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_rowantree_'s review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I absolutely loved the first book in this series - I found the characters nuanced and engaging and the world refreshing. I still enjoyed the world in this third instalment but everything else is becoming a cliche love triangle romance series. I’m still holding out that the next two books might realise the initial potential but I’m no longer expecting it to.
My main annoyance with this book was what has happened with the characters.
Kamran is the worst example of this. He felt conflicted and surprisingly relatable in the first book but now he feels annoying and shallow. He seems minimally impacted by most of the events and revelations at the end of the first book, which are only a few days ago at the start of this book. I feel like the book is pretending he never cared about Alizeh and trying too hard to set him up with Huda, rather than giving their romantic interaction a convincing ending.
Regarding Huda, I also liked her in the first book but I feel like she now exists only to deliver exposition and antagonise Kamran.
I do still like Alizeh but I worry she is becoming the romantasy heroine who is too powerful and everyone is in love with.
Cyrus is the character I feel most uncomfortable about. The series is setting him up as the mysterious romantic hero, without ever really addressing the fact that he violently kidnapped the main character. We’re supposed to find it romantic that he dreams of her and thinks about her so much, but he doesn’t actually know her. Their relationship feels closer to stalking than romance. The story tries to get around it with some sort of unexplained magical attraction but simultaneously pretends she didn’t previously have that sort of magical attraction to someone else.
I had expected more from this book than unconvincingly delivered genre cliches.
My main annoyance with this book was what has happened with the characters.
Kamran is the worst example of this. He felt conflicted and surprisingly relatable in the first book but now he feels annoying and shallow. He seems minimally impacted by most of the events and revelations at the end of the first book, which are only a few days ago at the start of this book. I feel like the book is pretending he never cared about Alizeh and trying too hard to set him up with Huda, rather than giving their romantic interaction a convincing ending.
Regarding Huda, I also liked her in the first book but I feel like she now exists only to deliver exposition and antagonise Kamran.
I do still like Alizeh but I worry she is becoming the romantasy heroine who is too powerful and everyone is in love with.
Cyrus is the character I feel most uncomfortable about. The series is setting him up as the mysterious romantic hero, without ever really addressing the fact that he violently kidnapped the main character. We’re supposed to find it romantic that he dreams of her and thinks about her so much, but he doesn’t actually know her. Their relationship feels closer to stalking than romance. The story tries to get around it with some sort of unexplained magical attraction but simultaneously pretends she didn’t previously have that sort of magical attraction to someone else.
I had expected more from this book than unconvincingly delivered genre cliches.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment
readingelli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
manaledi's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I think this was my favorite of the books so far. I have a soft spot for tragically misunderstood MMCs and the band of misfits is quite entertaining. I do feel like alizeh is too perfect sometimes but what's a fantasy world without a Cinderella princess. Other nitpick is just how much plot resolves around misunderstanding and miscommunication and bad assumptions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Sexual content
kassidyreads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Blood, and Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death of parent
lenilinnea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found myself jumping between feeling extreme ich and swoon over the mail characters thoughts and description of eachother. I listened to some of it on audiobook so maybe the narrator affected it a little. Miss Huds creates a comedic relief and her quarrels with Kamran are entertaining.
The world is also very interesting!
SPOILERS:
I don’t really find the whole reasoning for why the blood pact absolutely HAD to be done plausible as it seems like Alizeh did kind of trust him enough to a point where it was not neccessary to go through with it other than for the drama of it.
Was interesting to learn more or Cyrus background and time at the diviners.
The world is also very interesting!
SPOILERS:
I don’t really find the whole reasoning for why the blood pact absolutely HAD to be done plausible as it seems like Alizeh did kind of trust him enough to a point where it was not neccessary to go through with it other than for the drama of it.
Was interesting to learn more or Cyrus background and time at the diviners.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Honestly? I am *SICK* after what Tahereh Mafi did to me with this book! 🥵🤭😫
Cyrus is such a daddy & Tahereh continues to mother me by making me an absolute sucker for Cyrus’ angst & pining?!?! Alizeh is really torn between her feelings for Cyrus & what she feels she needs to do for her people as the Djinn queen. However, I am here for her just giving into those desires honey bun!
Anyway, this review sucks & has zero substance but that’s because all I can think about is how much of a slut Cyrus is for Alizeh & much like him, I can’t focus on anything else! It’s taken up so much real estate in my mind! THAT DREAM SEQUENCE?! SHOOK ME TO MY CORE!
Anyway, I cannot believe Tahereh did this to *me* (because everything is about me, duh) & that I now have to wait for book four 🫠
Honestly? I am *SICK* after what Tahereh Mafi did to me with this book! 🥵🤭😫
Cyrus is such a daddy & Tahereh continues to mother me by making me an absolute sucker for Cyrus’ angst & pining?!?! Alizeh is really torn between her feelings for Cyrus & what she feels she needs to do for her people as the Djinn queen. However, I am here for her just giving into those desires honey bun!
Anyway, this review sucks & has zero substance but that’s because all I can think about is how much of a slut Cyrus is for Alizeh & much like him, I can’t focus on anything else! It’s taken up so much real estate in my mind! THAT DREAM SEQUENCE?! SHOOK ME TO MY CORE!
Anyway, I cannot believe Tahereh did this to *me* (because everything is about me, duh) & that I now have to wait for book four 🫠
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: War
soniajoy98's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Body horror, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, and Xenophobia
Minor: Colonisation, Classism, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, and War
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