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ctara2123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, War, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content and Genocide
Minor: Toxic relationship
linnybear'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
2.0
Talking about the storyline, it is so predictable almost from the start and the clues are constantly given away by the author in a form of prophecies. No matter the situation the stakes felt very low making it unengaging and instead we are forced to focus on characters’ internal struggles and romantic affairs, yet… This book has possibly the worst developed (or rather undeveloped) relationships I’ve ever encountered which is somewhat connected to incredibly flat, almost robotic characters. There is no logic in their actions, there is no thought (given their ages and previous positions in the elven society it’s absolutely bizarre), there is no depth, or growth, or complexity. Instead we are left with lots of angst, lust and cringy dialogue. Possibly the biggest red flag in all of this was the normalization of dishonesty, infidelity and abuse making some, if not all, relationships (including those between family members) really toxic as these issues are never properly addressed and resolved.
The only positive aspect of this series so far would be the world building. Don’t get me wrong, it is still severely lacking but I found some of the ideas (like the existence of three races made by three different gods or the fae curse) really interesting and worth expanding. I wish it was enough for me to read the book two once it’s out but I don’t think it’s truly worth my time.
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Animal death, Racism, War, Murder, and Genocide
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
anarmandameg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Deportation, Mental illness, Child abuse, Dementia, Murder, Violence, War, Confinement, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
thegoddessamongyou'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
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Rape
karly_ackley'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, and War
mo_elcius's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Below are some of the thoughts I had while reading it.
The Map:
I love me a read with some visuals. At the beginning of the book, there is a map of the land the Elven tribes reside on. There is so much detail to the surrounding border of the map. The border of the map alone had me hooked because there were so many symbols and I wanted to know more about their significance.
The Lore:
The Story of the Wheat, the Bat, and the Water.
In the beginning, there were three Gods... El-Arifi created a genesis story for the world of Feabound and it was really interesting. They gave me, "Mind, Body, and Soul". There is much emphasis in this story about the importance of knowing your history, your lineage, and that we are all connected in some way.
The Sisters:
Yeeran and Lettle remind me so much of my sisters and me. They are fiercely protective of each other and often get on each other's nerves. The sisters have different paths in response to the conflict taking place. To me, they often don't see the other side of things. They can't see themselves in the other's shoes, so to speak. Each believes their way can bring about the peace, abundance, and security their tribe needs. I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops because there is much healing and understanding needed in their relationship.
The Conflict:
It's tragic how the conflict in the book has ruined so many lives. The resources they are fighting over can help so many of the Elven, including those not of the Waning Tribe. The first few chapters shed such a grime, but realistic light, on the ravages a war can have on children and the echos it leaves for those in the future.
The Obeah:
Can we get a larger picture? I'd like to confirm my mental image of them. I love the personality of one of the main Obeahs.
The Fea and their World:
The synopsis stated that they would be seductive... I didn't get that vibe, but it wasn't a bad thing. I appreciate that the Fae, and Elven peoples, are so diverse in their coloring, and characteristics and judgment-free in how they decide to present themselves. The relationships that developed were unexpected, but sweet and smoldering. I wanna read more! At the same time though, there is a particular relationship that I hope doesn't end in heartbreak.
Overall, great read. This is my third five-star read for the year of 2024. Ms. El-Arifi, I'm looking forward to more!
Check out my Booktube promo of the book: https://youtu.be/zXfZbt-5z3A
Moderate: Death, Grief, and War
tetrootz'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? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Suicide, Blood, War, Body horror, Animal death, Stalking, Medical trauma, Gore, Death of parent, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Cursing, Confinement, Torture, Slavery, Death, and Alcohol
fairyollie'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
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Dementia, and Grief
the_lesbrarian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, and War
Moderate: Grief and Death
Minor: Alcohol
bibliomich'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? It's complicated
4.0
What I appreciated:
- Diverse character representation
- The setting of Mosima; I could truly picture the landscape, and the underground world that El-Arifi imagined was so vibrant and beautifully described.
- The relationships between the characters, especially the complicated sister relationship between Yeeran & Lettle
- The different systems of magic
What would have made this book even better:
- The end of the novel felt a little rushed to me. I appreciate that this was structured to be the first in a series, and I was completely okay with the loose ends and questions that we were left with at the end of the book. But I still felt like so many hugely significant events happened in a very short period of time, and we don't really get to see the characters process these events.
- I would have loved to have seen the obeah play a more prominent role in the book. I don't want to say much more, as I don't want to provide any spoilers, but I will just say that this was one particular area where I was really hoping for *more*.
I'm very much looking forward to the next installment in the series. Thank you to NetGalley for my digital ARC.
Graphic: Murder, War, Classism, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Dementia and Sexual content