Reviews with content warning for War - Year of the Reaper

I really, really enjoyed this book. I appreciate the author's interest in history, and I personally enjoyed reading this despite the recent-ness of COVID.

The loss of half a star is from wanting there to be about 50 more pages tying up the ending. It felt very rushed and even some parts were left unexplained. <spoilers>I wanted to know so much more about him seeing the ghosts. Why him? Why not Jehan if she survived the plague? Why could Izaro see a ghost he couldn't? So many loose threads with that one specific plot line. Still a fantastic read, and I can't wait to dig into more by this author!

Content Warnings

tahsintries's review

Go to review page

4.0

Content Warnings

blackinkonbluelines's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed the characters and how they interacted together. For the first half, I found I was along for the ride just for the characters alone, and I didn't mind that there wasn't much movement plotwise.

The second half of the book is really where the characters start working together to solve the mystery, and that was just as enjoyable to read. There was intrigue, and twists, and truth. It really took a look into human nature and human psyche.

This story had the potential to be overwhelmingly dark, but I think Cas's arc--largely being a secret soft boy at heart--really helped to keep the book topics from becoming overwhelming.

Content Warnings

h_reads98's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

Content Warnings

kestrel's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I loved this book so much! It's an overall well-crafted story with characters that feel real, and with a very cozy atmosphere despite the horrible things that happened in the past and the new danger in the present. While I can think of possible additions that could have made the book perfect (like perhaps a few pages more with the main antagonist), I feel so emotionally connected with this story that I don't care.

Content Warnings

kbairbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was fantastical enough where it brought the sense of escapism, but realistic enough to feel the hit. I will say I feel like the author left a loose end with the whole sewing ghosts aspect, but I did appreciate how Cas went back and buried Jehan’s body and her guards bodies. With so much experience in hurt and pain and death Cas was still such a kind soul. This book had a simple feel to it like a story told around a fireplace but also it felt like Graceling to me. The main character/narrator had a simpler feel to them than in the books I normally pick up. Nonetheless this was a delightful read and I devoured it in two days.

Content Warnings

More...