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snoopydoo77's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!*
3.5-4 ★
This was a good first book in a series (duology). To be honest, this book I cover-shopped. I saw the beautiful cover and had to read the book. Luckily I enjoyed the book.
I really enjoyed the world and work building and the story just as much.
As some have stated before it is quite brutal and has some graphic scene in there, so if you have a weak stomach skip it or just skim these parts.
The only thing for me that I didn’t like was, that parts of the book were slow, even in the beginning and it made it hard for me to connect to some characters.
I wasn’t sure if I would like Kammani or not in the beginning and she just comes over as annoying and jealous brat, but I ended up liking her for the most part.
Overall I enjoyed the book and I’m looking forward to the second book to see what is to come.
3.5-4 ★
charlenedotexe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
raesock's review against another edition
3.0
nicjmorrow's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Blood, Vomit, and Sexism
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
As far as the characters, I found many of them to be complex and layered. They seemed like "real" people. I have soft spots in my heart for Nasu and Nin Amira, and Dagan is one of the sweetest book boyfriends I've ever encountered. However, I had a couple gripes with the main ladies. I found Nanaea to be quite selfish (her motives are later revealed and understood, however), Ilanti to be far too abrasive and reckless, then passing it off as no big deal when it was a storyline that REALLY needed to be explored and not forgiven. As for Kammani... I'm a little torn. When she wasn't speaking, I found her thoughts to be compelling. But whenever she spoke, I found her to be cold and cruel and aggressive against her friends. I also was not a fan of how she treated Dagan, who adores her. Still, there is a chance for a great arc, and I hope her behaviour is rectified in the second book. Also, as with her sister, her motives stem from pain and inner turmoil, but it was too much for me.
Gripes aside, I truly did enjoy this story and world, and would love to see it continued. With its beautiful writing, this is a stellar debut that promises a fantastic career.
kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
flora96351's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
sabrimata'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
hiveretcafe's review against another edition
3.0
Gravemaidens is a book that is centred on ancient Sumerian history and belief and y'all, there is a bibliography my dudes!!!!! Of course this is historical fiction and it is simply inspired by the history and the characters of Gravemaidens take their own turn.
Ancient Sumerian history is not something i'm very familiar with and I'm sure not a lot of people are familiar with either and so while I was reading it, some of the terms with nobility had me confused for some time until I finally managed to interpret them.
There's a little bit of political intrigue in this as Kammani tries to figure out what's wrong with the Lugal (king) and rescue her sister from being sacrificed as one of the maidens to serve him in the afterlife. Admittedly, it wasn't as complex as I would have wanted but also I watch a lot of crime dramas so it might just be easier for me to predict things.
In any case, it was really refreshing to read a book that's inspired by ancient Sumer despite its predictability. I would definitely recommend this book to people like me, who are interested in ancient history in fiction novels, but are kind of tired of reading about ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.