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biobeetle'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: Violence, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Torture, Slavery, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Abandonment, Bullying, and Death
readingklee'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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Child abuse, Child death, and Violence
mythicsage'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: Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Cursing, Gaslighting, Blood, Cannibalism, Grief, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Murder, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Animal death, Medical content, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Torture, War, and Body horror
squidnamedfinger'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
Jemisin does such a great job creating a world that is as deeply insidious as our own. her use of second-person perspective is especially good at hammering it in that YOU should be feeling this sense of hatred and injustice at every turn. I love the way the perspective character often describes people in terms of how desirable the empire sees them. it really drives home how deeply the ugliness of this world affects the way her characters think and act.
and her CHARACTERS. the whole cast is enthralling. I won't say much because I think they deserve to be introduced on their own, but my favorites are Tonkee and Innon.
Jemisin also supplies just the right amount of information; the glossary and timeline are vague enough to give a sense of the world without spoiling anything. I actually went back and reread the prologue about halfway through to get more context, then I read the glossary and ignored the timeline (until the end).
her pacing is also a huge strength--I was confused for the first few chapters jumping time and perspective, but by the time I got about 80 pages in (around when you're introduced to Damaya and Schaffa) it clicked. from there it just delivers blow after blow of outstanding scenes that all echo each other across every storyline.
cannot recommend this enough. brutal and horrifying--but it's also heartwarming, and quite funny in passing moments. quite a few passages had my jaw on the floor. really excited to dive into the next in this trilogy.
Graphic: Violence, War, Child abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Body horror and Gore
addie'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: Medical content, Death, Child abuse, Violence, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: War
Minor: Transphobia and Cannibalism
amsswim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Toxic friendship, Death, Xenophobia, Violence, Child abuse, and Slavery
Moderate: Blood, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Physical abuse
Minor: Vomit
therainbowshelf'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: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Grief, Child death, Blood, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Body horror, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death
Police brutality, destroyed homelands/refugee experiencethenextbookdilemma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Kidnapping
severes1'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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
wordpuncher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Animal death, and Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse and War