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casualk's review against another edition
funny
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Violence, Sexism, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Mental illness, Ableism, and Fatphobia
lua_'s review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A pretty fun and satisfying read, this is definitely one of those books where you can feel the author really likes their main character, so it does give Darrow (MC) quite a few satisfyingly "invincible" scenes. The main character also grows and changes a lot, but does have that arrogance, anger and self righteousness that morally gray characters tend to have, so if that's not your cup of tea I'd recommend avoiding this one. Darrow also has a pretty domestic side to him as well, with some very romantic, kind and "homely" (this is honestly the best word I found to describe it) thoughts, which gave him some very much necessary depth as a main character.
My biggest problem with the book was that though Darrow and the story itself does strive for revolution, and criticizes very much the world they're in, the author does make some... peculiar choices in his discussion of class injustice inside the book. He does give some biological/engeneered justifications for a superior "race" (it's not exactly a race in the book, but you can see the parallels reading it), and does give them some very blond European traits. The choice for Obsidians is also a little dubious for me. Since Darrow spends most of the book "undercover" it also shows quite a lot of characters from this superior "race" in a positive light (but it does keep bringing up the fact that they are oppressors) and since every character couldn't just be an unlikable asshole, does personaly sympathize with them in several occasions.
It's not the type of thing that ruins the book, since he never really describes any obsidian or specified skin color for any of the "classes", but it is something to keep in mind while reading. Also, I haven't finished the series yet, so it might also be a point he is making to criticize and/or discuss later on.
The pacing in the book is a little mixed, being a little fast in the beginning then very slow, then fast again.
Over all the book is a fun read for those who want a very violent, badass revolutionary main character, and despite the flaws it is very much worth it.
My biggest problem with the book was that though Darrow and the story itself does strive for revolution, and criticizes very much the world they're in, the author does make some... peculiar choices in his discussion of class injustice inside the book. He does give some biological/engeneered justifications for a superior "race" (it's not exactly a race in the book, but you can see the parallels reading it), and does give them some very blond European traits. The choice for Obsidians is also a little dubious for me. Since Darrow spends most of the book "undercover" it also shows quite a lot of characters from this superior "race" in a positive light (but it does keep bringing up the fact that they are oppressors) and since every character couldn't just be an unlikable asshole, does personaly sympathize with them in several occasions.
It's not the type of thing that ruins the book, since he never really describes any obsidian or specified skin color for any of the "classes", but it is something to keep in mind while reading. Also, I haven't finished the series yet, so it might also be a point he is making to criticize and/or discuss later on.
The pacing in the book is a little mixed, being a little fast in the beginning then very slow, then fast again.
Over all the book is a fun read for those who want a very violent, badass revolutionary main character, and despite the flaws it is very much worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Slavery, Violence, and Trafficking
Moderate: Rape, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Minor: Pedophilia
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