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hearkenheretic's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Addiction, Child abuse, Sexism, Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Violence, Misogyny, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Genocide, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
pitchblackkoi's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Addiction, Body horror, Mental illness, and Torture
miggyfool'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Colonisation, Confinement, Drug abuse, Murder, Police brutality, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Slavery, and War
maggdalene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Emotional abuse, War, Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Sexism, and Domestic abuse
jjjreads'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
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Body shaming, Misogyny, Racism, Kidnapping, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Mental illness, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Confinement, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Death of parent, Gun violence, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
Minor: Cursing, Pedophilia, Rape, and Fatphobia
ramiel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Classism, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: Confinement, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Bullying, Death of parent, Racism, Body shaming, Classism, Sexual content, and Racial slurs
hayleyvem's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: War, Violence, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Classism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Colonisation, Genocide, and Rape
readingelli's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
I am really interested to see where the author will take the next book, especially as Zetian is extremely femmephobic and rejects female companionship. Is this a product of the setting? Is it a product of their complicated feelings about their own gender?
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Gore, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Medical content and Xenophobia
ellariawrites'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
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, War, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
adhdru'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
5.0
“You’ve been living a dream long enough!
Welcome to your nightmare.”
What this book is:
What this book isn’t:
With that out of the way, let’s us dive into... my review
“There will be no redemption. It is not me who is wrong. It's everyone else.”
"There's no such thing as karma," I say, enunciating every siyllable like I want to crush them with my teeth. "Or, if it dies exist, it sure does not give a shit about people like me. Some of us were born to be used and discarded. We can't afford to simply go along with the flow of life, because nothing in this world has been created, built, or set up in our favor."
"Humans...scourge of the universe..."
To Yizhi: “Don’t think I’ve overlooked that you came to my house and almost foiled my plan, despite knowing how important it is to me. If you tip off the army in even the slightest way, I will kill myself when they lock me up, and then I will haunt you.”
To Shimin: “Ripples of visible heat lift his long hair above his shoulders, exposing his neck, splashed with horrid scars. 'It’s all wrong.’
‘Can't you fix it?’
‘I don't know how.’
Anger roils through my stupor. This conversation is pointless.
Only one can live.
‘I can't fix anything,’ he goes on. ‘I only know how to destroy.’
‘Then die.’
I stomp forth and shove him over the edge.”
Screw jealousy
"Cheating is deception. He and I have talked about this. He's secure enough to know it's not a competition. That any feelings I have for you don't cancel the ones I have for him. He's okay with however close you and I get."
"No, don't worry. I don't consider my instincts logical. so I don't want to be defined by them."
Before the poly becomes canon he also explains why he doesn't mind Zetian (potentially) being with Shimin in such a wonderful way:
"Where does jealousy come from, if not an insecurity that I'll lose you because of him? But that's not how it works, no matter how many people believe it so. You're not something to be kept or taken, and love isn't some scarce resource to battle over. Love can be infinite, as much as your heart can open."
I'll wrap up this kilometric review with one of my favourite quotes cause it has some of my favourite things grey morality, defiance, a fuck you to gender roles and the hierarchy, and perhaps the most important of all: food.
“Perks of refusing to play by the rules: you don’t have to choose between the boy who’d torture a man to death with you and the boy who welcomes you back with pastries.”
Instagram: https://cutt.ly/druloveswords| Storygraph: https://cutt.ly/mystorygraph | Goodreads: https://cutt.ly/mygoodreads
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War
Moderate: Body shaming, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence