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eidiya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Addiction, Body horror, Death, Child death, Colonisation, War, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Xenophobia
secretsoup's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Violence, Child death, Confinement, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and War
micksland'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
Winner: 2022 World Fantasy Award
Nominee: 2022 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
___
This is a very intriguing epic fantasy novel inspired by various cultures on the Indian subcontinent. It takes traditional fantasy novel tropes and reinterprets them outside the Eurocentric motifs that many modern fantasy novels use.
I loved the character development throughout the novel. The main characters are Malini, the disgraced sister of the Emperor, and her maid Priya, who is much more than she appears. The author did a great job at exploring the different ethnic backgrounds, class differences, and religious beliefs of these characters as they seek to overthrow the Emperor. I do wish that the emperor had some more character development, because he is presented as simply an evil religious fanatic who needs to be replaced. If he had more page time, I think the narrative would have been stronger. Nevertheless, a very fun read and I’ll pick up the sequel!
Graphic: War, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Genocide and Colonisation
ienbdri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Misogyny, Child abuse, Genocide, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Drug use, Confinement, Body horror, and Addiction
Moderate: Pregnancy, Violence, and War
jodes003's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Murder, Blood, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Pregnancy and Grief
Minor: Animal death
cozyscones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Body horror, Death, Violence, Murder, Drug use, and Misogyny
Moderate: Homophobia, Pregnancy, and War
o_mcg318's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Sexism, Death, Genocide, Classism, Homophobia, Murder, and Violence
readingwithkaitlyn'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Violence, War, Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racism, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Sexism
Moderate: Colonisation, Body horror, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Starvation, homelessness, brothels.daffodilcherry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wheelhouses: rich worldbuilding, fantasy with female main characters, South Asian inspired fantasy, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, plant based magic, dark fantasy with misogyny without sexual assault / sexual violence.
Favourite quotes:
"But I'm going to have to be, Priya. I need to be - the part of me I need to be - can't be good. Or soft. Not to do what's needful." Priya said nothing. She simply tilted her head, listening.
"I am going to have to carve out a new face. A face that can pay the price I need to pay. I am going to become monstrous," Malini said, tasting the weight of the words upon her lips, her tongue. "For so long I have only wanted to escape and survive. But now I am free, and for the sake of my purpose... for the sake of power," she admitted, "I am going to become something other than human. Other than simply not good. I must."
Priya hesitated. Said, finally, "I'm not sure that's what being powerful means. Losing yourself."]
[Priya looked at Malini. At her back, a forbidding line. "I promise you I'll come," Priya said to her. "I know you don't think much of prophecies. Or portents, or fate, or anything of that sort. But one day I am going to come and find you. By then, I expect you will have long forgotten me. Maybe I'll only be able to walk the edges of whatever mahal you live in, but as... as long as you want me to, I'll come. If you want me to find you, I'll come." There were so many things Priya didn't know how to say.
The moment I saw you, I felt a tug. You are the feeling of falling, the tidal waters, the way a living thing will always turn, seeking light. It isn't that I think you are good or kind, or even that I love you. It is only that, the moment I saw you, I knew I would seek you out. Just as I sought the deathless waters. Just as I sought my brother. Just as I seek all things-without thought, with nothing but want.]
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Violence, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, and War
saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Love. As if love excused anything."
A high fantasy about Desi lesbians challenging the government and burning shit down (as they should!) The Burning Throne kept me on the edge of my seat, set in a crumbling empire dealing with a magical illness that makes people grow plants on them and a brewing rebellion, starring likable and stabby characters with shifting allegiances.
The cast is centered around mainly women, mostly our queer protagonists, and all of them are Desi and it was nice to see that diversity in an adult high fantasy. This was really fun to buddy read because of the characters and how well developed and defined they are. I will say I kind of wish there was a little less jumping around so many perspectives with them as it would occasional hinder the pacing. That's a small critique though as mostly the transitions are consistent with the core cast of characters with Priya as the main protagonist.
It's fun? Would that be the right word? Like, it's not a light read per se since it is about war but it is entertaining because of the fast pacing, prose that goes down easy, and blorbos. It's perfect for fans of 'good for her' stories!
Specific TWs: illness (magical), drug addiction including symptoms of withdrawal (fictional drug).
Graphic: Drug abuse and War
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, Child abuse, Terminal illness, and Murder