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musebeliever's review against another edition
1.0
I really liked the idea of the two protagonists being swapped at birth and was curious about how it would play out in their lives. However, I was not at all on board with the magic system relying on a biological element. This has big chosen one and essentialism vibes, which I just could not deal with.
I also struggled with the writing style and the characterisation. The fact that we are privy to every single thought created, in my opinion, very unidimensional characters. Despite this shower of information, some of Sylah's actions just do not make sense to me, and too much of the plot relies on Sylah's poor choice or negligence. I can understand this happening once or twice, but how am I to believe that we are in the presence of the person who will overthrow an empire. This did not work for me.
I found everything very bleak, which makes sense for a dystopia, but also extremely heavy-handed. This read like YA to me, which is not my favourite writing style. The clues as to where the plot is going are underlined and surrounded by blinking lights.
I was also taken aback by the inconsistence in tone. There is a moment in the book when Sylah reminisces her tragic past while she watches the new tyrants of the Empire being chosen. She looks at one of them and thinks, "68 never looked so good." This sounded taken out of a gossip instagram reel commenting the Met gala. It felt really out of place. There were many moments like this when I was thrown off by sudden tone changes that did not match the atmosphere of a chapter. It feels like the book has not been edited.
Finally, fatphobia and foodshaming are frankly painful to read and so unnecessary. Sylah calls Anoor the lump, foodshames her, finds her dresses ridiculous because they are big. She seems to justify her fatphobia because she thinks that Anoor is fat because she is rich and privileged. This does not seem to be coherent as Anoor is mocked by her peers. The author also depicts her as a bit silly. Someone who chooses her seat in a room to have a better view on the dishes that are being served. We are clearly supposed to find that funny. Let's be serious one minute.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Body horror, Gore, Bullying, Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Murder, Slavery, Fatphobia, Genocide, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Torture, Blood, Hate crime, and Violence
chrisb913'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
I absolutely loved this book. At first, it was a bit slow-paced as there are some major themes that just throw you right into the mix (including drug abuse, graphic scenes of torture, elitism/caste system) that can really take you a minute to catch your bearings. On top of this, the author slowly builds out the world and magic system as the story progresses so it took me a minute to find a good rhythm. Once the pace picks up (maybe 10-15% in) I did not want to put the book down. The story follows three main characters (Sylah, Hassa, and Anoor) as they try to make it through life on an island amongst the last known civilization. I found the blood magic system to be incredibly unique while also mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time. The author has done a truly remarkable job providing us with an incredible world to learn about and I truly cannot wait to read the two other books in this trilogy
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Addiction, Sexual content, Slavery, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, and Death
sophiesmallhands's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Blood, Colonisation, Genocide, Classism, Death, Addiction, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Child death
Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Vomit, and War
Minor: Bullying
philineselavy'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
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Blood, Addiction, and Slavery
thethingwithfeathers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Slavery, Classism, Violence, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Addiction, and Drug use
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
megansoetaert's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i struggled with the first half or so, i'll own my truth. i felt like the basis of the world was basic--especially the hierarchical caste system, it felt so cut and dry. and the action wasn't actioning for me! BUT... once things really started picking up, i was so intrigued. I read the last 1/3 of the book in one sitting. the world is more complex than it initially seems, and i want to know more asap!!!!
there are so many things beyond the main characters that are so interesting to me. like!
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Racism, Confinement, and Violence
violinknitter'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: Drug abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Slavery, Drug use, Child death, and Emotional abuse
hutchmusic14'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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Drug use, and Alcohol
evekenzinator's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Blood, and Police brutality
tardisbookcat'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: Death, Child abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gore, Classism, Drug use, Addiction, Blood, Genocide, and Violence