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gilberik's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.75
I can't give it the 5☆ it deserves for it left me facing my humanity and my own past more violently than any book has done.
Honestly the writing was captivating. I had to suspend my disbelief at certain moments but once you accept the characters are deeply human with their baggages and lives, seeing them go on through life altering events like buldozers at breakneck speed just makes sense, I wouldn't do any better, I understand them.
Unrelentless is a great word to describe this massive novel. The characters have agency and will, yet they are powerless and there is nothing that can be done about it. Everything is so unfair, everything is ruined, forever altered, but was it truly a bad thing? Was it truly worth it?
I can't help but feel defeat after this ending. For certains things that will never be, for the bitterness that stays behind. Living with your regrets and could have beens. Despair and misery.
I don't regret reading it, but I will be carrying its impact a little while longer I believe.
Honestly the writing was captivating. I had to suspend my disbelief at certain moments but once you accept the characters are deeply human with their baggages and lives, seeing them go on through life altering events like buldozers at breakneck speed just makes sense, I wouldn't do any better, I understand them.
Unrelentless is a great word to describe this massive novel. The characters have agency and will, yet they are powerless and there is nothing that can be done about it. Everything is so unfair, everything is ruined, forever altered, but was it truly a bad thing? Was it truly worth it?
I can't help but feel defeat after this ending. For certains things that will never be, for the bitterness that stays behind. Living with your regrets and could have beens. Despair and misery.
I don't regret reading it, but I will be carrying its impact a little while longer I believe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, War, Body horror, Gore, and Death
raireads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, Mental illness, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, War, Murder, Rape, Death, Cursing, Body horror, Blood, Alcohol, Vomit, Self harm, Child death, and Addiction
jayenhope's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
There is so much to unpack here. I mean to book is a 703-page long tomb there's gonna be words.
I didn't get into this book by the gaming gateway, so, going in, I knew nothing. The Vyn universe was completely unknown to me. And from the outside perspective, I can say the author did a very good job of putting all the world-building in. I was totally prepared to get hit with a good 50 pages of info-dumping before anything happened. And while I am sure there were 50 pages of information in the book, they were scattered well enough to set the pace fluently.
One of the major issues this book deals with is Mental illness, while I can't say much on the topic due to lack of personal experience, I can say this: It was an experience in vividity. Through the visceral style of writing, the author, manages, extremely well, to get the image across. You know how the character suffers, you understand all their choices; right, wrong and the unavoidable.
There are pages upon pages of characters just discussing topics pertaining to politics, ethics, moral obligations, mass psychology, etc. You would think they'd be a bore. They are not! Each character puts forth such a different perspective and you are in mind to agree with them all. it's an effective way to develop your character, that's for sure.
There is this to say in the books opposition: The writing feels, in places, stiff and the short dialogue one dimensional. While I can attribute the first to 'lost in translation' (as I heard someone refer to it) the other is a genuine criticism.
The main plot explores Political upheaval and the romantic escapades of the MC (Bi and actually explored, I could weep). In other words, it never gets boring, and the fun to be had is always unexpected.
sorry, if the review is a bit awkward. I sleep deprived and need to get this out before sleep claims me and I auto reboot.
I didn't get into this book by the gaming gateway, so, going in, I knew nothing. The Vyn universe was completely unknown to me. And from the outside perspective, I can say the author did a very good job of putting all the world-building in. I was totally prepared to get hit with a good 50 pages of info-dumping before anything happened. And while I am sure there were 50 pages of information in the book, they were scattered well enough to set the pace fluently.
One of the major issues this book deals with is Mental illness, while I can't say much on the topic due to lack of personal experience, I can say this: It was an experience in vividity. Through the visceral style of writing, the author, manages, extremely well, to get the image across. You know how the character suffers, you understand all their choices; right, wrong and the unavoidable.
There are pages upon pages of characters just discussing topics pertaining to politics, ethics, moral obligations, mass psychology, etc. You would think they'd be a bore. They are not! Each character puts forth such a different perspective and you are in mind to agree with them all. it's an effective way to develop your character, that's for sure.
There is this to say in the books opposition: The writing feels, in places, stiff and the short dialogue one dimensional. While I can attribute the first to 'lost in translation' (as I heard someone refer to it) the other is a genuine criticism.
The main plot explores Political upheaval and the romantic escapades of the MC (Bi and actually explored, I could weep). In other words, it never gets boring, and the fun to be had is always unexpected.
sorry, if the review is a bit awkward. I sleep deprived and need to get this out before sleep claims me and I auto reboot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Body horror
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent
sarahasyouwish's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a dark psychological and political fantasy which faces some very deep themes head-on. If you appreciate character-focused fantasy that isn’t afraid to tackle things like mental illness, trauma, political ideologies and power then you should definitely pick this one up. My only critique is that I would have liked more page time and depth given to the female characters, but hopefully that will be addressed in the sequels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, Mental illness, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Body horror, Blood, and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent and Dementia
Minor: Pregnancy
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