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longlost'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
4.0
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Genocide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Confinement, Kidnapping, Racism, Pregnancy, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content and Rape
iksme'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Murder, War, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Genocide, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
cosmodeus_'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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Homophobia
bookcaptivated'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: Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, and Violence
violet_pages'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
3.5
Graphic: Death, Genocide, and Animal death
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Confinement, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Torture
Minor: Rape and Sexual content
danajoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I found the first half rushed, too much happening and too much told instead of shown. I will note that I don't know very much about Arthurian legend and part of me wished we'd gotten a little story time moment before the reveal that Ari is King Arthur reborn. It would've been a nice way to foreshadow so we didn't just get Merlin's character panicking and reminding everyone about doomed romances and the such.
I found all the romances in this rushed and excessively horny. I don't particularly gel with this as YA, there is a fair bit of swearing and sexual encounters that made me feel uncomfy as an adult (23yo) reading about details of the love life between teenagers. I hated the forced marriage inclusion and the discussion of babies when everything was already so rushed.
I wanted more banter and moments between the friend group.
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Violence, and Mental illness
amanda_t'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? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
confusedmuse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, and Sexual content
mxrumphius's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content
caidyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ORIGINAL REVIEW
This review can also be found on my blog!
DNF @ 39%
As I said in a First Lines Friday I did about this book, I was very wary of this book. Mainly because James Patterson put his name on it. First, I know that this isn’t by James Patterson. I completely realize that. However, it has his mark on it.
And his mark, to me, says that everything’s going to be nearly the same with slight changes made so it’s not 100% the same. The characters are all going to fit a certain archetype. The main character is going to be bold and reckless. The rest of the team are going to fade into the background and barely be distinguishable from each other. The plot is going to be contrived. The series will never end and just go on and on and on for eternity.
That’s James Patterson’s brand and the brand of people he works with.
And, I can say, I wasn’t wrong.
The only thing that this book has going for it is the diversity. And, damn that diversity was great! Gender-bent, Arabic, female Arthur (aka Ari) who’s totally queer. Merlin’s gay. There are black siblings; one is genderfluid and missing a hand, and the other is queer. Gwen is a queer woman of Asian-European heritage. Then, there’s an ace character but I didn’t get to the point where she was actually called ace.
Like, I loved how naturally the diversity came and how it was on the page. It wasn’t mentioned once and forgotten. It came up again and again and again. I enjoyed that because it just shows that diversity can be done right.
However…
The story wasn’t anything special. In the almost 40% that I had read, nothing happened. Lots of banter and flirting and sex. When I decided to throw in the towel with this book, I had just gotten to meeting the bad guy in person. And the bad guy? Basically like any other James Patterson bad guy. Humorous, sarcastic, a part of a huge company.
Nothing to impress me.
So, this book isn’t by James Patterson. But it felt like it was. Which is exactly what I thought would happen when I saw he had a publishing company. I’m very glad that these diverse books are out there, but I don’t like it that James Patterson is pumping them out. I know that from this experience, I’ll be staying away from his publishing company.
Graphic: Sexual content, Kidnapping, Death, and Infidelity