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_booktique2_'s review
5.0
Thank you NetGalley for sending this arc for an honest review!
A book about shapeshifting monsters that use blasphemous magic that feed on the souls of their subjects? Yea. Bizarre. This is an epic fantasy read, that empowers the body of change, love, frienship and family. It was such a joy to read this book because it’s been a long time since I read a ya fantasy that brought so much joy and sadness at the same time. It was incredible learning about each individual charcater and watching them become a family in ways they never thought they could be in.
A book about shapeshifting monsters that use blasphemous magic that feed on the souls of their subjects? Yea. Bizarre. This is an epic fantasy read, that empowers the body of change, love, frienship and family. It was such a joy to read this book because it’s been a long time since I read a ya fantasy that brought so much joy and sadness at the same time. It was incredible learning about each individual charcater and watching them become a family in ways they never thought they could be in.
bookedaroundtheworld's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
✔️Multi-POV
✔️A cursed tomb
✔️A magical illness
✔️An MC on a quest for revenge
✔️An MC haunted by his sister and also hearing the voice of his god
I was expecting more of a heist story going in to this book, however the characters wanting to steal this sword is not really the main focus of this book. Anwei wants to take revenge on her brothers killer, Knox is trying to follow the whispers of his god and not be overtaken by his haunted sword, Mateo wants a cure for his illness, and Lia just wants freedom. Each character had a unique voice and purpose that wove together into a great story. The magic was interesting, however I am hoping it gets expanded on in the next book along with the world. The world and magic building were ALMOST there. I got completely sucked in to the characters and wanted each of them to reach their goals. This book moves a little slower, and slowly picks up pace until a landslide at the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next book!
✔️A cursed tomb
✔️A magical illness
✔️An MC on a quest for revenge
✔️An MC haunted by his sister and also hearing the voice of his god
I was expecting more of a heist story going in to this book, however the characters wanting to steal this sword is not really the main focus of this book. Anwei wants to take revenge on her brothers killer, Knox is trying to follow the whispers of his god and not be overtaken by his haunted sword, Mateo wants a cure for his illness, and Lia just wants freedom. Each character had a unique voice and purpose that wove together into a great story. The magic was interesting, however I am hoping it gets expanded on in the next book along with the world. The world and magic building were ALMOST there. I got completely sucked in to the characters and wanted each of them to reach their goals. This book moves a little slower, and slowly picks up pace until a landslide at the end. I’m looking forward to reading the next book!
amarylissw's review
4.0
I’m not sure why this book isn’t getting more attention. It has an endorsement from Brandon Sanderson even. The plot can be a little slow at times, but the characters are easily the best part of the story. The imagery is good as well, but I wish there’d been a bit more depth to the actual world-building.
laurenleigh's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am a very slow reader of paper books, so I invested a lot of time in this 600 page book. This is also a local author, and I got to meet her here in Grass Valley! I can’t help but see how those two things influence my overall thoughts. I think I was just confused by the plot until the last 100 pages. Sangster really throws you into a world and rarely stops to explain anything. She also almost never uses speech tags (“she said”), which constantly tripped me up. I’m all for limiting those, but not enough is difficult to follow. However, even while I was lost, I still enjoyed the ride. The characters were well developed, their relationships were interesting and complex, and the magic systems were quite unique.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gore, Blood, Torture, and Rape
reckless_reader's review
4.0
If you like multi POV, character driven fantasy with snarky banter, this book might be for you. While the plot is centered around a heist and some politics/world building, most of the book focuses on the (growing) relationships between the characters. My only real complaint is that it does drag on a bit in some areas, where you’re really just waiting for it to switch POV again.
Surprised I haven’t seen that many people talking about this one, it’s one of the best YA fantasy books I read in 2022 and I enjoyed it just as much during my reread.
Surprised I haven’t seen that many people talking about this one, it’s one of the best YA fantasy books I read in 2022 and I enjoyed it just as much during my reread.
sosocats's review
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
siennabea's review
It was to much. Of what I can't say but by page 27 I started flicking and nothing at all stood out .
Not for me xx
Not for me xx
bookdragonemiri's review
DNF Page 130
Unfortunately, I just do not feel inclined to continue this. Other than Lia, I did not really connect to the characters, and I felt that the plot was not offering me enough of a hook. I know a lot of people say in reviews of this book to "wait until the end" because of the last hundred pages. But in my opinion, if your book only gets good in the last little bit instead of having a good time through the whole story, then I don't think it's worth it. I can tell that this is written well, but I just felt a huge disconnect, and right now, I don't have the patience for such a slow-moving plot. This was just not for me.
Unfortunately, I just do not feel inclined to continue this. Other than Lia, I did not really connect to the characters, and I felt that the plot was not offering me enough of a hook. I know a lot of people say in reviews of this book to "wait until the end" because of the last hundred pages. But in my opinion, if your book only gets good in the last little bit instead of having a good time through the whole story, then I don't think it's worth it. I can tell that this is written well, but I just felt a huge disconnect, and right now, I don't have the patience for such a slow-moving plot. This was just not for me.