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lulu_reads_and_drinks_tea'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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Gore, and Gun violence
mspilesofpaper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
It's clear that book 1 is meant to lay the foundation for book 2 and 3 but gosh, it was partly extremely boring. The beginning was actually pretty good but then it dipped before the end chapters picked up in pace again.
Zero chemistry between the heroine and her love interest. Like zero. Instead it feels more like an attempt at insta love but one that's just based on the attractiveness of the other one (especially her attraction to him is based on his pretty face).
Moderate: Death of parent
adamparrishlover'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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Child abuse, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Pedophilia, Rape, Gore, and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcoholism and Colonisation
annelihghh'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
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Slavery, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
therainbowshelf'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Torture, Blood, and Confinement
Moderate: Rape
theespressoedition'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
3.5
I read several reviews of this ahead of time to see if it was something along the lines of The Daevabad Trilogy or even The Sands of Arawiya. However, it really didn't feel anything like those books (aside from nods to Arabian lore with the Djinn) - and it seems everyone else who wrote a review agrees with me. This story is set in the desert, but doesn't feel like a "desert book" so much as a fantasy novel that happens to include a lot of sand.
The magic in the story was really interesting and I'd love to see it fleshed out a bit more in the sequel (at least, that's what I'm hoping happens). Aside from knowing that demdji are half-Djinn and half-human and have access to unique powers, there's really not a lot of additional information. Some of the characters make mention of the power coming from the heart or their mind, but I'd love to see a little more of a deep-dive into that. A girl can dream.
I was expecting there to be a heavier emphasis on the romance and there really wasn't, which was weirdly okay with me? Typically, I love a good romance, but this one was perfectly satisfying. There's chemistry between the characters without it being the front-and-center focus.
The beginnings of war was something that both confused me and worried me for the future of the series. First of all, I didn't understand the sultim and the many sons and the contest between them happening throughout the book's timeline. Secondly, I don't enjoy sequels that are filled with primarily political intrigue and war-planning. I'm hoping that's not the case moving forward, because it could wind up with me DNFing in the middle of the second book just based on that alone. My hope is that things will begin to make a little more sense and they won't slow down the pace of the plot.
I'm on the fence with how I feel about this. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. And then some of the time, I found myself really confused. But, I can't form a cohesive "review" until I've finished the series. So, more thoughts to come!
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Death, Murder, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Torture, War, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, and Violence
imds'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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Misogyny, War, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual violence
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Vomit
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