eloisethebooklover's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is deeply fucked up in ways I did not expect. It was so good! It had my attention from the start and I struggled to put it down to do other things. The world is compelling & I could not stop thinking about this book. The ending was a bit confusing but I’m satisfied with how it all came together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Animal death, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
kolbier's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Torture
Minor: Animal death
piperclover's review against another edition
Way too dark. Its so detailed in its grotesque human evil. I almost wish the mc was in on the horror instead of being this manipulated child, it makes it even harder to stomach.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Torture
The mc isn't exactly imprisoned but in effect she is.qraveline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Blood
Moderate: Torture, Gore, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Lesbophobia, Abortion, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Body horror, War, Genocide, and Cancer
letrickster's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
2.75
It was fine? I'm not a huge YA person so that definitely affected my opinion but it really just didn't do it for me. The romance and the ending were incredibly rushed and it all felt like it got resolved way too neatly and easily. Despite this, it was also incredibly slow. I really enjoyed the first quarter or so of the book. I think the tension was set up well and the scenes were suitably unsettling. Then things slowed down pretty hard, and very little happened. As it wore on I just got very bored, I almost dnfed but I managed to skim through to the end, although it didn't much improve my opinion. I really wish the middle section
I wanted to romance to be good, and I felt like it would've been if it had more time to develop, but it felt really unearned.
The characters were just fine, they're teenagers so I can excuse a lot of their choices behaviour based on that, but I just ended up not really caring about them. I liked Cadence a lot at the beginning, but idk by the end I was just kinda done.
I really wish I liked it more, I wanted to, I think it's decent YA but it just Really did not do it for me.
Spoiler
when Cadence and Remi are together at the palace was longer and had some more intrigue. It felt like it was only a few days, which in my mind, didn't feel like enough time for any of the things that happened to occur. Remi was threatened, but I feel like she didn't really end up being used against Cadence at all. The stakes just felt really low.I wanted to romance to be good, and I felt like it would've been if it had more time to develop, but it felt really unearned.
The characters were just fine, they're teenagers so I can excuse a lot of their choices behaviour based on that, but I just ended up not really caring about them. I liked Cadence a lot at the beginning, but idk by the end I was just kinda done.
I really wish I liked it more, I wanted to, I think it's decent YA but it just Really did not do it for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Animal death, and Vomit
Minor: Homophobia
lqvekanej's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
whammajamma's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Torture, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Homophobia and Fatphobia
achay91's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Torture, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent and War
librarianlayla's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5/4 stars.
I enjoyed the magic system in this book but I felt the whole story was really rushed and should have perhaps been made into a duology so that the characters could develop and the story could have had more time to evolve.
I felt the characters needed more depth and more of a connection, it was all a little fleeting and weak.
I had really high hopes for this book and whilst it isn't a bad story, I just feel it needed to have more to it.
I enjoyed the magic system in this book but I felt the whole story was really rushed and should have perhaps been made into a duology so that the characters could develop and the story could have had more time to evolve.
I felt the characters needed more depth and more of a connection, it was all a little fleeting and weak.
I had really high hopes for this book and whilst it isn't a bad story, I just feel it needed to have more to it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Torture
lighterthaneyre's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
One of the main differences between this and the musical Phantom, and one I think is a big detriment, is changing the Phantom to an authoritarian Queen. Where as before the power was derived from toxic intimacy, now it is in (ham fistedley wielded) political power. The story really lacks that emotional intimacy that made it intoxicating in the first place.
Spoiler
I also found the ending really unstatisfing. Things didn't feel Built Up, they just sort of Happened. There didn't seem to be any payoff to Candace learning defensive spells, and everyone acts as though Remi at all effected the Revolution. In reality Things Happened and then it ended
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture