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averyrembish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Torture, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement and Injury/Injury detail
kingrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Mare is this reluctant leader, she didn’t choose this path and she sure as hell hates being in the position to lead. She struggles with the role and makes mistakes and struggles to control her anger and hatred which has led her to be ruthless and cold. These traits are important when going up against Maven, so the fear is her going too far and losing herself. Mare’s not a likeable person and that’s not a requirement to be a good story, in fact I started this series because I wanted to read a morally grey and slightly unlikeable main character, Aveyard just hasn’t quite gotten to a point with Mare that she’s a complex character who does questionable things for the greater good.
I think I’ll continue the series, because Aveyard does do a pretty good cliffhanger. I like gritty political fantasies that really get into the violence and the crimes an oppressive and tyrannical government commits. This is in no way a romance. There’s no romance at all. It’s not even a subplot and really there’s no love interest that is all that likeable right now.
I will say the slow pacing and kind of filler information about the world and recruitment of the new bloods is something I’d expect from a middle of the series book, not the second book in the series. The first is supposed to be the foundation and world building, the second book is meant to be exciting and filled with twists and turns. But that’s just my opinion. When you have a 4 book series I feel like books 1 and 3 can be just exciting enough but filled with information, but books 2 and 4 are where the really crazy and fun things should. Just saying.
I think this series could’ve been better if it contained multiple POVs to give more dimension to the other characters as we’re only viewing them from Mare’s POV and she’s currently absorbed with her actions. I’m not sure if I’m giving Aveyard more credit than what’s due if the confusing fighting scenes are meant to mimic actual confusion during battle which Mare as a first person POV would be processing it or when two significant people die and it’s a “what the fuck just happened” moment because it was mentioned out of the blue and quickly with little explanation, or if it’s genuinely bad writing? I guess I’ll find out in the next 2 (2.5?) books. I hated that one of these people died and got a little teary eyed (but not full on tears thanks to Mare’s numbness/indifferences to it) but I’m happy the other is dead.
I’d say this is probably a 3.25 or 3.5/5 stars.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
anniereads221's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
kimxchi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Hate crime, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
sudatot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Abandonment and Colonisation
Minor: Pregnancy
robin_reads'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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gun violence, Torture, Blood, War, and Classism
quinn24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Death, Violence, Medical content, and War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism
book_loser's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Self harm
llsugarspicell'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: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
trulydevious's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, and Kidnapping