Reviews with content warning for War - Genadeloze beloften

Reviews tagging 'War'

Genadeloze beloften by Rebecca Ross

530 reviews

jg736388's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional tense fast-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

I really enjoyed the ending. I think it tied up well and because it wasn't a perfect happy ending, it felt a bit more realistic/ emotional. Overall I would give the duology a 4⭐️.

Content Warnings

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I didn't get the same feelings while reading this book than I did in the first book. I'm personally not the biggest fan of the amnesia trope, so I'm sure that is part of it. It is kind of cool having the parallel to the first book, in which the first book consisted of Iris and Roman exchanging letters with the former not knowing the other's identity and in the second book the opposite occurs. It was a little frustrating that a major part of Iris's motivations in the first book is surrounding her brother, but in this book he is barely in it. I didn't really like his character, so I wasn't bothered too much, but this does seem to be a pattern (I also saw it in The Book of Tea duology).

I was a bit sad when Forest and Sarah died at the end, and his letter to Iris made me emotional.

The action was fine, and the letters were still enjoyable. One of the main things that didn't sit right with me about the book is the shift into the main characters taking a more action-based role. Iris, Roman, and their friends are writers, not soldiers, and they were written this way to have a different perspective and way of navigating war, but then in this book they end up in a typical hero role where they personally face off with the main antagonist in an action sequence anyway. I don't know how they could have resolved all the problems as writers, but I am interested in what the possible outcomes could have been. I also don't think that Dacre and Enva's dynamic and presence was properly present in the first book, so this inclusion felt so new in this book that it felt like such a big shift. The scene between Iris and Enva was cool, though. Attie's romance with Tobias was sweet, but felt a bit rushed (it's in the background, so it's okay, though it was a bit out of nowhere). This was okay and entertaining enough, though it didn't live up to the hype of the first book, but it is worth reading, even if just for the first book and seeing how the couple ends up. I do like how Iris and Roman as a couple end up.

Content Warnings

onthesamepage's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Part of me was a bit worried where the sequel would go. Divine Rivals ends with our main characters torn apart, so I knew going in that they wouldn't be together initially. The romance was a big part of why I enjoyed it so much—the world itself, the magic, and the war plot weren't impressive on their own. The sequel does elaborate a lot more on the lore of the world, but it wasn't enough to compensate for me.

There was a repetitiveness to the story. It almost felt like we were starting over, with letters exchanged between two people, one of them knowing who they're talking to, and the other not having a clue. It's not what I was hoping for, and it failed to hold my interest or capture my imagination and emotions the way Divine Rivals did.

I also thought that the story didn't fully come together in general. The next part contains general spoilers about Roman and Iris's relationship, and some plot points related to the army.

While Roman and Iris do encounter each other a handful of times, it is never for very long, and they spend most of the book apart. I knew that this would be the case at the beginning, but I was hoping that they'd end up together about halfway through the book, and continue fighting as partners. Instead, even at the points of high tension/conflict, they each have to deal with their own problems. I missed getting to see them work together, and I missed more interactions between them.

One other thing that struck me is that the army ends up pretty useless, which is strange considering how much is made of them until about 50% through. The army is the only thing standing between Dacre and Oath, except when they get to Oath, they're forced to stay outside, and have no further role in defeating Dacre until it's over and done with. I found this an odd choice, but it does track with my feelings about Divine Rivals. The magic, the lore, and the war are all secondary to the romance in this duology, so when the romance is also lacking, there's not much else to hold onto.

I would still recommend this series, however. Rebecca Ross's writing truly is beautiful, and my feelings about Divine Rivals haven't changed.

Content Warnings

reilly1994's review against another edition

5.0

emotional 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: No

Content Warnings

tiffanynoel's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

“Write to me and fill my empty spaces.”

* Sir, please stop I’m already feeling like crying as it is
* Noooo 😭
* Oh the parallels
* Oh my gosh they’re going!
* Yesssss!
* Okay, actually no 😭😭
* Oh, these two. I love them
* Ahhh there’s so much longing
* Don’t go, Iris!
* Don’t do anything stupid, Roman
* I love how Helena calls her Kitt 🫶
* I’m not crying, you’re crying
* Chapter 49 😭
* So.. we’re just going from bad to bad
* Noooooo
* Not her proofreading for him I love it
* They are my favorite

Ahh this whole story is so heartbreaking and so beautiful. I was enthralled from start to finish. (And don’t worry, it’s not the kind of heartbreak without a happy ending)

There were twists and turns that added so much to the story and I was so invested in every character and how the war was going to end.

I’ve loved Iris and Roman from the beginning and that only increased in this book. They are both so strong and lovely and I’m just so proud of them both!

“Your words have bewitched him.”

“I cannot hold the ones I love in a cage, even if it feels like protecting them.”

“There is always pain in healing.”

“And that, he had come to realize, was when his best words emerged. When he was with her.”

Content: beginning of chapter 36 (absolutely no description but they do shower together), chapter 44 (also no description but you know what’s going on)

The audiobook is excellent. No complaints here.

Content Warnings

bookish_mk's review against another edition

3.75

emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one but it's still a good read, though it's a tear-jerker! While the magic of the typewriters and the romance built in the first book, the same sort of situation in the second book didn't hit. This reads more like a historical World War I or II romance with only "Gods" leading the charge with soldiers but also underworld creatures.

Some parts of the story weren't as fleshed out as others and it seemed the focus was more on the romance than on the plot.

The author killed off a character close to the main character at the end and there was no reason for it because they left everyone else alive, unforgivable!

Content Warnings