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rimsha04's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Slavery, and Colonisation
cberri's review against another edition
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
2.5
I didn't like this book. I didn't hate it either, but I definitely don't have very many nice things to say about it.
The worldbuilding is the most distracting part of this book for me because it's just so bad. When I think about something for more than a few seconds, it sorta falls apart. Maybe to other people this isn't a huge deal, but I can't help but feel like things happen in this book to move the plot along and not because they actually make sense in the given world (and this extends to the characters as well; they do things that seem otherwise entirely out of character just to make the plot happen and it's a little grating after a while. I know not everyone acts with strict set of rules, but I do have to draw a line at some point about their behavior.)
As for the Characters, I'm endeared towards any of them? Helene is the most interesting, but sometimes they'll undercut her character by bringing up her feelings for Elias. And I like Elias and Helene, moreso than him and Laia, but the way this book and other characters talk about at times is so bizarre. But when they actually just treat her as a girl with a crush instead of some alien, she's quite enjoyable.
As for the others, Elias has potential to be interesting but I mostly end up frustrated or confused by his actions. I'd love to say he has major character growth, but he sorta doesn't? I'm actually struggling to say anything about him without just listing off different actions he takes that piss me off.
And Laia; I understand what the author is trying to do with her, but she spends, not an exaggeration, 90% of this book having done nothing worthwhile. She spends almost all of this book just sorta ... Existing? It's not interesting for the plot and it's not even interesting for her character. I like that she grows more suspicious of the rebels wrt her brother before finally acting on these things, but I can't really praise much else. (She's also a shitty spy... Not her fault or even something I'm criticizing the story for, just a side note. She's bad at it.)
There are some side characters that are likable, but otherwise unremarkable.
There's also a weird thing with women in this story? They're beaten and tortured and sexually assaulted at every turn like it's amazing how much of this can be fit into one book.
Quick note about the romance; it's not great, despite how much time is spent on it.
All this is pretty negative, but as far as stories go, this one's biggest weakness overall is just that it's sorta boring and cliche. There's nothing new or exciting about it, but for what it is, it's not the worst thing I've ever read.
The worldbuilding is the most distracting part of this book for me because it's just so bad. When I think about something for more than a few seconds, it sorta falls apart. Maybe to other people this isn't a huge deal, but I can't help but feel like things happen in this book to move the plot along and not because they actually make sense in the given world (and this extends to the characters as well; they do things that seem otherwise entirely out of character just to make the plot happen and it's a little grating after a while. I know not everyone acts with strict set of rules, but I do have to draw a line at some point about their behavior.)
As for the Characters, I'm endeared towards any of them? Helene is the most interesting, but sometimes they'll undercut her character by bringing up her feelings for Elias. And I like Elias and Helene, moreso than him and Laia, but the way this book and other characters talk about at times is so bizarre. But when they actually just treat her as a girl with a crush instead of some alien, she's quite enjoyable.
As for the others, Elias has potential to be interesting but I mostly end up frustrated or confused by his actions. I'd love to say he has major character growth, but he sorta doesn't? I'm actually struggling to say anything about him without just listing off different actions he takes that piss me off.
And Laia; I understand what the author is trying to do with her, but she spends, not an exaggeration, 90% of this book having done nothing worthwhile. She spends almost all of this book just sorta ... Existing? It's not interesting for the plot and it's not even interesting for her character. I like that she grows more suspicious of the rebels wrt her brother before finally acting on these things, but I can't really praise much else. (She's also a shitty spy... Not her fault or even something I'm criticizing the story for, just a side note. She's bad at it.)
There are some side characters that are likable, but otherwise unremarkable.
There's also a weird thing with women in this story? They're beaten and tortured and sexually assaulted at every turn like it's amazing how much of this can be fit into one book.
Quick note about the romance; it's not great, despite how much time is spent on it.
All this is pretty negative, but as far as stories go, this one's biggest weakness overall is just that it's sorta boring and cliche. There's nothing new or exciting about it, but for what it is, it's not the worst thing I've ever read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, and Misogyny
mj1588's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Slavery, Child abuse, Colonisation, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Gore, Grief, Xenophobia, War, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Blood, Rape, and Sexual harassment
morgan_is_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death, Violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Rape
timelapse's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
this book has not figured out what it wants to be. it’s not quite fully dystopian, because both the main characters are solely worried about their individual suffering, and there is very little awareness of the regime in place. there is magic in the book, but for some reason it isn’t essential to the workings of the plot? so the book isn’t really fantasy. and there’s genuinely nothing roman-esque about this (there’s a xenophobic tribal vs empire tension hinted at in the books? and jinns????) besides them having slaves.
my main gripe with the magic being weirdly absent and underdone is honestly mostly that i hate omniscient prophecy figures lol and it feels very cheaply incorporated here, but at least this book doesn’t try to be a super fantasy-forward book.
however, it’s a real crime that the worldbuilding is so toothless, considering that the book really sets itself up to try to be a classic ya dystopia novel. for a book about claiming your own destiny, the characters are extremely self-motivated, and as a dystopian book, it’s very myopic.
despite there being an oppressive martial regime that has created subclasses of humans, the primary threat faced by the main character is… misogyny? and not even particularly interesting or insightful misogyny; the author treats brutality against women as commonplace, but still something that happens to exceptional individuals. tahir clumsily tells you every! other! minute that laia is soooo pretty, and that’s why every man wants to violate her. (besides for this OTHER man who is soo not like the others who also fell for her looks at first sight but again is sooo not like the others)
it makes it really hard to give a fuck about the characters when most of the “love” is male saviorism for this beautiful, exceptional woman, but it’s even harder to try to give a fuck about anything that happens in this world when the author is unable to elaborate on a social structure more complex than women being brutalized. it seemed like “men hate women” was the lowest hanging, most absolute evil that she could write, and in reiterating it so many times so pointlessly, she neglected everything else necessary to writing a compelling novel.
i think this book could’ve been done better if it was an adult dystopian novel, and not a ya one, to really lean into the violence of the world (that the book does not shy away from) and give it more complex backstories than a stupid love triangle, but i honestly don’t think this author could accomplish writing a more complicated and fleshed out world. i remember distinctly that even at 10% into the book i was really confused by the pacing and how little i was learning about the world despite how many things were being explained, and that really never got better even when i finished the whole book. it’s a pity, because i do think helene's arc will get more interesting in the subsequent books, but i feel like i'd be wasting my time to keep reading in this series
my main gripe with the magic being weirdly absent and underdone is honestly mostly that i hate omniscient prophecy figures lol and it feels very cheaply incorporated here, but at least this book doesn’t try to be a super fantasy-forward book.
however, it’s a real crime that the worldbuilding is so toothless, considering that the book really sets itself up to try to be a classic ya dystopia novel. for a book about claiming your own destiny, the characters are extremely self-motivated, and as a dystopian book, it’s very myopic.
despite there being an oppressive martial regime that has created subclasses of humans, the primary threat faced by the main character is… misogyny? and not even particularly interesting or insightful misogyny; the author treats brutality against women as commonplace, but still something that happens to exceptional individuals. tahir clumsily tells you every! other! minute that laia is soooo pretty, and that’s why every man wants to violate her. (besides for this OTHER man who is soo not like the others who also fell for her looks at first sight but again is sooo not like the others)
it makes it really hard to give a fuck about the characters when most of the “love” is male saviorism for this beautiful, exceptional woman, but it’s even harder to try to give a fuck about anything that happens in this world when the author is unable to elaborate on a social structure more complex than women being brutalized. it seemed like “men hate women” was the lowest hanging, most absolute evil that she could write, and in reiterating it so many times so pointlessly, she neglected everything else necessary to writing a compelling novel.
i think this book could’ve been done better if it was an adult dystopian novel, and not a ya one, to really lean into the violence of the world (that the book does not shy away from) and give it more complex backstories than a stupid love triangle, but i honestly don’t think this author could accomplish writing a more complicated and fleshed out world. i remember distinctly that even at 10% into the book i was really confused by the pacing and how little i was learning about the world despite how many things were being explained, and that really never got better even when i finished the whole book. it’s a pity, because i do think helene's arc will get more interesting in the subsequent books, but i feel like i'd be wasting my time to keep reading in this series
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
shannonsheedlo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
mikasana's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.5
Slow in the beginning but it picks up a bit and then goes full speed towards the end.
Honestly, the storytelling was perfect. I got really attached to Laia and Elias and their character arcs. And the villains?? Black hearted killers who couldn’t have been written any better (shout out to mummy dearest ).
The weight and finality of all the injustices this world festered really just slapped you in the face over and over as the pages went by. The tension from it burned me and had me fully entranced just hoping some good would prevail.
However, if you are looking at this first book expecting romance, look away. The two main characters don’t truly get to know each other in this book and spend much of their time apart. In fact most of the “romance” that exists is spent onthe giant love square (yes, not triangle) between the two main characters and their wooed side pieces. I find love triangles, or any semblance of them, completely unnecessary and distracting. It dampens the potential of the main relationship every single time. Irritating.
This actually would have been a lower rating due to how irritated I was by thelove square but that ending? A chef’s kiss. Perfection.
Honestly, the storytelling was perfect. I got really attached to Laia and Elias and their character arcs. And the villains?? Black hearted killers who couldn’t have been written any better (
The weight and finality of all the injustices this world festered really just slapped you in the face over and over as the pages went by. The tension from it burned me and had me fully entranced just hoping some good would prevail.
However, if you are looking at this first book expecting romance, look away. The two main characters don’t truly get to know each other in this book and spend much of their time apart. In fact most of the “romance” that exists is spent on
This actually would have been a lower rating due to how irritated I was by the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Classism, Confinement, Slavery, Sexual violence, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Trafficking, Pregnancy, War, and Rape
saikisoph's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
This was bloody intense I tell you, but the storytelling was amazing. Would love to see this as a series one day. First time reading a book by a Pakistani author, I’m keen to read the rest of the series! 🔥
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Suicidal thoughts
crybabybea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A good YA dystopian-ish scifi-ish fantasy-ish romance-ish read! I appreciated the unique setting based on West Asia and the inclusion of Arabic mythology. At first, I wasn't super into the story because it felt very typically YA to me, especially the info-dumpiness of the beginning, and I was expecting more immediate fantasy. The fantasy elements are subtle and the overall story leans more toward sci-fi/dystopia. Because of this the world-building doesn't feel as complex as I would like, and a lot of the settings don't feel fully fleshed out.
I had my doubts about the characters but I ended up liking the main characters for their individual arcs, especially Laia. I wish the side characters got more attention and felt more fully developed.
I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity of the themes explored and the story beats. I wasn't expecting anything crazy from YA but this book was very dark and the author made some crazy choices that really flipped the typical YA experience on its head. Of course it had its tropey moments but I enjoyed the story a lot and found it compelling.
Definitely a page-turner, an intriguing thriller of a story with unique, subtle fantasy elements to get lost in for a few days.
I had my doubts about the characters but I ended up liking the main characters for their individual arcs, especially Laia. I wish the side characters got more attention and felt more fully developed.
I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity of the themes explored and the story beats. I wasn't expecting anything crazy from YA but this book was very dark and the author made some crazy choices that really flipped the typical YA experience on its head. Of course it had its tropey moments but I enjoyed the story a lot and found it compelling.
Definitely a page-turner, an intriguing thriller of a story with unique, subtle fantasy elements to get lost in for a few days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Murder, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Confinement, Slavery, Child abuse, Misogyny, Child death, Sexism, and Kidnapping
maryamthehobbit's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: War, Rape, and Sexual assault