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sierraclimbs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The premise of it is very intriguing. It’s essentially How to Train Your Dragon, but with chimera instead of dragons & on an alien planet.
There is important representation in this book, the main protagonist is a nonverbal autistic woman. I’m happy there are people writing this representation into their stories. But unfortunately it did not really work for me…
It ended up reading really young & there was a change made mid book that made me a little uncomfortable…
Also, I can’t find anything about this being a first in a series, but the last couple chapters really seemed to set up a sequel.
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Grief, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Violence, Bullying, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
kwthor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.75
Moderate: Misogyny, Medical content, Infertility, Gun violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, Bullying, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Child death
kai_watson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Blood, Misogyny, Grief, Death, Torture, Ableism, Death of parent, Murder, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
turrean'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? No
4.0
The parallels between Olivia’s struggles to be heard and human/chimera communication are not subtle, but are no less poignant for being obvious. Her experiences as a nonverbal autistic person give her a unique perspective on the task of breaking down barriers between warring groups who have no way to even begin a negotiation without a way to speak to one another.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Bullying, Violence, Ableism, and Sexism
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Blood, Misogyny, and Violence
iseefirede's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Death, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Bullying, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexism, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, War, Vomit, Torture, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Suicide
redheadsuperpowers's review
- 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
I was deeply appreciative of the writing style in this novel, making it feel very natural when I read. The non-verbal main character was written with sensitivity, and depth. A cast amount of diversity was offered among the cast, and all the relationships were very well thought out and felt so real. The world building was woven throughout the entire novel, and didn't feel like stage directions like so many novels do. I love the depth of description we get of the setting, and I could clearly imagine what the flooded forest looked like, and how crowded Citadel itself must be. We see a lot of connections between the cast, but I appreciate that it doesn't veer into romance, leaving us to walk Olivia's grief with her. As a prolific reader, I will be recommending this to people.
Olivia is a non-verbal autistic teen who just lost her boyfriend, Elias, on a hunt against the demons that keep their people confined to the Citadel. They have been fighting these demons for generations and slowly outgrowing their walls, as food shortages abound. They also follow a very strict religion that has no space for doubt, and regularly culls heretics for questioning the teachings. Olivia just wants to know why. Why did the demons kill Elias? Why do they attack humans on site? Why do they keep them from leaving the Citadel? So she sneaks away and enters the forest alone, and finds out more than she bargained for.
Graphic: War, Ableism, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Bullying, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Addiction, Confinement, and Gaslighting