Scan barcode
abby_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Sexual harassment, War, and Trafficking
corabookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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? N/A
3.75
this book was good! it wasn’t at all close to what i was expecting, and i didn’t love it as much as i thought i would, but it was entertaining and intriguing enough that i’m excited for the sequel! i think my main problem was with the pacing of the book, the way it was written just didn’t allow me enough time to bond with the characters enough to care about them. however, i did like the friendships between them, and the found family was adorable. not to mention the plot, which was really good!! i loved the plot twists and the fight scenes, and the world building/magical creatures were super cool. overall, this book was a bit disappointing (my expectations were high) but still good. 👍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Racism, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Torture, Murder, Misogyny, and Confinement
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy
*a lot of this book talks about or contains descriptions of blood, so be careful!*sauvageloup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.25
A difficult book to rate because the start felt so different to the end
Pros:
- it really picked up by the end, I was fully gripped and just finished it now after hours of reading. The story and the action is definitely there, and really gets going.
- the worldbuilding and the fantasy were interesting and I appreciated the map in the front. I liked the side-characters too, Britta, Keita and the others, and whilst Deka didn't grab me, I did like her. The plot twists were such that I definitely didn't expect the reveal of White Hands being a Firstborn. I thought she was gonna turn out to be evil, working for the emperor .
- Ixu was very cute
Cons:
- Deka is very passive and seems to get pushed around by whoever is the first to tell her anything. She makes no steps to seek information for herself, but only when others are willing to tell her or allow her access (like to the heraldry). I thought she was a bit dim telling the other alaki all about her special abilities (she's pretty overpowered) from the off, but that worked out I guess. She also trusts White Hands way more than I thought she ought, considering the woman had some mysterious big plan and wouldn't tell Deka anything. I fully expected her to screw Deka over and was a bit underwhelmed when that didn't happen.
- the start felt very amateurishly written, with very typical YA tropes used in an unoriginal way, and way, way too much exposition. The author introduces far too many characters who barely have a role and there was way too much telling. Every other paragraph had several sentences just narrating about the world.
- I hear what Forna is trying to say about feminism but it didn't carry off for me. The comments on the real world were too heavy-handed
- the trauma throughout didn't feel realistically handled. There's moments of dwelling on it, but it felt shallow and didn't affect Deka nearly as much as could have been expected. The ongoing impact of trauma was much better shown in The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, imo.
- Deka's character also seems to change in the space between one chapter and the next. In the previous ones, she prays to Okoyo, she wants to be pure, she hates being a demon. And then suddenly she's having all these rebellious thoughts and calling all the other girls to face their natures. That character development felt totally rushed and provoked by nothing at all.
This one definitely improved and I don't know whether I'll check out no.2 when it's out or not. It felt like a book with a lot of potential, but it fell short, feeling too shallow and awkward to be really brilliant. There was also not really enough angst for me - a lot of torture and pain but very little of the actual struggling to deal and heal with it.
Pros:
- it really picked up by the end, I was fully gripped and just finished it now after hours of reading. The story and the action is definitely there, and really gets going.
- the worldbuilding and the fantasy were interesting and I appreciated the map in the front. I liked the side-characters too, Britta, Keita and the others, and whilst Deka didn't grab me, I did like her. The plot twists were such that I definitely didn't expect the reveal of
- Ixu was very cute
Cons:
- Deka is very passive and seems to get pushed around by whoever is the first to tell her anything. She makes no steps to seek information for herself, but only when others are willing to tell her or allow her access (like to the heraldry). I thought she was a bit dim telling the other alaki all about her special abilities (she's pretty overpowered) from the off, but that worked out I guess.
- the start felt very amateurishly written, with very typical YA tropes used in an unoriginal way, and way, way too much exposition. The author introduces far too many characters who barely have a role and there was way too much telling. Every other paragraph had several sentences just narrating about the world.
- I hear what Forna is trying to say about feminism but it didn't carry off for me. The comments on the real world were too heavy-handed
- the trauma throughout didn't feel realistically handled. There's moments of dwelling on it, but it felt shallow and didn't affect Deka nearly as much as could have been expected. The ongoing impact of trauma was much better shown in The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, imo.
- Deka's character also seems to change in the space between one chapter and the next. In the previous ones, she prays to Okoyo, she wants to be pure, she hates being a demon. And then suddenly she's having all these rebellious thoughts and calling all the other girls to face their natures. That character development felt totally rushed and provoked by nothing at all.
This one definitely improved and I don't know whether I'll check out no.2 when it's out or not. It felt like a book with a lot of potential, but it fell short, feeling too shallow and awkward to be really brilliant. There was also not really enough angst for me - a lot of torture and pain but very little of the actual struggling to deal and heal with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Violence, Genocide, Gore, War, Abandonment, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Confinement, and Sexual violence
poffalina's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
I found this book difficult to get through as I found the story to be slow and stilted. The character growth was confusing and felt unmotivated or arbitrary. I really liked the concept and the world; I was intrigued by that aspect of the story most.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Child abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Confinement, War, and Misogyny
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
estelagois's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Abandonment, Vomit, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Slavery
annescorner's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
edited review:
Though I really enjoyed it while reading (as you can tell from my original review), looking back at it there were some issues. The pacing was weird, being kinda slow at the beginning and getting too fast in the end. The characters were kind of flat/predictable and there were just too many to actually remember. And lastly, the ending... I kinda expected it, kinda was dumfounded at its unveiling, and it was all done and over it SO fast, it did not leave any impact. The positive things I said before still stand, but these things in retrospect made me drop my rating to 2.75 stars and I won't be continuing with the series because the premise of the follow-up makes me scream internally at how predictable und unreasonable it ist (obvious and stereotypically second book tropes) that I just don't want to read it anymore.
original review:
If I'm honest, this book truly surprised me. The premise was very unique and sounded good, but I was afraid that it may read too young or get too tropey. However, that was not the case. It was a bit infuriating at first how Deka thought, but it was the way she was taught all her life, so it made sense. She ended up being a strong young woman who fights for what she believes to be right.
I especially loved the friendship/found family aspect of this story. It is great to see all these girls find comfort and friendship in each other - and also the relationship between them and their urunis.
The lore/myth surrounding this fantasy is unlike anything I have read so far, so it was very engaging and well made. Of course, there were some points were it felt a bit rushed and not fleshed out enough, especially towards the end and the big revelation, but for a debut novel (!) this is really great.
I also really enjoyed the mix of different heritages/background/ethnicities in the novel. As a reader I was able to discern some characteristics of our own world in the different regions of Otera, but at the same time there where many differences. Another thing I really enjoyed was the feminist aspect of the story. It is very subtle and only really shows itself towards the end, but it shows the strengths of women, especially the strength they have when they bond.
And lastly, what I also wanted to say is, that for a YA fantasy, there was refreshingly little romance in this first book. I'm not saying there is not any, there is, but it is so interwoven into the storyline, which makes it play more of a supporting/side role, than something that leads the story. Because what leads it are the women, the girls, and the alaki.
*Beware of trigger warnings such as blood, death, harassment and more*
I'm really looking forward to the second book, The Merciless Ones!
Though I really enjoyed it while reading (as you can tell from my original review), looking back at it there were some issues. The pacing was weird, being kinda slow at the beginning and getting too fast in the end. The characters were kind of flat/predictable and there were just too many to actually remember. And lastly, the ending... I kinda expected it, kinda was dumfounded at its unveiling, and it was all done and over it SO fast, it did not leave any impact. The positive things I said before still stand, but these things in retrospect made me drop my rating to 2.75 stars and I won't be continuing with the series because the premise of the follow-up makes me scream internally at how predictable und unreasonable it ist (obvious and stereotypically second book tropes) that I just don't want to read it anymore.
original review:
If I'm honest, this book truly surprised me. The premise was very unique and sounded good, but I was afraid that it may read too young or get too tropey. However, that was not the case. It was a bit infuriating at first how Deka thought, but it was the way she was taught all her life, so it made sense. She ended up being a strong young woman who fights for what she believes to be right.
I especially loved the friendship/found family aspect of this story. It is great to see all these girls find comfort and friendship in each other - and also the relationship between them and their urunis.
The lore/myth surrounding this fantasy is unlike anything I have read so far, so it was very engaging and well made. Of course, there were some points were it felt a bit rushed and not fleshed out enough, especially towards the end and the big revelation, but for a debut novel (!) this is really great.
I also really enjoyed the mix of different heritages/background/ethnicities in the novel. As a reader I was able to discern some characteristics of our own world in the different regions of Otera, but at the same time there where many differences. Another thing I really enjoyed was the feminist aspect of the story. It is very subtle and only really shows itself towards the end, but it shows the strengths of women, especially the strength they have when they bond.
And lastly, what I also wanted to say is, that for a YA fantasy, there was refreshingly little romance in this first book. I'm not saying there is not any, there is, but it is so interwoven into the storyline, which makes it play more of a supporting/side role, than something that leads the story. Because what leads it are the women, the girls, and the alaki.
*Beware of trigger warnings such as blood, death, harassment and more*
I'm really looking forward to the second book, The Merciless Ones!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Murder, Torture, War, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment
n1ki_nobre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.75
Incredible! Incredible! Incredible! Loved this book so much. The only criticism would be the romance subplot which just fell short in comparison to other themes in this book. However, I still enjoyed it and it didn't take away from the overall book too much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Physical abuse, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
holee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.
But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.
Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.
SO beautifully descriptive; I almost cried a few times! The touch of romance had me TInGLiNg <3
I almost nearly cried when I was reading the authors message to the reader that resonated with me: "To all my teen readers, know that this is a world I've created for you. If you can't find yourself anywhere, find yourself here". All I wanna say is to thank the author Namina Forna for letting me escape to this world you created and CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL (published on 31/05/221!!)
Content Warnings (when I list the content warning next to how severe they are, I categorise them by how much the detail there is in and not by how necessary the warning is)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
When Belcalis pours her heart out to Deka about her traumatising past: "Father trusted his brother, loved him... It wasn't even a month before that 'good man' sold me to the brothel. And they offered me to the most...particular client. The ones who liked to hurt children - like to watch them scream."amcghig's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, War, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
deideo's review against another edition
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Torture, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Confinement