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indeedithappens's review
- 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
Moderate: Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Genocide, Gun violence, Medical content, Self harm, Stalking, Violence, Vomit, Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, War, and Xenophobia
sunday_evening's review
- 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
But once Three Seagrass and Mahit made it onto Wait for the Wheel, we hit the ground running. The rest was very well paced. I love Three Seagrass but at the same time she makes me want to rip my hair out.
Graphic: Colonisation, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence and Genocide
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
atalea's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Genocide, Vomit, Xenophobia, Sexual content, and War
pvbobrien'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: Death, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Gore, Colonisation, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Medical content and Medical trauma
eleanora'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
4.5
Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, Death, War, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, and Medical content
eudaemonics'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
4.75
Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexual content, War, and Colonisation
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, and Vomit
maddiebusick'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: Xenophobia, Violence, War, Colonisation, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Medical content, Sexual content, Vomit, Cursing, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Deportation, and Suicide
rencore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
tangleroot_eli'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? It's complicated
Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Death, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
minervacerridwen'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
5.0
I would definitely recommend this duology if you like political intrigue, compelling characters, and in particular a hilarious queer poet-diplomat entangled with your space opera. I felt the plot in "A Desolation Called Peace" was stronger than in the first book, and I absolutely love that we got to see Eight Antidote's point of view. With the characters who were already in the spotlight in "A Memory Called Empire" it felt great to reconnect. I'm very happy to have liked "A Memory Called Empire" so much that I decided to pick this one up immediately.
The only downside, if I have to name any, still is that this world's view on gender is barely addressed, but it didn't feel as relevant as it did in the first book, where the worldbuilding was still happening more actively. There seemed to be one character with they/them pronouns at the very end of the story (unless Cure simply couldn't make out their gender), which only served to make me more curious about that little aspect - but as it didn't reflect on the actual story, it didn't really affect my reading experience. I'll be happy to dive back in if Arkady Martine ever decides to return to Teixcalaan.
Graphic: War
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
Minor: Colonisation and Grief