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mightymaite's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
What a beautiful progression of the story. Poppy and Cas being apart so long made you suffer, but also made the character and relationship development in this book possible. The trauma that Cas went through, the aftermath and the impact on Poppy were so gripping! The atrocities of war in this book were written beautifully and so visually that it gripped you by the throat and branded itself on your eyes.
After seeing the relationships between the characters change and develop over multiple books, it was the perfect time for the Joining to happen. Very natural progression to get here. Tastefully written, full of love and friendship.
This book was the perfect bridge between Poppy's and Nyktos' storyline.
After seeing the relationships between the characters change and develop over multiple books, it was the perfect time for the Joining to happen. Very natural progression to get here. Tastefully written, full of love and friendship.
This book was the perfect bridge between Poppy's and Nyktos' storyline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
hq_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
So I enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t the best in the series. I’m finding the writing style a bit frustrating, it’s very long-winded - particularly dialogue between characters. However I’m enjoying the plot, I’m really interested to see where it will go.
I really like Reaver. He’s quickly becoming one of my favourite characters. I’m definitely going to read Shadow in the Ember.
We finally get the joining and she chooses not to give details?!?! Come on! I need to know who did what 😂
I really like Reaver. He’s quickly becoming one of my favourite characters. I’m definitely going to read Shadow in the Ember.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Confinement
hapalyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, War, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Sexism and Misogyny
maddysbooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.75
i have a lot of feelings about this book.
i wasn’t a fan of the fact that the first 75% of the book poppy and casteel were separated and that it took that long for them to reunite. for me, that entire part of the book dragged on for way too long. the only redeeming part was being able to see how kieran and poppy’s relationship developed.
which is another thing that i’m unsure about with this book. i’m not sure how i feel about the almost reverse harem dynamic that’s happening. that being said, i don’t hate it.
the last quarter of the book was great though. the reunion between poppy and casteel definitely lived up to all that buildup. and the action scenes were also great, as was the final scene at the very end.
as always with this series, i’m very intrigued to see what happens in the next book.
i wasn’t a fan of the fact that the first 75% of the book poppy and casteel were separated and that it took that long for them to reunite. for me, that entire part of the book dragged on for way too long. the only redeeming part was being able to see how kieran and poppy’s relationship developed.
which is another thing that i’m unsure about with this book. i’m not sure how i feel about the almost reverse harem dynamic that’s happening. that being said, i don’t hate it.
the last quarter of the book was great though. the reunion between poppy and casteel definitely lived up to all that buildup. and the action scenes were also great, as was the final scene at the very end.
as always with this series, i’m very intrigued to see what happens in the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Confinement and Torture
roget's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
1.0
This reads like a crack fic.
This series would be so much stronger if space that was given to all the tone-ignorant quipping and pages of unnecessarily aggressive, uncomfortable exchanges were instead given to expanding the lore.
The real plot is crammed into info-dumps in dialogue—just like, lecture after lecture of some being or another backtracking like “Well, ACTUALLY…” and then re-explaining lore and ancient relationships that’d already been explained and re-explained half a dozen times but apparently incorrectly. The consort? Interesting plot line. I wish we’d have gotten more of that development.
The Malik-Poppy backstory reveal was absolutely undercut by the series’s penchant for throwing gossip girl-style shocking “twists” at us every five minutes, not to mention the tonally inconsistent suggestive and situationally abhorrent illicit comments. The series isn’t respectful to Kieren, either. He’s basically treated like Poppy’s arm candy this book, and Poppy’s character is shockingly undynamic given the many, many changes she’s been through. She’s still acting like the angry, impulsive, and brash kid who’s playing at power without really understanding it.
The pacing is weird.
It takes them over half the book to rescue Cas, then it’s a large chunk of just adult scenes—the most awkward of which occur in the house of a set of resistance people who take them in and offer shelter only to be melted by Isbeth once Poppy and Cas are done using their familial home as a love shack.
As for the content…
There are numerous mature scenes, and if you’re not up for that, you’ll find yourself paging through them frustratedly and wading through neverending passages of violence as you wait for eons for an update about the more integral parts of the plot.
I’m interested to know more about the primals and their clearly warped family tree. I want Poppy to return to Ileesium. I want to see more of those dynamics unfold. I wish the book would spend more time and nuance developing that and Poppy herself.
Kind of just reading to find out what happens and how it wraps up at this point, which is disheartening. I’m sure some people find this series fun or entertaining, but the issues have sort of spoiled it for me, at least.
This series would be so much stronger if space that was given to all the tone-ignorant quipping and pages of unnecessarily aggressive, uncomfortable exchanges were instead given to expanding the lore.
The real plot is crammed into info-dumps in dialogue—just like, lecture after lecture of some being or another backtracking like “Well, ACTUALLY…” and then re-explaining lore and ancient relationships that’d already been explained and re-explained half a dozen times but apparently incorrectly. The consort? Interesting plot line. I wish we’d have gotten more of that development.
The Malik-Poppy backstory reveal was absolutely undercut by the series’s penchant for throwing gossip girl-style shocking “twists” at us every five minutes, not to mention the tonally inconsistent suggestive and situationally abhorrent illicit comments. The series isn’t respectful to Kieren, either. He’s basically treated like Poppy’s arm candy this book, and Poppy’s character is shockingly undynamic given the many, many changes she’s been through. She’s still acting like the angry, impulsive, and brash kid who’s playing at power without really understanding it.
The pacing is weird.
As for the content…
I’m interested to know more about the primals and their clearly warped family tree. I want Poppy to return to Ileesium. I want to see more of those dynamics unfold. I wish the book would spend more time and nuance developing that and Poppy herself.
Kind of just reading to find out what happens and how it wraps up at this point, which is disheartening. I’m sure some people find this series fun or entertaining, but the issues have sort of spoiled it for me, at least.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, War, and Torture
lorenmarie7's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, and Gore
kaylahcc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Torture and Gore
Minor: Rape and Death of parent
macykey's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The book struggles, as the one prior does in my opinion, from pacing issues. I also felt that the book was rather slow when Cas and Poppy were separated as their relationship and dynamic is a lot of what drives the book. I’d recommend reading A Crown of Gilded Bones directly before you read this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
widdlemun's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Bluntly, it's like a train wreck you just can't look away from. It has moments when it uses modern language in this medieval fantasy setting which breaks emersion. Example A, towards the end of the book a character leaves and another character describes it as him "peacing out." I couldn't stop laughing. Or when a cigar container gets brought up but there are no cigars. Definitely can be campy, if you don't take it too seriously I'd recommend a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, War, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Child death
lauren_macauley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Torture, Mental illness, Child death, Death, and Violence