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allisnbc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide, and Rape
ryyyaaan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
- El is a well rounded character who is easy for the reader to like despite her being disliked by other characters.
- The premise and plot is enjoyable and easy to get hooked into.
- The worldbuilding is fantastic. It’s woven into the text so well it never feels like slogging through pages and pages of lore.
- It’s funny at times without taking away from the atmosphere.
- A great stepping point between YA and adult fantasy
Negatives (nit-picking here, the book was great)
- I dislike El’s relationship with Orion towards the end.
It feels forced to me that she’s starting to have feelings for him already. Or, at all for that matter. They just don’t seem compatible to me. Also, small point, but El mentions wanting kids badly at one point, which feels so out of character for her. Maybe later depending on how she’s developed, but it just didn’t seem right to me.<\spoiler> - I desperately wish there was any queer rep at all
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Murder, and Vomit
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Grief
blackheart'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
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Vomit
econsidine's review against another edition
3.5
Reads like a more sophisticated-ly written kind of Cassandra Clare teen urban fantasy, right down to the calling non-magical people "mundanes." But bonus points for a clear, logical magic system, fun characters, and a great main character arc (that fits really well with the magic system) about learning to not see all relationships as transactional, even if you've been raised in and rely on a society shaped around strict transactions. If that sounds at all familiar to, idk, real life, then you've basically got it.
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Vomit
eule's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
What was a little off? The nearly constant inner monologue with sometimes too much details (info dumping about unnecessary politics and background stuff)? Her personality was somehow too careless in my opinion…?
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
applezing'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
4.5
Graphic: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, Bullying, Murder, Pregnancy, Animal death, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, and Violence
laurajeangrace'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
3.5
Graphic: Death and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent and Violence
Minor: Vomit
leahfoko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
That said, one line about dreadlocks really is god awful and should not have been written. Yikes. Just completely unnecessary. But the rest of the book I personally didn’t find to be as racist and problematic as some people have said. I am white however and therefore don’t feel I can speak on the topic, it’s not my place to say whether this book is harmful when I am not the affected party. I had to take off at least 0.5 stars for that problematic section though for sure.
I really appreciated the world building once again. The whole world is super elaborate and interesting and I really felt like I was placed into the school. That said, a lot of the time this book felt kind of bogged down with descriptions of things that has happened in the world. I think it was necessary to make this world as rich and interesting as it was, but it sometimes slowed down the story. I think the future books might be better pace wise because hopefully there will be less of that world building slog. Another 0.5 stars off from me for the long explanations.
The reviews that I saw that described this book/world as Hogwarts but actively trying to kill you felt veryyy accurate to me. A great description so if you are intrigued by that I say read this book. I will definitely be reading the second one when it comes from the library. 4 stars.
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Violence, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
rodes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
Moderate: Vomit and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
eni_iilorak'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? No
3.0
Writing emotions is not.
A first-person narrator with little interest in other people is a baffling and unfortunate choice. As a result, most of the other characters are completely forgettable. As the protagonist rarely talks to anyone, there is very little dialogue. The narrator takes us through the details of this fictional world. Very little is shown or discovered, almost everything is explained. Large parts of the book read less like a novel and more like an essay that outlines the rules of its universe. This style of writing left me detached from the story and characters.
I'm not sure I would have finished the book if it hadn't been for the excellent audiobook narration.
With one single sentence, the very last one in the book, Naomi Novik made me want to read the sequel, and I don't know if I am impressed or angry.
Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Classism, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Racism, and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, and Pregnancy