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bookishfads'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
4.0
Still, I enjoyed this read and its perfect if you want to get to know a fun group of characters, read some snappy dialogue full of clever clap backs and see more of the Grishaverse.
Read more about it in spoiler section below.
So why 4 stars? I took off .25 because the last part of the book kinda started to get a bit too plot-armory for the characters and the clever plans got less and less clever and the plot twists at some points were simply because information was left out to the reader. Lame.
Another .25 is Wylan. I really liked him and wanted to get to know more of him... shame the author didn't feel the same. Not a single POV from a character who's supposedly member of the titled ensemble... For what? A cheap plot twist? Wylan's reading disability would have been just as effective in the middle as it was at the end of the book.
Half a star is taken away because of Kaz Brekker.
Let's start with this age - 17! And he's this edgy criminal mastermind at 17. Ugh, it YA, I get it, marketing and all that, but making him 20 at least wouldn't have scared the teenagers away, trust me. Age aside, Kaz is so full of edge (some other characters had straight up edgy sentences torn from a local emo's diary, but Kaz takes the cake) it actually disrupted my immersion in the story and made me snort back a frustrated laugh. I can't take seriously this edge lord, who apparently first got arrested at age of 12.
Then his whole skill set is all over the place. Okay, he's the mastermind with neat sleight of hand and lock picking abilities. How come he can take down a dude who strangled a wolf with his bare hands?? With a disabled leg?? Okay, maybe the way he did it was plausible, but that still doesn't justify making Kaz good at everything just because the author wants you to think hes So Kewl! One scene - he hardly climbes up to third floor, another- he's running around and fighting and - you've guessed it - it has no impact on the plot at all.
Kaz's weaknesses would have been so cool to explore: the touch aversion, injured leg, obsession with revenge and control, but they get swept aside to show us another clever triumph of Kazzle Dazzle. I really want to like him, but so far his comebacks, thieving tips and romance with Inej are the only fun part of the character, otherwise he's an edgy killjoy that course-corrects the plot just when it's about to get interesting.
Man just look at that paragraph.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Slavery, Trafficking, Torture, Hate crime, and Vomit
Moderate: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Minor: Rape, Vomit, and Sexual assault
nooweljayy'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
Moderate: Torture, Physical abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Gore, and Trafficking
joslynmyers's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Slavery, Child death, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Addiction, and War
Minor: Death of parent, Sexism, and Vomit
claire_not_rebecca'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: Gun violence, Ableism, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Kidnapping, Racism, Murder, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Cursing
Moderate: Violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Addiction, and Classism
aribookishly'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: Alcohol, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Ableism, Misogyny, Torture, Addiction, Blood, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Gore, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Violence
lovorka's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, Blood, Murder, Torture, Addiction, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking
adalina_xox'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: Gun violence, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Slavery, Torture, Rape, Drug use, Blood, Physical abuse, and Trafficking
tinyjude'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
4.75
Since I already grew fond of them watching on the screen, it was easier to follow everything and appreciate the nuance in each character and story arc. It was enjoyable, especially getting to know more about each characters' backgrounds and wills.
If the screen adaptation sold Kaz and Inej romance with ease because of both actors' incredible work, I was even more invested into their interactions and the slow burn going on in the book. Damn, those final words they exchange... still hitting the right spot. Inej and Nina are my queens, I love them dearly, especially Inej.
The age of the characters is one of the things that makes it quite unbelievable; even just aging them two years could have helped solidify their prodigious nature and talent, but I guess some people will find it cooler if they are that young and proving to be such a threat.
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Trafficking, Death, Drug abuse, Body horror, Child death, and Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Xenophobia, Rape, Animal death, Sexual content, Deportation, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
theresamothinmyroom'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, Grief, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Violence, Drug use, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Torture, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Cursing, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Body shaming
im_hungry_'s review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Violence, Child death, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Torture, Addiction, and Trafficking
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Pedophilia