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mhought's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
jennderqueer's review against another edition
5.0
TW for on-page non-graphic rape.
Moderate: Rape
agooding's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, War, Death, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Rape
Minor: Pregnancy
anniekslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
CWs: rape, murder, violence, blood, gore, death of parents, menstruation
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Gore, Death of parent, Rape, and Blood
alli_the_bookaholic13'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
4.5
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, Gore, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Blood
mariyakeeka's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
There are alternating POVs between the MMC and the FMC. The FMC is decently realized as a character and she has a nice arc as she gives into her rage, but her POV lacks a solid plot line. She's flitting from place to place and the plot/purpose is very vague and she just conveniently finds her way for the most part. The MMC has potential with an internal struggle but it's never given the depth it needs to be impactful, so I didn't feel connected to him as a character. I will say, though, that I enjoyed the relationships he had with his soldiers and friends as the FMC lacked consistent side characters. But his POV, at least, had a plot that we could understand and follow. He had a purpose. Some might say that the FMC lacked purpose on purpose because of what she'd been through, but it simply doesn't translate.
With the dual POVs, we also have alternating timelines with the FMC in the past and the MMC in the present and I still don't understand this decision? It slows the story down and it doesn't ultimately provide us with anything. A similar effect could have been achieved with them both in the present and the FMC just always ahead of the MMC.
The relationships were also lacking, overall. The FMC and MMC have an instant connection, which is just a trope that I am personally not a fan of. There was no depth. The FMC had a few side characters that she meets and then she leaves, so she's mostly solitary. This could have been used to flesh her out and give us more detail in her emotional arc, especially given that she is journeying for a large part of the book. The MMC had a few friends and it was his relationship with them that really was used to build his character. The king is just a regular evil guy and so is his general. The world building was a little unclear and it definitely could have been shown more.
The pacing definitely could have been tighter and the dialogue was a bit too modern for my taste. The amount of violence against women meant that unless they turned to violence themselves they were either presented as vapid or victims and this truly did not sit well with me. There was little nuance in that sense (a single scene towards the end did attempt to address this, I do think, but not enough to dispel this thought).
Overall, I don't think I'll be picking up the second book but I may pick up another by this author because I believe that this was her first foray into fantasy.
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
sestrout's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Gore, and Torture
mattyb'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Rape, Body horror, Gore, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Genocide, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Colonisation, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Abandonment, War, Body shaming, and Dysphoria
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, and Confinement
enchantingannie's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence
vanessamariebooks'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Bullying, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Grief