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risten'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Classism, Child abuse, Blood, Murder, Death, War, and Child death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Trafficking, and Suicide
Minor: Stalking, Sexual content, Vomit, Self harm, Abortion, Alcohol, and Animal death
kitsunasaur'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: Slavery and Sexual assault
Moderate: War, Torture, Murder, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, and Death
Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Death of parent, Child death, Rape, Pregnancy, and Murder
unsuccessfulbookclub'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child death, Blood, War, Torture, Slavery, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Vomit and Rape
atla98's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Torture, and Gore
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Rape
booksthatburn'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? It's complicated
5.0
For those who enjoy love triangles, this has an innovation on the form: Laia and Elias each have two people to choose between. As the protagonists they're of course drawn to each other, but Laia has a smoldering attraction to one of the rebels, and Elias is slowly realizing he might have romantic feelings for his best friend (the only female Mask in his generation). These tensions aren't completely resolved in this book either, leaving room for this to develop more in the next one. I like both options for each of them, and it feels like there's a genuine question over what they'll choose. For those who are a little less into such plots, it's a consistent but not overwhelming thread and there's plenty else to like.
The plot begins with Elias and Laia on two sides of the same raid, where Laia's grandparents are killed and her brother is kidnapped, while Elias is one of the Masks carrying out the invasion. The chapters frequently overlap, with each narrator sometimes beginning their chapter by telling their perspective on an event or a slice of time which was just told by the other. Since they generally have completely different experiences, I like this overlapping style but it took a little getting used to. It made it feel more like they were each narrating what was important to them, uncaring and unknowing of what the other described. Laia asks the Rebels for help getting her brother back, and is placed as a slave to the Commandant of the Academy where Elias is. Elias was planning to escape, but is told by an Augur that the only way to actually be free is if first he stays. The rest of the story unfolds as Laia tries to get information to the rebels and survive her enslavement, while Elias tries to survive the gauntlet of challenges to be the next emperor (a title he doesn't even want).
One thing I appreciate about this book is that in a system so controlling and overseen by (basically) mind-reading (probably) immortal Augurs who never explain their own goals, it would make very little sense for the heroes to have genuine agency over their lives at a macro level. So they don't. They don't have control over how things will go, their plans keep working out very differently than they even dared to hope, and they frequently suffer for it. They're constantly in danger and often get hurt, Laia from the Commandant's whims or Elias from the challenges themselves. When things do go well, an Augur usually turns up to tell Elias how he's done what they wanted, yet again. It's frustrating but completely in keeping with the brutality and sheer mind-fuckery of the situation. Because they have so little control, most of the plot focuses on how they feel and what they decided to do in the small moments they do have.
I enjoyed this and plan to read the rest of the series, this is an exciting and well-paced beginning to the quartet.
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, and Rape
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
veeronald'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? No
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Violence, Rape, Child abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Confinement
Moderate: Classism, Torture, Blood, Sexual content, Suicide, Trafficking, Genocide, Child abuse, Murder, Vomit, Bullying, Colonisation, and Death
Minor: War, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
griffinthief's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Blood, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit and Trafficking
karapillar'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: War, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Stalking, Sexual assault, Blood, Emotional abuse, Death, Child death, Child abuse, Torture, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Vomit, Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Murder, Kidnapping, Racism, Abortion, Confinement, Death of parent, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Rape, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Pregnancy
kkm88's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Trafficking, Torture, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, War, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Grief, and Genocide
Minor: Racism, Vomit, Rape, Pregnancy, Abortion, and Child death
bookishchef'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: Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Slavery, Classism, Grief, Blood, Cursing, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: War, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Genocide, Rape, and Trafficking
Minor: Vomit, Abortion, and Pregnancy