Scan barcode
redthistle's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Trafficking, Torture, Sexism, Murder, Gun violence, Gore, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, and Slavery
2treads's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
– Industry destroys nature. Men conquer kingdoms, and civilizations fall to ruin –
Raughley writes an intriguing story with interesting and shady characters, skilfully written hints; devilishly engaging, selfish, and greedy players add a layer of mystery that keeps the reader immersed.
The supernatural elements that drive the plot are interesting and unique, the betrayals, bonds of friendship, and the familial drive that spurs our characters are relatable. The enigma surrounding our main character and the mysterious power that she holds kept me turning pages.
She is deliberate in writing an industrialized London, with the poor working conditions as well the colourful tapestry of peoples that made up the population. I especially like that she depicted how sometimes racialised individuals can absorb and use the racist terms that white colonialists ascribed to other racialised groups.
My biggest turnoff was the love rectangle/reverse harem relationship. I was not feeling it al all. It was unnecessary and added nothing to elevate the story. All it did was annoy me.
But that ending does have me intrigued.
Raughley writes an intriguing story with interesting and shady characters, skilfully written hints; devilishly engaging, selfish, and greedy players add a layer of mystery that keeps the reader immersed.
The supernatural elements that drive the plot are interesting and unique, the betrayals, bonds of friendship, and the familial drive that spurs our characters are relatable. The enigma surrounding our main character and the mysterious power that she holds kept me turning pages.
She is deliberate in writing an industrialized London, with the poor working conditions as well the colourful tapestry of peoples that made up the population. I especially like that she depicted how sometimes racialised individuals can absorb and use the racist terms that white colonialists ascribed to other racialised groups.
My biggest turnoff was the love rectangle/reverse harem relationship. I was not feeling it al all. It was unnecessary and added nothing to elevate the story. All it did was annoy me.
But that ending does have me intrigued.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Torture, and Death
jenny_librarian's review
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
4 days in of 3+ hours reading and I'm still not halfway through despite everything going on. Hell, the "tournament" hasn't even started yet.
It's a good idea, but there's just way too many characters and way too much worldbuilding that doesn't ultimately give us anything. It's all so complicated that you get lost in between what is historical and what's fantasy. And it just keeps building up. Every time you think you'll get an answer, it's just more questions popping up that left me unsatisfied as a reader. I wanted to keep going, but after reading other reviews it doesn't seem to get any better and I have too many books to read to spend another 4-5 days on this one.
This is prime example of why the first book in a series should NOT be 500+ pages...
4 days in of 3+ hours reading and I'm still not halfway through despite everything going on. Hell, the "tournament" hasn't even started yet.
It's a good idea, but there's just way too many characters and way too much worldbuilding that doesn't ultimately give us anything. It's all so complicated that you get lost in between what is historical and what's fantasy. And it just keeps building up. Every time you think you'll get an answer, it's just more questions popping up that left me unsatisfied as a reader. I wanted to keep going, but after reading other reviews it doesn't seem to get any better and I have too many books to read to spend another 4-5 days on this one.
This is prime example of why the first book in a series should NOT be 500+ pages...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Murder, Sexism, Torture, and Trafficking
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, and Slavery
More...