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rinku's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Drug abuse, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Medical content, Abandonment, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Rape, Animal death, and Pregnancy
artsycupcake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Blood, Self harm, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Body horror
av0universe'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
4.0
This book surprised me in a good way. I really like the worldbuilding and Kiva as the main character is interesting, to say the least.
Tipp is the cutest character ever 🫶 and for the most part, I really liked the found family
Seriously, I can’t stop thinking about that ending. It blew my mind even though I guessed most of it. Amazing. The narrator is everything here.
I’m pretty sure I dreamed of this book today
Mother is dead.
I’m on my way to Vallenia.
It’s time to reclaim our kingdom.
Graphic: Vomit, Slavery, Blood, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical content, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Addiction, Rape, Sexism, and Torture
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Violence, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Torture
taryn_g'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
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Medical content, Death, Child death, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Police brutality
Minor: Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Animal cruelty
mspilesofpaper's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Utterly predictable (even for YA), has tons of questionable content for YA (rape, self-harm, abuse, drugs and overdosing, murder, torture etc).
Love interest and main character give me major Gary and Mary Sue vibes. Of course, they’re white and LI is the only one with a specific and rare eye colour. Blue/gold which gives me Maas' vibes (Aelin is described to have a similar eye colour, I think).
The logic of „if you’re a super dangerous criminal who might have magic, you’re forced to participate in this trial series that includes all four elements and if you survive, you can leave by law“ still baffles me. If you don’t have magic, you die. Spoiler: magic is super rare and belongs to the royals.
Irking extra: the maps are not ebook friendly. World-building is lacking as it is but the maps are also useless.
Graphic: Torture, Self harm, and Child death
Moderate: Rape, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty
chamaeleontis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The one nit-picky thing was a plot point I personally didn't like, which is why it's 4.75, rather than 5.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves fantasy but is sick of repetitive plots. There's a few common tropes, but they are well done, with unique takes. I'm really looking forward to the next book.
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual violence, Drug use, Terminal illness, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Blood, Ableism, Misogyny, Slavery, Medical content, and Sexism
siannas_second_library's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, and Torture
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Medical content
Minor: Animal cruelty and War
rayraytaylorr'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: Blood, Grief, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Self harm
Minor: Animal cruelty and Sexual harassment
astralbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Vomit
There is a brief scene where (CW drug abuse, sexual assualt, & accidental necrophilia)lennie_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
And after Jaren arrives, with the help of Naari & Tipp, they all start to break down Kiva's carefully constructed walls.
When the Rebel Queen is captured & taken to the prison - it is decided that she will have to complete 4 trials, each featuring a different element, & if she survives, she will be free. However, the Rebel Queen is on death's door when she arrives & in no state to complete anything, so Kiva volunteers to take her place under the understanding that if she completes the trials, both her & the Queen will be freed.
The trials get increasingly harder & Kiva's reliance on others becomes heavier, making her realise she isn't as much of an island as she would like to believe.
I loved the dark gritty surroundings of the prison & I feel that Noni paints a very vivid & realistic image of Zalindov prison, as well as the types of people who would be in there, innocent & guilty alike. Noni also portrays the brutality of the prisons guards & the cold calculating Warden especially well.
I loved the history of the royals, the magic systems & how that fed into the story. I was also fascinated by the descriptions of medicines & how Kiva has taught herself healing through trial & error following her father's death in the prison.
Some of the twists I saw coming but some of them left me absolutely gobsmacked. I need the sequel ASAP.
And I love Kiva, Jaren, Naari & Tipp so much!
CW: mentions of sexual assault, drug use, self harm, death
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and Rape
Mentions of Self Harming Character with prosthetic arm