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what_karla_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
1/5 spice/Fade to black
Tropes:
Magical system
Forbidden magic
Found family
Revenge quest
Single POV
Cliffhanger
Loved the world building and intrigue. The magic system is so interesting but I could tell it was just scratching the surface. My heart broke and then was stitched back together but it's far from healing... I'm excited to see where the story goes. That plot twist had me gasping and running to get the next book ASAP
Trigger/Content warnings:
Death, torture, murder, violence, injury details
Graphic: Death, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
kirstenf'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
4.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Torture, Confinement, Blood, Hate crime, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Blood, Religious bigotry, War, Medical content, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual content
maple_dove's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
There are certainly some plot twists, but I did manage to see some of them from a mile away. :)
What separates this series from other YA fantasy is that the story of the MC's love interest precedes the book, the love interest is absent for most of the book, and that most of the book is not focused on romance.
Favorite Quotes:
It is difficult to protect anything when all you can do is hide. ⭐️
You are not a girl. You are vengeance in the night.
I submerge myself beneath the surface of the water again and hold my breath, knowing no matter where I am or what I do, I will never escape the heat of flames and the taste of ash. But I no longer want to escape. I want to wield that fire and watch this place burn.
Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Murder, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Grief, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Blood, and Death
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent
Verbal abuse (graphic)bubbly_lara'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: War, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Murder, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Murder, Classism, Torture, Violence, Vomit, War, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Medical trauma
Minor: War, Sexual content, Blood, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Child death, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Colonisation, Medical content, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury
queer_bookwyrm'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
"You are not a girl. You are vengeance in the night."
Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova is book one is the Hollow Crown duology. We get a great magic system, an unreliable narrator, a South American inspired world, and some unexpected twists!
We follow Renata Convida, a Robari (memory thief) with the Moria, a rebel group of magic users who are being exterminated and oppressed by the King of Puerto Leones. The king has utilized religion to spread fear of the Moria among the people.
Renata was once kidnapped by the Arm of Justice and forced to use her memory stealing powers against people like her when she was only a child. She now has to grapple with the guilt and memories of those she turned into Hollows (when she removes all memories and thoughts, but the body still lives). When she accidentally steals a memory from the boy she loves that makes his escape possible, he dies and Renata makes it her mission to finish what he started.
We get some great court intrigue, though I could have done with a bit more world building. I want to know more about both of the religions talked about. Leo is my favorite, and I love that this is a queer normative world. Since Renata is an unreliable narrator since she doesn't have access to her memories from the palace, she finds things aren't what they seem and people aren't either. She also grapples with the fact that bad people can do kind things. Córdova explores the complicated and conflicting emotions of having to face your abuser/oppressor again and the feeling anger and love or comfort at the same time.
The one theme I loved the most in this was the idea that you get to choose who you want to be instead of just being what everyone tells you you are. I loved the magic system in this! Along with Robári that can steal memories we also have Persuári, who can manipulate emotions, and Illusionári, who can create illusions, and Ventári, who can read minds. Certain metals can act as amplifiers to their respective powers: gold for Illusionári, silver for Ventári, copper for Pursuári, and platinum for Robári.
We get a major twists at the end, one of which I predicted, the other I did not. Definitely excited for Illusionary!
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse and Blood
h_reads98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, War, and Suicide
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Trafficking
clarabooksit's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Sexual content
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CWs: Blood, child abuse, colonisation, death, death of parent, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, grief, injury/injury detail, murder, kidnapping, violence, xenophobia. Moderate: sexual content, torture.
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Kidnapping, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content and Torture
mo345's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Torture, and Toxic relationship
amandasharabooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Medical content, Murder, and Vomit