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doahdancer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Violence
daybreaker'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: Cursing
Moderate: Body horror and Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
evarinya's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Violence
hoagie's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Violence, and Death of parent
tritaratop's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Murder, Child death, Classism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
risaleel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Classism, and Confinement
koplomps's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Classism
squinnittowinit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Naomi Novik's story makes poignant remarks on prevalent real-world topics such as classism and privilege, through the lense of a magical society controlled by a fortunate (and greedy) few. She delivers genuine complex emotion as her characters grapple with their anger, their uncertainty, and at the end of the day, their humanity.
4.5 stars because I'm not sure if the author hired a sensitivity consultant or not; there were a couple small moments I didn't feel great about. Additionally, I wasn't sold on the design of the school in this book. Not the literal design, but more the way it was designed and how it's been handled since.
Graphic: Death, Child death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, Racism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Vomit, and Sexual content
lisa_m's review against another edition
3.5
The worldbuilding & school in general was interesting and definitely different to anything else I've read. But the thing I enjoyed most we're the friendships. Not just between El & Orion but also between the girls. I love the found family trope and I hope that will become even more important in the next books in the series.
The magic system was also ver interesting. To me the whole book felt like a magical Hunger Games more than Harry Potter (which I've often seen it be compared to).
I listened to it in a day so I was definitely hooked and didn't get bored. I'm interested to see what happens in the following books though and if the message in the end has any real meaning or if it's just in there for the shock value.
Moderate: Classism, Death, and Violence
evbyrd'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
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Blood, Abandonment, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Violence, Murder, Confinement, Cannibalism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, and Death