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mandi7mm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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: Blood, Violence, Death, and Murder
Minor: War
avialia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is nr two of a series where I priviusly really liked the first one. Desided to read nr two.
In this book, Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who--and what--he’s become.
it was a difficult time sorting threw what I felt with this book.
At times it just felt too much made ut. The rituals getting insain and just it made no sence. There was small hints of tesion between caracthers I did enjoy but in general it was just a huge no to me.
2/5
In this book, Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who--and what--he’s become.
it was a difficult time sorting threw what I felt with this book.
At times it just felt too much made ut. The rituals getting insain and just it made no sence. There was small hints of tesion between caracthers I did enjoy but in general it was just a huge no to me.
2/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
instalovewithbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Fuck, I loved this book.
I knew this book was going to hurt me but I didn't realize how much and I didn't know exactly where it was going to go. I plan to read a book or two and then jump into Blessed Monsters.
So, so good.
I knew this book was going to hurt me but I didn't realize how much and I didn't know exactly where it was going to go. I plan to read a book or two and then jump into Blessed Monsters.
So, so good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Gore, Blood, and Mental illness
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Grief
vagorsol's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I still don’t care about Nadya and Malachiasz and their relationship.
The plot dragged immensely and character motivations felt incomprehensible to me. The only reason I’m even going to finish the third book is because I want to discuss it with a friend whose already finished the trilogy. Am I going to regret doing so? Probably.
The plot dragged immensely and character motivations felt incomprehensible to me. The only reason I’m even going to finish the third book is because I want to discuss it with a friend whose already finished the trilogy. Am I going to regret doing so? Probably.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Alcohol and Self harm
Eye Horror/Gore in the last few chapterska_ke's review
On today’s episode of books that did not deserve or need to be a trilogy… Wicked Saints was great, it was unique, fresh and exciting. Ruthless gods is not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Slavery, Classism, Colonisation, Grief, and Xenophobia
zoevjester's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
Plot threads started to fall, more appearing from nowhere. The themes became obvious and poor grammar mistakes throughout.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Antisemitism, and Self harm
geoblockreads's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This is a very difficult book to review, because I can't tell whether or not I liked it.
I rated the first one pretty generously, because I know the first book in a series can be a little clunky, but i'm not feeling as forgiving with this one. It had the same issues as the first, and I'd hoped they would be limited to the first book.
The things I liked about it: I think the characters are endearing, the world is clearly fleshed out, and you can definitely feel the enthusiasm and love the author has for these characters and the world. There's a lot of interesting discussion around theology and mythology and stuff. It's cool. And the author really sells the vibe of the whole world and the tone. On that front, it's well done. The scene in the forest and on the mountain were cool. This author handles spooky stuff well, and is good at building an eldritch-y atmosphere. And, like I said, character relationships are interesting, their conversations have good flow and feel natural and real. I also think Malachiacsz's internal battle and physical descriptions are cool.
The stuff I don't like: this book feels like the first book written a little differently. The plot is essentially the same, and the stakes are a little higher. They're travelling to the other end of the country, to undertake something essential to stop the war. Same as the first one. There's a big betrayal - same as the first one. And because of this, the internal monologue of the story is exactly the same. Word for word, could've been copy pasted from the first book. In fact, it felt like sections of this book were copied from itself. I feel like I read the same lines over and over again, with no significant change or movement. For example, Nadya's power. There's this big question mark around where it comes from, if it is hurting her. There's speculation all through the book. Oh, it's her power. From where? From her. But maybe somewhere else? No, from her. It's this constant back and forth that changes from a simple question, into this long winded monologue about the origin of gods and other powers etc. And it doesn't feel like the original question ever gets answered, and we don't get a satisfactory understanding of what is happening. I think the author has been very ambitious with the themes she has attempted to tackle, but it's been made so convoluted for the sake of mystery. It seems like she's trying to use confusion to trick the audience into thinking its deeper than it actually is.
Because Duncan is trying so hard to sell us a 'vibe' sometimes it feels like random words are just being slung together and they aren't really saying anything. It just sounds existential and spooky, not actually substantative.
It also feels like nothing really happened in terms of character development, it was the same internal monologues repeated through and through. Relationships didn't really change, characters didn't learn anything new. You could argue the other way, but I feel like the characters end the book in the same emotional place they started it. They didn't really learn anything? They just had things happen to them.
And I feel like because the author is trying so hard to create an atmosphere, the details get lost. If you're breezing through it, it's easy to follow. But if you're reading it closely, its a pretty blurry and confusing read. I'm not sure how to phrase it, but if you've read it, you might know what I mean. Also I'm sick of reading about blood. I think every character has bled out of every orifice by now.
But the betrayals! Oh my god! I'm so sick of characters betraying each other! It creates such faux tension, and it's exactly what happened in the first book! She betrays him, but oh no, he's actually betraying her, and now the third guy has come in to betray someone as well, jfc. I'm sick of reading the word 'betrayal'.
But genuinely, I did enjoy parts of this book. But the author got so hung up on the atmosphere of the story they lost sight of the story itself.
I rated the first one pretty generously, because I know the first book in a series can be a little clunky, but i'm not feeling as forgiving with this one. It had the same issues as the first, and I'd hoped they would be limited to the first book.
The things I liked about it: I think the characters are endearing, the world is clearly fleshed out, and you can definitely feel the enthusiasm and love the author has for these characters and the world. There's a lot of interesting discussion around theology and mythology and stuff. It's cool. And the author really sells the vibe of the whole world and the tone. On that front, it's well done. The scene in the forest and on the mountain were cool. This author handles spooky stuff well, and is good at building an eldritch-y atmosphere. And, like I said, character relationships are interesting, their conversations have good flow and feel natural and real. I also think Malachiacsz's internal battle and physical descriptions are cool.
The stuff I don't like: this book feels like the first book written a little differently. The plot is essentially the same, and the stakes are a little higher. They're travelling to the other end of the country, to undertake something essential to stop the war. Same as the first one. There's a big betrayal - same as the first one. And because of this, the internal monologue of the story is exactly the same. Word for word, could've been copy pasted from the first book. In fact, it felt like sections of this book were copied from itself. I feel like I read the same lines over and over again, with no significant change or movement. For example, Nadya's power. There's this big question mark around where it comes from, if it is hurting her. There's speculation all through the book. Oh, it's her power. From where? From her. But maybe somewhere else? No, from her. It's this constant back and forth that changes from a simple question, into this long winded monologue about the origin of gods and other powers etc. And it doesn't feel like the original question ever gets answered, and we don't get a satisfactory understanding of what is happening. I think the author has been very ambitious with the themes she has attempted to tackle, but it's been made so convoluted for the sake of mystery. It seems like she's trying to use confusion to trick the audience into thinking its deeper than it actually is.
Because Duncan is trying so hard to sell us a 'vibe' sometimes it feels like random words are just being slung together and they aren't really saying anything. It just sounds existential and spooky, not actually substantative.
It also feels like nothing really happened in terms of character development, it was the same internal monologues repeated through and through. Relationships didn't really change, characters didn't learn anything new. You could argue the other way, but I feel like the characters end the book in the same emotional place they started it. They didn't really learn anything? They just had things happen to them.
And I feel like because the author is trying so hard to create an atmosphere, the details get lost. If you're breezing through it, it's easy to follow. But if you're reading it closely, its a pretty blurry and confusing read. I'm not sure how to phrase it, but if you've read it, you might know what I mean. Also I'm sick of reading about blood. I think every character has bled out of every orifice by now.
But the betrayals! Oh my god! I'm so sick of characters betraying each other! It creates such faux tension, and it's exactly what happened in the first book! She betrays him, but oh no, he's actually betraying her, and now the third guy has come in to betray someone as well, jfc. I'm sick of reading the word 'betrayal'.
But genuinely, I did enjoy parts of this book. But the author got so hung up on the atmosphere of the story they lost sight of the story itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
midnightrose_reads's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
lillianreadsalot's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Torture, Self harm, Murder, and Gore
probablyelissa's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I no longer support this author. I started reading this book before their racism came to light. This book includes blood magic and think vieled antisemetism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Violence
Moderate: Blood