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reddeddy'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Animal death, Confinement, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Dysphoria, Addiction, Medical content, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Bullying, Death of parent, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Colonisation, and Drug abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Body horror, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Suicide, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, Ableism, Excrement, and Toxic relationship
laurajeangrace'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Murder, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Vomit, and Confinement
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
poison_frogs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Vomit, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Not everything was a problem to be resolved in this story, which leaves a lot of scope for the future. Clearly, some things are left as origin story and will be threads that can be woven into upcoming chapters. I think the only thing that could seriously turn someone off a story like this is if you hate magic and dogs. I did find it hard to invest energy in the relationships that Fitz has with his dogs, because I could see them being used against me (he reader) to twist some kind of John Wick narrative. I do like that things were internally consistent, and that each character had their own knowledge and motivations.
I LOVE it when I am presented with a simple puzzle, with hints along the way. There are many little revelations that unfold through this story as it is one of espionage, power plays, and secrets.. but also of arcane knowledge, misunderstandings and true affection between people. The relationships carry the story and make it feel less clunky; less a war game and more like a conversation.
I'm looking forward to exploring the world building and the people we meet along the way.
Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Infidelity and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit, War, Animal cruelty, and Excrement
eileenp59'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
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Classism, Violence, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Bullying
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, Animal cruelty, Ableism, Misogyny, Grief, and Addiction
Minor: Body shaming, Vomit, Biphobia, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Stalking, Child death, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
maeverose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
Characters
‘The gender of the Fool has been disputed. When directly questioned on this matter by a younger and more forward person than I am now, the Fool replied that it was no one's business but his own.’ — You tell ‘em. (I say, as I’ve decided that he’s transmasc non binary..)
A Note
I was gonna include a whole rant about the never corrected ableism but decided I was being over dramatic so I’ll spare you. I just find it annoying that people only ever seem to care about ‘time period accuracy’ (being as this is clearly based on medieval times) when it allows them to treat their marginalized characters poorly. I know this was written 30 years ago but still. It irked me.
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Death, Animal death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Excrement, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Graphic: poisoning, telepathic mind rape, mental loss of self (becoming zombie-like), drowning, in one scene a dog is in a lot of pain and distress due to a bone stuck in its throat. Fitz removes it and the dog is fine, but the scene is very graphic. Moderate: self hatred, suicide baiting, eugenicsangstifies's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Death, Drug use, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Death of parent, Infertility, Misogyny, and Infidelity
kaziaroo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I found the first fifty or so pages of this book hard going, but once I got into it and stopped looking so hard for the plot, and Fitz grew older, I really enjoyed it. By the halfway point I was invested in the characters which made the "main" conflict all the more satisfying. But really the story is about Fitz's loneliness and desperation to find acceptance and an end to the loneliness that overshadows his whole life, as well as the varied characters he encounters along his journey. I'll definitely try and get hold of the sequels.
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Gaslighting, Animal death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, and Infidelity
Minor: Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, War, and Excrement
maggieslibrarycard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and am certainly looking forward to continuing the series. I liked how Fitz's role as an assassin isn't quite what I've seen from other fantasy assassins, he's trained to be a lot more political and subtle. The book definitely has some hard hitting themes about loneliness, trauma, and living with trauma and I am also intrigued by certain side characters, and I already really love Fitz, of course.
Major CW for animal deaths.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abandonment, and Grief
Moderate: War, Vomit, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Gore, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, Bullying, Blood, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction
adrinthesky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, and Vomit