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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
beautiful story weave with stunning illustrations. the color palette match the theme very well. I feel like the book was building for a sequel or more , feels like there was some small gaps but nothing enormous that's taking the book away from itself.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
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
A lovely graphic novel set in a fantasy empire and explores the ways that young people can work to reject and fight against (or not) imperialism and colonialist mindsets. I thought that the themes of anti-colonialism were depicted in a way that is accessible for a teen audience, the characters were wonderful, I enjoyed the artwork, and the story is well-paced and thought out. It felt incredibly relevant to the world we're living in right now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence
Minor: War
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was truly a wonderful read. The art style was beautiful, I thought for a contained graphic novel the worldbuilding was familiar yet very rich— and I deeply loved how the story engaged with concepts of war, of history and the stories and narratives woven into the history of regimes who need a fulfilling narrative, a fantasy, to maintain power. This book was truly almost a five star read for me, I think the only thing that stopped it was the ending? In some ways it felt bittersweet but satisfyingly final, and yet in others it left threads hanging so obviously that it made me wonder if there was an intention to write more that didn’t manifest? But I think if my critique is that there wasn’t enough of something, that in of itself is a bit of a compliment.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
characters - ⭐️
illustrations - ⭐️
effective storytelling - .5⭐️
engaging to read - .5⭐️
would recommend - .5⭐️
the beginning felt a little disconnected to me, but the characters pull it together as the story progresses. it feels a bit overoptimistic, but overall it’s a sweet story that i enjoyed reading.
the beginning felt a little disconnected to me, but the characters pull it together as the story progresses. it feels a bit overoptimistic, but overall it’s a sweet story that i enjoyed reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, War
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Finished! Very fast read, really adored the characters. I did feel rather empty(?) at the end. I thought there would be much more, it finished almost abruptly for me. I even searched if it’s part of a series but no :c. It’s a solid 3.5 stars. I liked it yes, will I ever think about it again? Probably not and the ending was meh for me soo not a 4 star.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes