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embelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
annabithebook's review against another edition
- 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? No
1.75
I am so disappointed in how many things I disliked in the series. Let’s make a spoiler-free list in no particular order:
1. Open plot points from HOSAB were just effectively dismissed and no actual meaningful resolution occurred.
2. Where the fuck was Fury and why was she not a bigger part of this?
3. 75 perspective changes inside of a single chapter with no indicator (especially bad in the audiobook format) this made an already 30 hour book take literal HOURS of extra time rewinding and listening again to try and figure out who did what and when it changed.
4. Dumbass characters making reckless stupid decisions.
Sub point here: it really felt like in the early stages of TOG where people are young and reckless and immature but instead of them having the time and lived experiences over 8 books to grow and mature into the better version of themselves (which was 👌🏻) the entire “arc” occurs crammed into one book and feels thin/baseless/disingenuous.
5. I never thought I’d say an 800+ page book should have spread things out more but it should have been two separate books (á la Eos & ToD). There were just too many ambitious plot lines/characters/stories competing for page time and so instead of trimming some to fully flesh out the ones you keep or splitting into two books, they’re all sort of chaotic and rushed which makes the story feel disjointed and inauthentic.
6. Kind of related to 5, but SJM is famous for her character growth and well balanced storylines with beautiful relationships, but she just didn’t give herself the space to do that with this novel or really CC as a whole.
7. The crossover infodump.
8. SJMs famous “why didn’t you just tell her that in the first place.”
9. SO MUCH HEAD ST@BB1NG
10. Hunt/Bryce seem like a couple who should really just break up…. 😬
11. Bryce in general (weakest SJM FMC in terms of how well they’re written as leads).
12. Other main cast characters who aren’t even in this book.
13. Characters who only appear when SJM needs them for a plot function so they feel like tools and not people.
14. Questionable science “oh yeah, let’s just hold the _____ ____ open!” 😒
15. The rumbly in Baxian’s tummy that only hands can satisfy.
Now. A much shorter but MAY CONTAIN VAGUE SPOILERS list of what I loved:
1. Ruhn/Lidia - they got snubbed like Lorcan/Elide from more page time
2. Jessiba
3. The sprites
4. The message of unity
5. Patricide
6. ……it’s not a good sign that I ran out at 5 things?
Honestly, my thumbs are tired but if you want a more comprehensive and, frankly, hilarious review that is literally all the thoughts in my head too, here is another amazing GR reviewer’s thoughts: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4553540457
TLDR; didn’t DNF because I was stubborn but it tried to be too many things at once and so instead it was successful at nearly nothing. Very disappointed 😢 1.75⭐️
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
toweroftheunread'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I felt like Ithan’s plot had so many flaws in it. I understand it is to give him a decent amount of character development, but I felt like it could be done without the excessive self-deprecation and serious damage to other characters that ended up not amounting to much.
I also felt like there were really good plot resolutions, but we jumped there. There was so much build up for the ONE plot in CC1, and I liked that. This had like a million plot lines that just resolved too quickly for me. It felt rushed and tidied up too quickly for me. There were a lot of emotional parts to the story, but honestly, I wasn’t drawn in like 1 & 2. I definitely cried in the first two, and I swear I’m not a monster, but I didn’t feel attached enough to shed one here.
I feel like this book could have been really good if we teased it out and added details to the separate POVs and plot lines. The books could have even been shorter, but more detailed in the plot holes.
It kind of felt like the marvel movies where the first ones were SO good and the quick resolutions left this book feeling almost cheesy.
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
travistyaverted'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: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death
jcruppert's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism
naomi_isreading'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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and War
karly_ackley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
yprimrose's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War
martharosen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Classism
_readobituaries'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
4.0
1st we will address the cross over.... It was nothing but fan service.
2nd.... Bryce was a cunt during this.
Lidia was AMAZING in this. Honestly, carried the entire story. I
Ithan and Therion were..... there... Therion made every stupid decision he could and Ithan swiftly followed in his footsteps.
Overall, I loved the book and the characters. Just.... disappointed. This book had SO MUCH potential. and honestly, I don't see why she'd write a fourth book.. She's defeated the big bad- why create so many lose, mediocre plot lines to leave unraveled for a 4th book when she could have easily just tied everything up nicely and finished book 3. It's like she's milking it because there really is no reason to keep the story going....
Graphic: Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Grief