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cursed_sapphire's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
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
4.75
This was a surprise hit for me. I had heard some people loved this book and some hated it, but I didn't even know what it was about when I decided to pick it up.
This, much to my shock, is basically a fantasy WW1 romance novel. While not depicting the actual WW1, it was very clearly inspired by WW1- the tactics, the responses of the public, propaganda, etc. And it was something I never knew I needed.
A bit of a warning- the first half of the book is more of the romance, much less of the fantasy, and is slower paced. The second half of the book is much faster, and while the romance is still a focus, the fantasy war becomes much more prevalent. Just something to be aware of.
The characters were very well-defined, and their chemistry leaped off the page. If you're a fan of mutual pining, secret identities, love letters, or he-falls-first-and-harder relationship dynamics, you'll probably like the romance. The side characters were also engaging, diverse, and relevant to the plot.
Overall this was a fun read with some surprisingly strong characters and interesting depictions of war and its various impacts. It's also the first good luck I've had with recent "romantasy" books. I look forward to the sequel, although I fear where it will go after the cliffhanger this book leaves on. However, I trust that even if the sequel doesn't stick the landing, this book alone will enjoy a long stay on my favorite's list, just below The Cruel Prince and Six of Crows as far as YA fantasy.
This, much to my shock, is basically a fantasy WW1 romance novel. While not depicting the actual WW1, it was very clearly inspired by WW1- the tactics, the responses of the public, propaganda, etc. And it was something I never knew I needed.
A bit of a warning- the first half of the book is more of the romance, much less of the fantasy, and is slower paced. The second half of the book is much faster, and while the romance is still a focus, the fantasy war becomes much more prevalent. Just something to be aware of.
The characters were very well-defined, and their chemistry leaped off the page. If you're a fan of mutual pining, secret identities, love letters, or he-falls-first-and-harder relationship dynamics, you'll probably like the romance. The side characters were also engaging, diverse, and relevant to the plot.
Overall this was a fun read with some surprisingly strong characters and interesting depictions of war and its various impacts. It's also the first good luck I've had with recent "romantasy" books. I look forward to the sequel, although I fear where it will go after the cliffhanger this book leaves on. However, I trust that even if the sequel doesn't stick the landing, this book alone will enjoy a long stay on my favorite's list, just below The Cruel Prince and Six of Crows as far as YA fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Vomit, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Xenophobia, Torture, Gore, Genocide, Classism, and Blood
Minor: Medical content
sammymilfort's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Genocide, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death of parent, Death, War, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Torture
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