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badbadwolf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Slavery, Child death, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Medical content, Xenophobia, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and War
misterwisp'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? It's complicated
4.0
The pace stays fast and engaging. The main character's revenge quest continues and he also gets wrapped up in bigger picture events of the rebellion that took place at the end of the first book.
The world gets some interesting new background lore that was compelling.
In a pivotal part of the story, the point of view changes to a side character which added depth and perspective to the actions of the main character in a worthwhile moment. The characters continue to be written well even if the main one gets most of the page time. The book is more about the action than the characters but it all works.
The ending is satisfying on it's own, while at the same time setting up what promises to be an even more intense book 3. There are some interesting threads set up here with great potential to develop in the next book. A great heroic fantasy series so far.
Graphic: War, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
doctormon'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
4.0
Graphic: War, Violence, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
decembermagpie's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, War, Animal cruelty, Gore, Grief, Blood, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
mandyjh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death and War
mxkanteven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Violence, War, and Body horror
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Gore, Death, War, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide
cognitivedisaster'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
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Classism, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
ehmannky's review
- 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
5.0
Also,
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Violence, War, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Colonisation, Child death, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Vomit, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Genocide
noraa's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Colonisation, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
sugarpal's review
- 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
Not in a bad way, definitely –– as a huge fan of TPW, I actually loved this book, and really enjoyed making note of the parallels. The similarities of the first books (grimdark-dark-dark atmosphere, grisly violence, themes of war and discrimination and colonialism, non-Western cultural focus, and the plot:
I do, of course, have some thoughts about this book on its own. The character work is excellent. Though Winter could easily let Tau stagnate in this book as a blindly raging avenging machine, he instead treats Tau as a human, and makes sure to show his sensitivity alongside his brutality. Tau is very self-centered, but even while stuck in his perspective, I still enjoyed reading about his relationships with his friends, and their development as individuals. (The gay rep?? We love to see it!!!) And especially for a male author, the female characters, few though they are, are strong and well written. Tsiora is my queen and she could step on me any day –– but I love that he also explores her childhood, and the darker sides of her character that anyone but her sister would be blind to. Actually, on the topic of perspective, I wasn't sure how I felt about Winter's fluid approach to POV in the first book (occasionally shifting to side characters, while still mainly staying in Tau's perspective), but I decided in this book that I definitely am a fan due to how he handled Esi and Tsiora. Being in the head of a major player we had never seen, the discomfort of reading her bigotry, and her fresh perspective on the war and on Tsiora were all very well done and added a lot to the story.
Overall, I have a few quibbles about these books –– for example, how Winter's already-few female characters seem to love sacrificing themselves (seriously, they've done that
Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, and Colonisation