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ggcd1981's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Eu tinha expectativas altas para Winter’s Orbit porque a sinopse me interessou bastante, e eu gostei da obra, mas ela não realmente atendeu minhas expectativas. A principal razão para isso foi que esperava que haveria mais tempo de livro dedicado a recuperação de Jainan junto a Kiem, e também que haveria mais momentos emocionais entre o casal. Contudo esses aspectos não foram tratados de forma profunda como gostaria. Outro ponto que não me agradou muito, mas isso é mais uma questão de gosto pessoal, foi a voz que o narrador do audiobook fez para Jainan, dando a ele uma voz grave e alpha que não me permitia enxergar a vulnerabilidade do personagem que passou por traumas e ainda assim tentava navegar uma situação política tão delicada com tantas pressões e responsabilidades. Não consegui sentir muita proximidade a Jainan por causa da narração, mas como disse, isso foi uma questão de gosto. A construção do mundo e cenário político foi, em algumas partes, um pouco confusa. Isso dificultou um pouco a imersão nesses aspectos do livro, que foram mais proeminentes do que esperava. No entanto gostei dos personagens (Kiem era um cinnamon roll como marido), apesar de sentir essa certa distância de Jainan. Gostei da história do casal, apesar de achar que poderiam ter havido momentos mais profundos de cura de trauma e discussões mais vulneráveis e significativas. Neste momento não decidi se vou continuar com a série de companion novels, pois o universo e política da obra não capturaram minha imaginação por serem um pouco confusos. Contudo gostei de ter lido Winter’s Orbit e no geral foi uma experiência positiva. Dou 3.5 estrelas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Car accident, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, and Violence
imskylow's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was good! I enjoyed it. I liked the setting and the imagery, especial when the author described remnants (which human senses can't quite grasp or process). I liked the peeling back of layers for these two characters and the things that they've been through. The mystery of Jainan's past had me sucked in. The only qualm I have about this book is the romance. I understand that Everina Maxwell didn't want this story to be smutty or anything like what most books are about these days, and that's totally fair, I just think we needed a bit more than what is given here. There's so much emotional hesitation and timidness, you honestly can't get me to believe that fade to black sex scene went smoothly. I think it would have been awkward. I think Maxwell could have described that without being explicit about it. You can describe emotions rather than what they're physically doing. Even just a phrase like "Kiem and Jainan were awkward tangle of limbs and sputtering apologies as they grappled close. With the misunderstandings cleared away, nothing was left between them" would have left me feeling more satisfied. It would have gotten five stars if it wasn't for that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Emotional abuse, Violence, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
wandering_not_lost's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
A 3 because though I am a sucker for arranged sunny/angsty marriages that edge into the hurt/comfort arena trope wise, I did feel like the pacing was off. I did love Kiem and how he was utterly willing to call everyone on their bullshit once he figured out what was going on. And this book did a kind of harrowingly good description of how partner abuse can screw with your head and make you unable to ask for help , but I felt like Jainan and Kiem's noncommunication issues went on for too long, to the point where it felt actively obstructionist. Also there's a very tropey event about halfway through that felt so incredibly cliche that I actively considered just giving up on the book. In the end, the plot and world building just felt like window dressing for the characters to navigate their messy relationship around, rather than a real serious attempt at describing realistic events. My like of a few of the characters was all that really saved this from a lower rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
laura_keoski's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Domestic abuse
cleot's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, and Gaslighting
Minor: Torture
chris_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Reading more sci-fi this year really seems to be working out for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Moderate: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Confinement, Murder, Medical content, and Xenophobia
fanboyriot's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
🔥 Slow Burn
🤝 Mutual Pinning
💍 Arranged Marriage
This book was great for people wanting to read sci-fi but get overwhelmed by the thought of it. Besides few names I had to look up the pronunciation of, it was fairly easy to read. I enjoyed how well the sci-fi and romance mixed with this book, there was also a bit of mystery to the plot as well.
Kiem was honestly such a lovable idiot and worked so well with Jainan. I would have liked a little more romance but the plot was good too. The romance itself is a bit of a slow burn, the main plot, focusing much more on the political scheming, and an alleged murder that might just be a cover-up, and in general dealing with diplomatic relations.
I got this book from Etsy in a Blind Date with a Book from @theannexlibrary and was so happy with it!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1366979807/
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1366979807/
Spice Level: 🌶️ (1/5)
Release Date: 28, December 2021
POV: Duel, Third Person
Rep: LGBTQIA+ characters, Domestic Abuse (past)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Rape, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Death, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Torture
Minor: Blood, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Bullying, Mental illness, Cursing, Murder, Racism, Car accident, and Confinement
carodonahue's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
jeyjeyyy's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I don’t really know what I think about this book. I really liked the beginning and thought it would end up something I loved, but then in the middle it kind of fell flat for me.
I liked the science fiction elements and the plot was definitely interesting, even though it felt a bit confusing at times (but that’s probably because I’m not a big science-fiction writer).
I was a very much disappointed with the romance in this;, it wasn’t awful by any means, but it just didn’t really make me feel anything. There was zero to no tension between the characters, and instead of a slow burn, the book kind of felt like a switch had turned on at some point and all of a sudden they loved each other with barely any evolution. So not the biggest fan of that.
I will say the characters were very endearing and I did like them a lot, and the ending definitely picked it up. The middle part was definitely what I found lacking in he story. I was also a bit mad that Jainan’s previous relationship, which obviously had a huge impact on him, did not really have an impact on his relationship with Kiem in the end. The ending to that sort of character arc he had just felt a bit too neat and proper to actually feel realistic. I would’ve liked more angst between the characters I guess and also a bit more in depth look at the impacts of the Empire in this world. I thought for a while that this would have more commentary on the issues of Empire and colonisation, which would’ve been really interesting, but again it was just perhaps a bit too lighthearted.
This was a fun and entertaining read and I liked it, I just feel like a couple of changes and it could’ve been great.
I liked the science fiction elements and the plot was definitely interesting, even though it felt a bit confusing at times (but that’s probably because I’m not a big science-fiction writer).
I was a very much disappointed with the romance in this;, it wasn’t awful by any means, but it just didn’t really make me feel anything. There was zero to no tension between the characters, and instead of a slow burn, the book kind of felt like a switch had turned on at some point and all of a sudden they loved each other with barely any evolution. So not the biggest fan of that.
I will say the characters were very endearing and I did like them a lot, and the ending definitely picked it up. The middle part was definitely what I found lacking in he story. I was also a bit mad that Jainan’s previous relationship, which obviously had a huge impact on him, did not really have an impact on his relationship with Kiem in the end. The ending to that sort of character arc he had just felt a bit too neat and proper to actually feel realistic. I would’ve liked more angst between the characters I guess and also a bit more in depth look at the impacts of the Empire in this world. I thought for a while that this would have more commentary on the issues of Empire and colonisation, which would’ve been really interesting, but again it was just perhaps a bit too lighthearted.
This was a fun and entertaining read and I liked it, I just feel like a couple of changes and it could’ve been great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship
silentcat7135's review
adventurous
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
4.0
Enjoyable novel that is about 85% political sci-fi and adventure, 15% romance. For those who hate this trope in a romance, there is a lot of miscommunication between the two leads, but there is at least a believable reason for the miscommunication in that it is an arranged marriage for diplomatic reasons between two men who do not know each other well enough initially to read the other's intentions. Plus, one of the main character's behaviour is affected by past trauma, which is not initially known to his partner. The first half of the book may be a little slow, but it definitely picks up as it goes on.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture and Gaslighting
Minor: Domestic abuse