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jennipea382'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
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Grief, Murder, Torture, and Death
mixed_emoticon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5/5 stars
Highlights:
š Trilogy starter
š Based on 1001 Arabian Nights
šŖ Multiple character perspectives
š§ Adventure
āØ Magic
šŖ Betrayal
š Loss
āļø Woman positive
āļø Moderate gore/violence
š Possibly better enjoyed as an Ebook (for less distracting ways to define unfamiliar words)
š„² Sequel doesn't release until February 2024
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Gore
kiwij96'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
4.75
Six of Crows inspired chaptering, with each one written through the perspective of a main character. Heavily inspired by A Thousand and One Nights in the best way. The worldbuilding was gorgeous and descriptive, I loved the characters and the quests. The stories within the story - the history of this fantasy world which shapes and deepens your understanding of characters.
I am one for enjoying when heroic quests go awry and everything goes wrong and good lord did things go wrong for the characters. Many times. Betrayal, heartbreak, loss, pain, old foes, new foes, deceit. It all very much happens in this action-packed story and at times it is brutal.
I am very interested in seeing how this trilogy plays out, however, as this book ended in an interesting way. Not on a cliffhanger as such, but I am looking forward to seeing what happens after this.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Torture, Death of parent, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit
theespressoedition's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Murder, Blood, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gore, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
angeldevoursliterature's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Confinement, Grief, and Genocide
Minor: Cursing
cookiecat73's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Self harm, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual content
mal_grace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore and Cursing
brittanyboston18'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
3.0
Moderate: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Gore, Confinement, Death of parent, and Violence
kbairbooks'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
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Alcohol, and Animal death
beautifulpaxielreads'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? No
3.0
First, to the good stuff. I liked how Abdullah intertwined the best-known Arabian Nights stories into her tale, incorporating
It wasn't long after our narrators - Loulie, Mazen and Aisha (as well as Qadir) - set out on their journey (not a spoiler as it's in the official blurb) that I started to get confused. It was still incredibly gripping to read - but I was no longer as invested as I was in the beginning.
So what went wrong? For me, it was a number of things. A few plot holes which I couldn't rationalise to myself. Too many convenient escapes where someone or something turned up at just the right moment. The characters felt too thin and weren't developed enough to make me care about them. I was confused about jinn lore and exactly how the magic worked. And I think it was too long, with twist upon twist until it became impossible to keep track of who knew what and when.
In conclusion, a strong start and some clever ideas, but the worldbuilding and character development left a lot to be desired.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm
Minor: Pregnancy
Many murders and violence occur through magical means.