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bruisedtigers's review
- 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
3.0
I probably won't pick up the sequels, unfortunately. Highly suggest looking up content warnings as well.
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Death, Outing, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, War, and Xenophobia
bookwormbi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Racism
allegriana's review
- 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
4.25
Do I recommend this? Yes. But this is not a *fun* book. It's one of the best hard fantasy books I've read about the quiet horror of colonialism beyond just war and violence and conquest, the subtle and insidious ways that one country infiltrates and enforces its cultural norms upon another. Not a light read. Also at times it feels a bit like a primer on economics; I learned a lot about currency. The main character is fascinating and agonizing, the worldbuilding is convincing and realistic, and you're going to need to lie down for a bit after you finish this.
Moderate: Death, War, Colonisation, and Homophobia
eegekay's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Sexism, Animal death, Blood, Homophobia, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Outing, Racism, Sexual violence, War, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and Death
plushmaya's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This isn't to say I hate the book completely; the prose is fine and some characters are eyecatching. Tain Hu was clearly meant to be one of the more interesting characters and it works, although she remains a bit bland from Baru's perspective. Purity Cartone is probably the most fascinating character in the book, despite possessing a small part, because Dickinson follows through on what he sets up in ways that both provide a satisfying conclusion and further questions that tie in to broader ideas about both Falcrest and imperialism.
This book would be good for those who enjoyed R. F. Kuang's The Poppy War (I didn't), but best skipped by those who prefer war stories like Samantha Shannon's Priory of the Orange Tree. Maybe the sequels are better; I'm not left interested enough to read them.
Graphic: Death, War, Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Drug use
Eugenics discussed throughout, and some characters explicitly describe their eugenicist goals.vonhresvelg's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Addiction, Death, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, Self harm, and War
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
theirgracegrace's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Slavery, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Gore, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Death, Racism, Sexism, War, Cursing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Animal death, Biphobia, Genocide, Misogyny, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Trafficking, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Gun violence
Minor: Cancer, Cultural appropriation, and Cannibalism
untoworthy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Death, Slavery, Racism, Murder, Genocide, Homophobia, Xenophobia, War, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Torture
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol
lipstickitotheman's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Colonisation, Death of parent, Homophobia, Death, Racism, Xenophobia, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Classism, War, Animal death, Hate crime, Body shaming, Genocide, Murder, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Ableism, Addiction, Grief, Alcohol, Biphobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Chronic illness, Cannibalism, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Confinement, Medical content, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
abhimu's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Colonisation, War, Death, and Murder
Minor: Sexism