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naomi_k'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Terminal illness, and War
Moderate: Gun violence and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Domestic abuse and Murder
avacadosocks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Alcohol, and War
xxkatastrophe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Alcohol
winglesswarrior's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and War
chelbelle122'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
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
reedandright'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? No
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Rape, Blood, and Alcohol
sarahweyand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
T. Kingfisher has created a strange, creepy little world for herself in the Sworn Solider series in which she can do whatever weird and dark things she wants. And it works so well. This book is very different in premise than WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, but our group of odd, loveable characters helps connect this gap and drew me right into the premise of this story just as quick as the first book. This was a quick read that never felt dull, but still managed to improve on the relationships established in the first book.
I do think the premise of WHAT MOVES THE DEAD was a little creepier to me than this plot, but I still really enjoyed myself and think I'll probably pick up a physical copy at some point, which is something I almost never do with ARCs. I really enjoy the intrigue of the worldbuilding and atmospheric elements of this series and I really hope Kingfisher continues with these episodic novellas. A hit, as usual!
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and War
Moderate: Animal death
rhi_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Medical content, and War
bookishchaos'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Gore
Minor: Alcohol
jayburding's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Also, I must confess, I have a violent hatred of the trope where characters don't communicate and then react poorly when other characters try and fail to interpret their vagueries. I lost patience with the Widow quickly, which takes some doing in a book this short, and while the ending somewhat redeemed this character choice, the frustration still lingered. Alex's slowness to pick up on supernatural shenanigans, especially after what happened in the previous book, felt mildly farcical and too drawn out, and kan being treated as the resident idiot outstayed its welcome. I was disappointed at how little Miss Potter got to contribute this time, and honestly you could have removed her and called this book a prequel and it might have worked better.
I enjoy Kingfisher's writing, and Alex's character really appeals to me. I'm not a fan of first person so getting me to read it is a victory in itself, and unquestionably enjoy it even more so. I would happily read more of Sworn Soldier, and I hope there is more coming, I just think Kingfisher has a real talent for body horror that could have gone a lot harder in this book, and it would have hit like it did in WMTD. I enjoyed what was here but I wanted more.
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Gun violence