racism.
The author showed her world-building skills with this story and while I enjoyed it, I think the ending slowed down because of exposition. Most of the book is made up of the Trials, so I felt that the story began to feel long in the tooth after they concluded. On the other hand, the ending sets up an exciting book two and plenty of moral quandaries for our main character to grapple with. I will check it out!
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read for me since the mix of fantasy and sci-fi was really well done, and I thought the aspect of race in the story was well-executed. The constant abuse and hardship of the characters did make for a difficult read since it was a bit of a downer, but I had plenty of time to read it. Worth a read if the blurb or anything in this review sparked your interest! N. E. Davenport is an author to watch for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, and War
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