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chazholden's review against another edition
2.5
There was very little plot or development in this book. It was largely a sort of cringey explanation of the protagonists lust for Thorne. The same descriptions were repeated over and over and became boring and repetitive. I would’ve preferred the ‘romance’ to be a subplot and for the world and story of her powers to be explored more.
agieo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
mamaroe93011's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
everybody's review
2.0
Everyone is stupid but the smut is hot.
The early part of the book is surprisingly good. If you look beyond everything being heavily tainted by constant lust and smut, there are some actually interesting and complex characters. There is not only the pretense of moral ambiguity but truly nuanced greyscale. There even are some philosophical themes here that have enough depth to capture some of the actual complexity behind these questions.
A lot of the elements don't feel like shallow token building blocks but actually fleshed-out ideas.
Heavy topics like the horror of war and trauma are presented in a very visceral emotionally gripping and believable way. Some of it slightly misses the mark by being tainted by the typical ideas behind patriotic hero complex. But overall it's far beyond the average fantasy novel.
But then the plot has to somehow happen and the author has to get her characters to do stuff and all of it goes out the window. Prepare for the full collection of all the stupid and shallow clichées you find in any cheap fantasy romance. Character inconsistencies, plot holes, and repeated tstl to a ridiculous degree by multiple characters. The underlying fundamental conflicts are not bad, but the actual execution is just terrible.
(Do I even have to warn of a cliffhanger in an Armentrout book? Well, there you have it I guess.)
The early part of the book is surprisingly good. If you look beyond everything being heavily tainted by constant lust and smut, there are some actually interesting and complex characters. There is not only the pretense of moral ambiguity but truly nuanced greyscale. There even are some philosophical themes here that have enough depth to capture some of the actual complexity behind these questions.
A lot of the elements don't feel like shallow token building blocks but actually fleshed-out ideas.
Heavy topics like the horror of war and trauma are presented in a very visceral emotionally gripping and believable way. Some of it slightly misses the mark by being tainted by the typical ideas behind patriotic hero complex. But overall it's far beyond the average fantasy novel.
But then the plot has to somehow happen and the author has to get her characters to do stuff and all of it goes out the window. Prepare for the full collection of all the stupid and shallow clichées you find in any cheap fantasy romance. Character inconsistencies, plot holes, and repeated tstl to a ridiculous degree by multiple characters. The underlying fundamental conflicts are not bad, but the actual execution is just terrible.
(Do I even have to warn of a cliffhanger in an Armentrout book? Well, there you have it I guess.)
kystewart22's review
5.0
Really loved this read and cannot wait for the next book. The world building, character introductions and relationship build up were very well written. There is a lot of angst and tension in the relationships and it is all through the main characters - Lis POV. I loved Lis’ sense of humor and her strength.
takeitorleaveit_21's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
straybutterfly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Misogyny, Sexual content, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexism, Gore, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
caralawless's review
I realized this was part of a series, but it’s the only one currently out. It’s fine, but it didn’t hook me enough to commit to waiting for the next book. Maybe once the series is done I’ll pick it back up.
wildling96's review
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0