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daisyandherbooks's review
- 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
4.0
Jebi a painter, finds themselves jobless and has to turn to their people’s enemy - the Razanei - who occupied their country, for work. Jebi works for the government by painting mystical sigils on the automaton soldiers masks which animate them. Jebi also has to help fix the dragon automaton Arazi for the leaders. But Jebi uncovers the horror of what the Razeni government has done, and plans to help the dragon - a pacifist - to escape.
What I liked:
✨Jebi is non binary
✨ There is a queer romance
✨World was super interesting
✨Arazi the talking dragon was my FAVE!!
✨The integration of art, war, rebellion and politics merged into one made the plot really interesting and you wanted to know what happened next.
✨Set up nicely for the next book in the series
✨Poetic writing style
What I disliked:
✨At the beginning there was lots of world building, and so it confused me at first - but is the same with any epic fantasy book (especially the first in the series)
✨Lots of characters were introduced at once, and was difficult to keep track of them.
Overall I’m really excited to see what happens in the next book! This story was really interesting and I’d reccomend to anyone who likes Leigh bardugo or books about technology, with a hint of rebellion on the side!
Moderate: Blood, Death, Murder, Violence, and War
foreverinastory's review
- 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
Rep: Nonbinary queer BIPOC MC (asian coded), biracial queer love interest, bisexual female side character, BIPOC cast of characters, queer-normative world.
CWs: Blood, confinement (to rooms/cell), death, murder, sexual content, torture, violence, grief, xenophobia.
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Xenophobia
madarauchiha's review
- 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
I loved this book so fucking much!! I'm trying not to spoil it here. I loved everyone's characterization in this. I had been a little tired of dystopias and civil wars and rebelling against semi faceless governments. This plot was tweaked enough that it was refreshing and interesting to engage with. At times the plot felt a little convenient but not enough to be irritating.
content warnings:
medium NSFW scenarios, gore, murder, violence, emetophobia / vomit, massacre, mass murder, genocide, ethnic cleansing,
major: colonization, wars, imprisonment, imprisonment, heights, outer space, poison, manipulation, emotional abuse, violence, torture, gore, violence, spiders?,
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Violence, Torture, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Genocide
benediction's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Torture
puttingwingsonwords'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: Death, Grief, Confinement, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
thiscubed'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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Murder and Sexual content