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laurawho'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
4.0
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, and War
tranvnguyen'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? No
4.0
A song that will remind me that even when I feel lost, the birds still sing, the moon still waxes and wanes, and the season still cycle.
What beautiful commentary on grief and moving on, and hope in times where all seems lost. Rebecca Ross did such a wonderful job delivering such heart wrenching sorrow and suspense paired perfectly with lighthearted humor.
I absolutely adore Roman and Iris, but Attie and Tobias have my whole heart after this book.
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Vomit, and Grief
jkdollinger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
clothildev'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
aksmith92'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? No
4.0
The story opens with Iris back in Oath, reeling from recent battles and trying to save her brother, Forest. Meanwhile, Roman, now under the influence of the god Dacre, has lost his memories and unknowingly becomes a pawn in Dacre's plans.
Ross masterfully intertwines Iris's and Roman's journeys with a rich tapestry of dreams, enchanted typewriters, and clandestine letters, creating the same type of atmospheric novel as Divine Rivals. We watch as the divine war continues and how Roman and Iris's love evolves in unique and profound ways.
What I Liked: You are a lovely writer, Rebecca Ross. Ross's writing was beautifully atmospheric in this novel and made for such a pleasant experience. The poetic prose brought an added layer of beauty to the narrative. Additionally, my character development itch was scratched in this novel. I loved reading about Iris and Roman and plenty of the other characters, too. Their stories were beautiful, and I loved getting to know them even more. Lastly, love, memory, and resistance themes were skillfully woven throughout the book. Ross questions the nature of heroism and the cost of war, providing readers with more than just a fantasy adventure but a commentary on the human condition. This novel had a dark undertone but somehow intertwined hope and intimacy, making for a well-rounded emotional experience.
I also simply loved when Iris and Roman were intimate - Ross had a very subtle way of talking about them being together, but it was touching and beautiful nonetheless.
Why Not 5 Stars? This was a long book. While I loved Ross's prose, I must admit that the pacing was occasionally slow. Some parts dragged on a bit too long, and honestly, the typewriter scenes didn't hit as hard as the first book, although I still thoroughly enjoyed them. My biggest reasoning for not giving this five stars, though, was because the fantasy element of this novel - the divine war - just didn't make sense to me. Maybe we're not supposed to understand it, because Ross wanted to talk about the impacts of war, but the divine war truly felt like a throw-in to accompany the magical typewriters more than anything else.
Lastly, this novel was a bit YA, and the characters were actually very young, which sometimes cheapened the romance. That is more of me thing than anything else, so I didn't let it sway my rating or review too much.
Overall, Ross knows how to write a book!
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Medical content
justqueue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I wanted to love this book more, but the middle dragged on. Yet Rebecca wrote characters so lovely I had to finish to see their conclusion. Stepping back, the plot was great, there was just something missing compared to the first book. I’m still glad I read this sequel, and Iris will always hold my heart ❤️
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and War
Minor: Vomit, Stalking, and Alcohol
aileron'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? No
2.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Classism
mariahlynnpeck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, and War
plainromance's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
gpfot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail