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siddhi15's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
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
zoerobber's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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? No
4.0
illyrian_wings's review against another edition
3.0
“The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.”
more like 3.75 stars*
I thought this book was engaging and the plot was interesting. Laia is our FMC and I enjoyed reading about an average girl who is scared and powerless. Someone who truthfully wants to do more, but doesn't know how. It made her more relatable than the FMCs who come equipped with tons of skills or powers. It also made her character development more profound. Elias is our MMC and he is just wonderful lol. This book is dual POV btw. Elias is a soldier who is on the wrong side of history -- fighting for something he doesn't even believe in. I truly appreciated his character -- I loved that he stood up for what he knew was right, even if it meant betraying those close to him. There are two sets of love triangles and I hate love triangles. However, the romance in this book is a subplot, so it wasn't constantly in your face. For some of the characters in the triangle it's a slow burn, for others it's faster. Idk.
Also for those who are wondering -- there is no spice.
more like 3.75 stars*
I thought this book was engaging and the plot was interesting. Laia is our FMC and I enjoyed reading about an average girl who is scared and powerless. Someone who truthfully wants to do more, but doesn't know how. It made her more relatable than the FMCs who come equipped with tons of skills or powers. It also made her character development more profound. Elias is our MMC and he is just wonderful lol. This book is dual POV btw. Elias is a soldier who is on the wrong side of history -- fighting for something he doesn't even believe in. I truly appreciated his character -- I loved that he stood up for what he knew was right, even if it meant betraying those close to him. There are two sets of love triangles and I hate love triangles. However, the romance in this book is a subplot, so it wasn't constantly in your face. For some of the characters in the triangle it's a slow burn, for others it's faster. Idk.
Also for those who are wondering -- there is no spice.
amongthewaiting's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
emilyb_chicago's review against another edition
3.0
A fantasy novel with a pretty classic story around the clash of slave-and-owner race. It lagged a bit in the middle due to some repetitiveness. I found the Naïveté in the main slave/scholar character a very frustrating (and impossible) trope, but the alternate narrator view from the master/martial made up for it. His personal struggles were very well written and believable.
stephtherose_'s review against another edition
5.0
A dark and fantastical tale with altering perspectives that kept me on the edge of every page! This story had me hooked right from the beginning. The troubled soldier Elias and the brave slave girl, Laia make quite the duo. Most definitely looking forward to the next book!
bluejaybooks's review against another edition
4.0
Since I’ve read an ARC of the sequel, to be released in August, I’ve decided it’s about time I sort out my confused feelings towards this book so I can move on to writing an advanced review of the sequel.
This book is addictive. I started listening to it on the last day of a road trip. When I got home that night at about 9 PM, I could not get to sleep until I’d searched my house for my physical copy and read it the rest of the way through.
I’ve read a number of reviews in which reviewers say this book got them out of reading slumps, and I can see why. It’s next to impossible to put down. The timing was also perfect for me to read this book at the time that I did, exactly halfway through The Way of Kings.
Most people who read my posts are probably aware that Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series (the first book being The Way of Kings) is one of my favorite series, but even I started to feel a little discouraged about halfway through the first one because the book takes so long to read and I felt I wasn’t getting anywhere with it. Reading this book so quickly encouraged me to finish The Way of Kings, and I’m glad I did.
The society depicted is one that encourages blood lust, and one of the protagonists is a slave. It could have been unrealistic, or even disrespectful to glaze over the violence. However, there was a particular act of violence between characters who trusted each other that seemed to be crossing a line, and made me lose some respect for the characters’ in turn.
In the time since I’ve finished the book my confusion with regards to how I feel about this story has only grown. The story doesn’t standout in my mind from all the other YA epic fantasy books I’ve read, and therefore hasn’t proven all that memorable.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason this story doesn’t stand apart for me is its usage of many common tropes in a way I’ve seen used often before. The magic system didn’t seem particularly unique, and felt largely unexplained in this first book.
The element of having magical masks that permanently adhere to peoples’ faces also brought to mind a number of questions in my mind while reading with regards to sweat, dead skin, and shaving. The story also followed a familiar formula with the novel being arranged around a series of trials.
The familiar elements of the story helped make it a quick read, but also made the story somewhat forgettable.
This book is addictive. I started listening to it on the last day of a road trip. When I got home that night at about 9 PM, I could not get to sleep until I’d searched my house for my physical copy and read it the rest of the way through.
I’ve read a number of reviews in which reviewers say this book got them out of reading slumps, and I can see why. It’s next to impossible to put down. The timing was also perfect for me to read this book at the time that I did, exactly halfway through The Way of Kings.
Most people who read my posts are probably aware that Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series (the first book being The Way of Kings) is one of my favorite series, but even I started to feel a little discouraged about halfway through the first one because the book takes so long to read and I felt I wasn’t getting anywhere with it. Reading this book so quickly encouraged me to finish The Way of Kings, and I’m glad I did.
The society depicted is one that encourages blood lust, and one of the protagonists is a slave. It could have been unrealistic, or even disrespectful to glaze over the violence. However, there was a particular act of violence between characters who trusted each other that seemed to be crossing a line, and made me lose some respect for the characters’ in turn.
In the time since I’ve finished the book my confusion with regards to how I feel about this story has only grown. The story doesn’t standout in my mind from all the other YA epic fantasy books I’ve read, and therefore hasn’t proven all that memorable.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason this story doesn’t stand apart for me is its usage of many common tropes in a way I’ve seen used often before. The magic system didn’t seem particularly unique, and felt largely unexplained in this first book.
The element of having magical masks that permanently adhere to peoples’ faces also brought to mind a number of questions in my mind while reading with regards to sweat, dead skin, and shaving. The story also followed a familiar formula with the novel being arranged around a series of trials.
The familiar elements of the story helped make it a quick read, but also made the story somewhat forgettable.
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