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zoda_pop's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
- 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
One of the most phenomenal fantasy books I've read. Perfect for fans of The Jasmine Throne!
This book is extremely dark, gritty, and compelling. A lush fantasy world set in an oppressive society, with a divulgence into class, family, addiction, grief, systemic oppression, and so much more.
The main characters journey is one filled with extremely dark nights and despair, but transforms into one of hope and utter resilience. From the personal growth, relationships with others, and the stand for justice; this story highlights the power of recovery, support systems, and belief in oneself.
The main character was born into the highest class of citizens but was switched at birth and raised in poverty and oppression by that class. In an effort to reach a position of power as was her predecessor's goal, she must battle her own inner demons, make alliances, and set out on her predestined journey in an unexpected way.
This book was original from the very beginning. There were intriguing representations of disability, gender, and sexuality that were thought-provoking; especially as a disabled queer person myself. The characterizations and representation were just one part of many that made this story so gripping. Every voice was unique, every motivation made sense by the end, and every relationship was incredibly well-crafted. The care woven into this story all the way from the lore, setting, and magic is abundantly clear and these pages are spilling with passion.
I can't recommend this book enough. It's insightful and extremely gritty while also being fun, funny, and loving at parts. The heroine went from being pretty unlikable to one of my favorite characters in the span of this book and it was extremely entertaining to read. I can't wait to see what is next for Saara El-Arifi!
This book is extremely dark, gritty, and compelling. A lush fantasy world set in an oppressive society, with a divulgence into class, family, addiction, grief, systemic oppression, and so much more.
The main characters journey is one filled with extremely dark nights and despair, but transforms into one of hope and utter resilience. From the personal growth, relationships with others, and the stand for justice; this story highlights the power of recovery, support systems, and belief in oneself.
The main character was born into the highest class of citizens but was switched at birth and raised in poverty and oppression by that class. In an effort to reach a position of power as was her predecessor's goal, she must battle her own inner demons, make alliances, and set out on her predestined journey in an unexpected way.
This book was original from the very beginning. There were intriguing representations of disability, gender, and sexuality that were thought-provoking; especially as a disabled queer person myself. The characterizations and representation were just one part of many that made this story so gripping. Every voice was unique, every motivation made sense by the end, and every relationship was incredibly well-crafted. The care woven into this story all the way from the lore, setting, and magic is abundantly clear and these pages are spilling with passion.
I can't recommend this book enough. It's insightful and extremely gritty while also being fun, funny, and loving at parts. The heroine went from being pretty unlikable to one of my favorite characters in the span of this book and it was extremely entertaining to read. I can't wait to see what is next for Saara El-Arifi!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Slavery, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Classism, and Torture
Moderate: Alcohol and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent
jashanac's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
**I received a free e-book copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I started the book and I immediately felt like I could see this world. And I immediately appreciated that we were following Sylah, one of the main characters, who has a drug addiction. In the first bit of the book, Sylah's entire existence is focused on getting more of the drug she is addicted to.
However, for the first bit of the book, I was considering dnf-ing. But I already dnf-ed a different anticipated release from NetGalley and I really didn't want to do that again. So I told myself I'd give it to 50%. Around 30%, it started to pick up for me, and then by 40-50% I was pretty much hooked.
These characters are flawed and their relationships with each other become complicated, but I became SO invested in them. They felt so incredibly well-fleshed-out. They felt like real people! And I love that the romance was complex and didn't necessarily end up in a neat & tidy way. Also... without spoiling anything I'll just say that there was a bit of a love triangle situation happening that genuinely made sense and worked well (in my opinion, obviously)... ?!?!?!
AND -- one of my most haaaated tropes is The Big Lie. This book used that but once again, in a way that made sense to me and literally not for one second did it frustrate me or annoy me. TRULY SHOCKING.
And this world is so interesting and complex and MYSTERIOUS! THAT ENDING?!?!?!?! HELLO?!?!?!?!
I just think this is one of the most solid debuts I have read in a good long while, and I can't wait for the rest of the series... !
THEMES I SAW: Caste system. Oppression (& suppression) of a group of people. Lost/hidden true history of an empire. Long competition (over a couple of months) to determine new leadership (upper caste). Lack of education used as a tool to keep people down. Colonization. Attempted genocide of indigenous population.
I started the book and I immediately felt like I could see this world. And I immediately appreciated that we were following Sylah, one of the main characters, who has a drug addiction. In the first bit of the book, Sylah's entire existence is focused on getting more of the drug she is addicted to.
However, for the first bit of the book, I was considering dnf-ing. But I already dnf-ed a different anticipated release from NetGalley and I really didn't want to do that again. So I told myself I'd give it to 50%. Around 30%, it started to pick up for me, and then by 40-50% I was pretty much hooked.
These characters are flawed and their relationships with each other become complicated, but I became SO invested in them. They felt so incredibly well-fleshed-out. They felt like real people! And I love that the romance was complex and didn't necessarily end up in a neat & tidy way. Also... without spoiling anything I'll just say that there was a bit of a love triangle situation happening that genuinely made sense and worked well (in my opinion, obviously)... ?!?!?!
AND -- one of my most haaaated tropes is The Big Lie. This book used that but once again, in a way that made sense to me and literally not for one second did it frustrate me or annoy me. TRULY SHOCKING.
And this world is so interesting and complex and MYSTERIOUS! THAT ENDING?!?!?!?! HELLO?!?!?!?!
I just think this is one of the most solid debuts I have read in a good long while, and I can't wait for the rest of the series... !
THEMES I SAW: Caste system. Oppression (& suppression) of a group of people. Lost/hidden true history of an empire. Long competition (over a couple of months) to determine new leadership (upper caste). Lack of education used as a tool to keep people down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Classism, Blood, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, and Torture
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Child abuse
Minor: Child death
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