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just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
And here it is, the grand finale. After waiting longer than I'd planned to, after finishing The Poppy War, to pick up The Dragon Republic, I got my hands on this final installment as soon as I could because I needed to know how it all wrapped up. With the amount of world and plot building, in physical scope and political complexity, I was on the edge of my seay to see how Kuang brought it all to a finish point. Also, being honest here, I wanted to get to it before I forgot too many of the details!
This third book picks up essentially right where the second one left off, as far as action is concerned. A few weeks have passed since Rin and Venka and Kitay escaped from Vaisra and his Dragon Republic, leaving Nezha behind as well. They've taken some time to lay low, treat their (myriad) wounds, and try to decide what's next. Allying with the Southern Coalition, Rin finds (yet again) that the leaders are mostly there for their own gain and care little for saving Nikan or the people of the South. So, in a series of short term alliances and dramatic shows of force, Rin, Kitay and Venka turn to the people, especially those of Rin's provincial home province of Tikany, who are willing to risk it all and fight for her, following her banner of violent vengeance in the quest to free Nikan. Facing the intelligence and superior firepower of the Hesperians, the deep-flowing aristocratic power of the Dragon Republic and the North, with guest spots from deposed Empress Su Daji and the Trifecta, Chaghan, and more, Rin and her Phoenix leads a blazing swath of blood and death across the country.
Phew. I mean, I thought the first two books were violent and deadly and horrific and fiery in all the ways (literal and figurative), but Kuang proved here that there's always more... This book brought particular attention to Rin's bloodthirstiness in a really unique way though. Up until now, she was a student or pawn or "just" in charge of the Cike...but here, here she really steps into a full warlord general sort of role, making decisions not based purely on winning a battle or merely staying alive, but in premeditated moves of power consolidation, shows of force, and in general affecting lives on scales she's never had access to before. It was a fascinatingly written transition, because the way it played off her connection and power-drawing from the Phoenix, which had been based purely on anger/vengeance before, the cold-blooded (and sadistic) murder choices she makes in this book come, in some cases, from a very different motivation. Watching Rin come to terms with that, and reconfigure her connection with her god as a result, was while terrifying realistically bloodthirsty, really quite insightful and hard to turn away from. I also really appreciated that despite these slightly more surface-level changes, Rin, at base, remains exactly who she is and has always been: ruthless. She still deals quite a bit with trauma-memories and guilt and PTSD, but has found a unique, and unsurprisingly not particularly healthy, way to deal with it that allows her to tamp it down and keep going. I appreciate this consistency of character because it would have been easy, if not true to her character, to "write" her growth into a better example of leadership. Along these same lines, the way Kuang explored the transition from war general brain to political leadership brain, the differences in wartime versus peacetime (in needs and consequences and qualifications), and if it is even possible to leave the paranoia of battle/need to keep fighting behind, was great.
As far as other character interactions are concerned, Kitay's continued horror at and discomfort with her choices and actions is also written exactly as it should be (in my opinion, anyway), and I loved the complexity between them and their relationship that grows out of that major difference in their POVs. It was incredibly nuanced and made all the better (and it was really dang good to start) by the continued interweaving of each of their interactions with and reactions to Nezha and, as the story progresses, seeing the way their trio mirrored (in many ways) the disastrous inner reality of the Trifecta was a spectacular example of the cyclical nature of history and relationships. The parallels of the three, the intricacies of dependency and need and love and betrayal, and the ways those played out so similarly, as the interdependence and power struggles and going-to-your-head of it all tears them apart from the inside out with myriad external fallout...it was all so well done. Also, the way it only takes one small moment to change trajectory had me on tenterhooks waiting to find out if they'd make all the same mistakes or if they'd choose a different path.
Some final thoughts. Goodness...this book was nonstop for the entire 24 hours of listening (yup - I went with the audiobook again because I really enjoyed the narration of the last one). The depth of detail in the war and political strategy stays top-notch. I know I've said this in every review so far, but it bears repeating: Kuang's combination of twentieth century Chinese history and full-on magic/mythology (especially of Rin's fire and the Phoenix, but also Nezha and his Dragon and, no spoilers, but some new god-connections as well) is truly some of the best writing I have ever read. There is so much depth to it all, so much detail. The continued presence of the Hesperians, their clear parallels to Western culture and technology and faith and "superiority," also stood as a clear commentary and condemnation of the harm colonialism, that was impossible not to see...and impossible to pretend it was anything other than the horror it was. I loved how Kuang also simultaneously exemplified how the native peoples weren’t (and shouldn’t have had to be) good/special/unified or “better” in any way, in order to be able to continue to live in their own traditions and beliefs. Because in the end, how were their beliefs, false unity, infighting/inequity, etc. any "worse" (read: less worthy of existing) than their oppressors' version of those same things? Last, what a spectacular, perfect, stunning ending! I was shattering and I loved it. I was definitely slightly concerned that the ending would wrap too cleanly or would feel too perfect, considering on what a large scale Rin had smashed the existing structures to bits. But the ending was perfect - in line for her character, her relationships, her role in the world, the overall situation - it was truly the only way, it felt right in every way, and it was everything.
*deep heaving sigh* I cannot believe this trilogy is over. Kuang wrote something so special here and I loved it. The development of the world (historical fiction and high fantasy) and characters was ambitious and compelling and developed to perfection. As a reader, I both hated and loved Rin (with a lot of feeling) at the same time. And just as she destroyed and cleansed and rebirthed Nika through Phoenix fire, I feel like I went through a similar experience while reading it. That’s the freaking skill that Kuang brought us with her writing.
“You don’t fix hurts by pretending they never happened. You treat them like infected wounds. You dig deep with a burning knife and gouge out the rotten flesh and then, maybe, you have a chance to heal.”
“…the battles were easy. Destroying was easy. The hard part was the aftermath.”
“The point of revenge wasn’t to heal. The point was that exhilaration, however temporary, drowned out the hurt.”
“And you should know by now that when you leave your enemies alive, wars don’t end.”
“Let them think of us as dirt, Rin thought. She was dirt. Her army was dirt. But dirt was common, ubiquitous, patient, and necessary. The soil gave life to the country. And the earth always reclaimed what it was owed.”
“Rin was a monster, a murderer, a destroyer of world. Nothing but blood and ashes ever trailed in her wake. The world was a better, safer, and more peaceful place without her in it. He believed that. And yet…”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Genocide, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
xalrynne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The Burning God is definitely Kuang’s best work and the most well-crafted installment of the Poppy War trilogy. Fans will be excited for this conclusion full of unexpected events at every turn and a bittersweet ending that I still don’t fully understand. (This book, like both the others, gets three stars from me because I don’t particularly enjoy everything going on in the story and I had to force myself to read it at times, but each book is progressively better than the last one, but none of them reach four stars for me personally.)
The Burning God is just as dark and violent as the previous two books. War is raging in Nikan, and the Nikara are up against not only the Dragon Republic but also the foreign Hesperians with their new technologies.
This book focuses on Rin and Nezha, allies-turned-enemies on opposite sides of a war that neither of them wants to fight.
This book takes a look at what it means for invading forces to completely take over your city and your country and put you under their rule without your consent. Rin is both awed and terrified by the Hesperians’ technology and doesn’t know whether to embrace it or shun it, but ultimately the Hesperians are the colonizers, and they obviously don’t take into consideration what’s best for the people they’re colonizing because they think their own way of life is the best and the Nikara are subhuman at best. It’s interesting to see colonization from the other point of view; so often in school what we learn was written by the victor—by the people and forces who took over—but this book shows us what it’s like for all the other people on the inside.
We see new types of shamans in this book, which I loved. I won’t explain anymore so as not to spoil, but I’m super glad they were introduced so we could see wider implications of this magic than just Rin’s abilities.
This isn’t my favorite fantasy series out there but I can’t deny how well it’s written and the impact of its harrowing story. None of the characters in this series are particularly likable and there isn’t a whole lot of hope, but I still enjoyed the journey nonetheless. The Poppy War trilogy is way darker than I normally prefer my books to be, and I want to emphasize the huge amount of trigger and content warnings in this series. It is full of horrific and descriptive scenes of war and all the brutalities that happen because of that. Basically if you can imagine a trigger warning, this series probably has it, so make sure you’re in a good headspace before you start reading it.
My Book Blog: Storeys of Stories
The Burning God is just as dark and violent as the previous two books. War is raging in Nikan, and the Nikara are up against not only the Dragon Republic but also the foreign Hesperians with their new technologies.
This book focuses on Rin and Nezha, allies-turned-enemies on opposite sides of a war that neither of them wants to fight.
This book takes a look at what it means for invading forces to completely take over your city and your country and put you under their rule without your consent. Rin is both awed and terrified by the Hesperians’ technology and doesn’t know whether to embrace it or shun it, but ultimately the Hesperians are the colonizers, and they obviously don’t take into consideration what’s best for the people they’re colonizing because they think their own way of life is the best and the Nikara are subhuman at best. It’s interesting to see colonization from the other point of view; so often in school what we learn was written by the victor—by the people and forces who took over—but this book shows us what it’s like for all the other people on the inside.
We see new types of shamans in this book, which I loved. I won’t explain anymore so as not to spoil, but I’m super glad they were introduced so we could see wider implications of this magic than just Rin’s abilities.
This isn’t my favorite fantasy series out there but I can’t deny how well it’s written and the impact of its harrowing story. None of the characters in this series are particularly likable and there isn’t a whole lot of hope, but I still enjoyed the journey nonetheless. The Poppy War trilogy is way darker than I normally prefer my books to be, and I want to emphasize the huge amount of trigger and content warnings in this series. It is full of horrific and descriptive scenes of war and all the brutalities that happen because of that. Basically if you can imagine a trigger warning, this series probably has it, so make sure you’re in a good headspace before you start reading it.
My Book Blog: Storeys of Stories
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
codyemma's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Violence, Sexual violence, Torture, and Mental illness
ghulsona's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
What a glorious end to a fantastic series! I think the best way to describe this book is like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion - you know things are going to end disastrously, but you simply cannot look away. The writing is immersive and keeps me at the edge of my seat as always.
Rin's gradual slip into insanity is something that I predicted from the first book, but it still gutted me to read about her downfall in this book. Do you know the tumblr post that goes like "i am a war criminal i am clinically insane & the next virgin mary & i am never going to die etc etc"? I feel like that is the exact embodiment of the character Rin becomes over the course of this book. Reading about her descent into madness was extremely interesting - she's already thinking of herself as this legendary figure that history will sing about before they've even won the war! The hubris! Her love for Kitay being a tether to her humanity made me so so so sad. The last scene truly destroyed me. I get why a lot of people wouldn't like her character, but I found her her thirst for vengeance and her struggles with identity (who is she without a war to fight for?) so fascinating. She's definitely a character that I will think about for a long time.
Kitay, Kitay, Kitay. I loved him so much - his genius, his ethics, how he loves and loves Rin despite everything and cannot deny her anything. "Take what you want, it said. I’ll hate you for it. But I’ll love you forever. I can’t help but love you. Ruin me, ruin us, and I’ll let you." Wow!His last words telling Rin that she's hurting him absolutely destroyed me.
The Trifecta finally coming together was something that I was really excited to read about. Jiang! I missed him dearly and felt Rin's heartbreak when he really isn't the man we met in the first book anymore. I also grew to like Daji more than I thought I would. I was expecting Riga to be horrible, but his monstrosity cannot be understated. I wish we could've gotten more of them - their time was up almost as soon as we finally had all 3 of them together, and it doesn't make that much sense considering how powerful they were? Oh well, I did really enjoy the little that we got of them.
For the other characters: Rin finally realizing that Altan had been extremely flawed, but still heeding his words and keeping his memory and voice alive in her mindspace was interesting. Venka! I'm heartbroken about her end, but I loved the small moments she had with Rin. I didn't see much of Nezha so I don't have much thoughts to offer about him, but I'll read "The Drowning Faith" soon to get his perspective. The mastery and execution of his powers was really cool to read about, and the last scene really hit home how young he is despite the burdens placed on his shoulders (how young all of them are, really).
There are some things that I wished were explored more. For example, Speer! I am honestly left with more questions than I had before. How did Rin survive the genocide? I want to know more about Hanelai! Also, I thought the subplot about Chaghan's people would be tied into the story, not solved outside of the text. Speaking of Chaghan's people, I thought we would get more about Tseveri! I also wish there could've been more exploration of the vengeance and violence that takes ahold of the South following their liberations. What were the fates of Kesegi and maybe even Tutor Feyrik? Also, what is up with the Hesperians!?! How did they even find those god-neutralizing weapons? This was definitely intentional, but the uncertainty of Nikara's future by the end of the book really had me distressed.
Misc moments that I really liked: Rin's small memorial to Jiang at the base of the mountain and her last thoughts to her old mentor. Her last thoughts about the endless circle of violence and her thinking about others who once stood in her place to make the choice she had to make. Rin's mentoring of the new shamans (I wish we had gotten more of them as well, but alas)! "Dying was easy. Living was so much harder—that was the most important lesson Altan had ever taught her". Rin finding the poppy fields outside of Tikany and having that brief burst of hope. Rin getting her revenge on Sister Petra!
Overall, I really did love this book. I haven't picked up a book in a long time that's captivated me as much as this series has, I'll probably think of it for a long time. Read the Poppy War!
Rin's gradual slip into insanity is something that I predicted from the first book, but it still gutted me to read about her downfall in this book. Do you know the tumblr post that goes like "i am a war criminal i am clinically insane & the next virgin mary & i am never going to die etc etc"? I feel like that is the exact embodiment of the character Rin becomes over the course of this book. Reading about her descent into madness was extremely interesting - she's already thinking of herself as this legendary figure that history will sing about before they've even won the war! The hubris! Her love for Kitay being a tether to her humanity made me so so so sad. The last scene truly destroyed me. I get why a lot of people wouldn't like her character, but I found her her thirst for vengeance and her struggles with identity (who is she without a war to fight for?) so fascinating. She's definitely a character that I will think about for a long time.
Kitay, Kitay, Kitay. I loved him so much - his genius, his ethics, how he loves and loves Rin despite everything and cannot deny her anything. "Take what you want, it said. I’ll hate you for it. But I’ll love you forever. I can’t help but love you. Ruin me, ruin us, and I’ll let you." Wow!
The Trifecta finally coming together was something that I was really excited to read about. Jiang! I missed him dearly and felt Rin's heartbreak when he really isn't the man we met in the first book anymore. I also grew to like Daji more than I thought I would. I was expecting Riga to be horrible, but his monstrosity cannot be understated. I wish we could've gotten more of them - their time was up almost as soon as we finally had all 3 of them together, and it doesn't make that much sense considering how powerful they were? Oh well, I did really enjoy the little that we got of them.
For the other characters: Rin finally realizing that Altan had been extremely flawed, but still heeding his words and keeping his memory and voice alive in her mindspace was interesting. Venka! I'm heartbroken about her end, but I loved the small moments she had with Rin. I didn't see much of Nezha so I don't have much thoughts to offer about him, but I'll read "The Drowning Faith" soon to get his perspective. The mastery and execution of his powers was really cool to read about, and the last scene really hit home how young he is despite the burdens placed on his shoulders (how young all of them are, really).
There are some things that I wished were explored more. For example, Speer! I am honestly left with more questions than I had before. How did Rin survive the genocide? I want to know more about Hanelai! Also, I thought the subplot about Chaghan's people would be tied into the story, not solved outside of the text. Speaking of Chaghan's people, I thought we would get more about Tseveri! I also wish there could've been more exploration of the vengeance and violence that takes ahold of the South following their liberations. What were the fates of Kesegi and maybe even Tutor Feyrik? Also, what is up with the Hesperians!?! How did they even find those god-neutralizing weapons? This was definitely intentional, but the uncertainty of Nikara's future by the end of the book really had me distressed.
Misc moments that I really liked: Rin's small memorial to Jiang at the base of the mountain and her last thoughts to her old mentor. Her last thoughts about the endless circle of violence and her thinking about others who once stood in her place to make the choice she had to make. Rin's mentoring of the new shamans (I wish we had gotten more of them as well, but alas)! "Dying was easy. Living was so much harder—that was the most important lesson Altan had ever taught her". Rin finding the poppy fields outside of Tikany and having that brief burst of hope. Rin getting her revenge on Sister Petra!
Overall, I really did love this book. I haven't picked up a book in a long time that's captivated me as much as this series has, I'll probably think of it for a long time. Read the Poppy War!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Body horror, Grief, Mental illness, Racism, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Animal death
hanarama's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Good:
Powerful and natural character development.
Strong world building.
Lots of action.
The Bad:
Skips around a bit, some telling rather than showing.
Little chance to relax between emotional highs and lows.
You'll Like This Book If:
You like Daenerys' story in A Song of Ice and Fire.
If you like morally gray characters.
Stories about the horrors of war and the dangers of power.
The final book of the Poppy War trilogy is one emotional gut-punch after the next. Having broken away from the Republic, Rin is building up forces of her own and she is willing to do anything and everything to win this war for herself and the people of Nikan.
Through all of this she struggles against the allure of the Phoenix and its power. If she gives herself over to it, she will become a goddess of war and retribution, but she will lose humanity in the process. At times it is only Kitay keeping her anchored. With the war against the Republic and Hesperians dragging on and the number of betrayals increasing, Rin's sanity is fraying and it seems only a matter of time before she is lost to the Phoenix.
Powerful and natural character development.
Strong world building.
Lots of action.
The Bad:
Skips around a bit, some telling rather than showing.
Little chance to relax between emotional highs and lows.
You'll Like This Book If:
You like Daenerys' story in A Song of Ice and Fire.
If you like morally gray characters.
Stories about the horrors of war and the dangers of power.
The final book of the Poppy War trilogy is one emotional gut-punch after the next. Having broken away from the Republic, Rin is building up forces of her own and she is willing to do anything and everything to win this war for herself and the people of Nikan.
Through all of this she struggles against the allure of the Phoenix and its power. If she gives herself over to it, she will become a goddess of war and retribution, but she will lose humanity in the process. At times it is only Kitay keeping her anchored. With the war against the Republic and Hesperians dragging on and the number of betrayals increasing, Rin's sanity is fraying and it seems only a matter of time before she is lost to the Phoenix.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
ireadinbed's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
I don't know if I have ever been filled with such a mix of love and hate for the ending of a series.
It's simply awful. But it cuts to the heart of things.
I honestly would rate this particular book in the series a 5 if it wasn't for the fact that I think the relationship between Rin and Nezha needed more exploration. She's such an unreliable narrator that I honestly felt like they barely knew each other and even with the end of the last book I found their opposition frustrating to try and understand.
But there's so much else. It can't be perfect but it's got an amazing arc. Easily the best of the trilogy. In every aspect. Absolutely amazing journey.
It's simply awful. But it cuts to the heart of things.
I honestly would rate this particular book in the series a 5 if it wasn't for the fact that I think the relationship between Rin and Nezha needed more exploration. She's such an unreliable narrator that I honestly felt like they barely knew each other and even with the end of the last book I found their opposition frustrating to try and understand.
But there's so much else. It can't be perfect but it's got an amazing arc. Easily the best of the trilogy. In every aspect. Absolutely amazing journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Slavery, Stalking, Torture, and Vomit
Minor: Abortion, Chronic illness, and Miscarriage
theonlyjete's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Amazing, poetic, the whole series is a must read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, and Blood
jessiewolf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is very good, but spoiler it is not very happy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Dementia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence
fraboo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am really sad right now, this was a masterpiece. This cut will always bleed, I'll never be whole again. But then, that's how I like it, isn't it?
I'll miss them, and I'll miss how much they've all grown; I'll miss what could have been, had things been different; but I've enjoyed the ride and they'll always hold a special place in my heart.
I'll miss them, and I'll miss how much they've all grown; I'll miss what could have been, had things been different; but I've enjoyed the ride and they'll always hold a special place in my heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well, I finally worked up the nerve to read what I knew was going to be a devastating wrap-up to a really amazing series. I ended up giving this one 4 ⭐s, and it took me a few days to write my review because I couldn't really quantify why that was. It came down to the fact that we got to the last 20 or so pages and there was still so much more to wrap up! And then the ending happened and I was like !!!!!! That was a choice that was made! 🥶😭☹️🙄🙈😖 I really feel like this one could have used a little bit more time to fully flesh out the ending. But then the thing that happened probably wouldn't have needed to happen soooooo? My bookstagram friend Traveling Cloak's review does a really stellar job of drilling down into a critical lens of this book, if you're interested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Grief, Gore, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Child death, Body horror, Blood, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Mental illness, Medical content, and Gun violence