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bonriki's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow, what an unexpected treat. I picked up this book a while ago as part of a charity fundraiser on r/Fantasy organized by a group of self-published authors and all I knew about it was that it had LGBT main characters. This is a gaslamp fantasy where twelve domains exist, each ruled by a different God. The gods can often be petty, cruel, and vindictive, demanding expensive tithes and killing mortals from their domain who have committed blasphemy. Mortals from each domain are unique and many seek refuge in a 13th world called Chime where they can live somewhat independently from their gods. Every domain has a theme and their mortals have powers related to those themes like the ability to control time and see a person’s past or the ability to see visions in dreams. The book revolves around a woman Kayl who is part of a resistance movement opposed to the tyranny of the gods and a warden Quentin who is charged with upholding Chimes laws and rooting out blasphemers to return to their gods for punishment.
This book packs a punch, the main theme of the book revolves around the dangers of religious extremism and how unjust it is to enforce one religion’s ideas of morality onto others who aren’t participants in that religion. It’s also got a lot to say about xenophobia and classism. Kayl is a fun character overall although she can be frustratingly naive and impulsive. Quen is a wonderfully nuanced character trying to be a decent person while employed in a thoroughly corrupt system. Fabulous book, highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Gaslighting, Trafficking, and Genocide
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Suicide attempt
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