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vivavia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, Gore, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Religious bigotry, Blood, and Classism
ka_ke's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It was good enough to make me pick up the second book! When people ask, I’m not gonna lie, I felt weird saying it was (loosely) based in Russian folklore given the Russian/Ukraine war happening right now, definitely got some weird looks. Anyway, I appreciate the world building, I felt like I was in Grazyk for the Rawala. The politics are easy to understand. A pronunciation guide would have been beneficial in the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Gaslighting, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, and War
solybugs's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It is extremely easy to empathize with Nadya's way of thinking and her internal conflict throughout the whole book, which makes you feel the same heartwrenching emotions that she eventually feels. It also is surprisingly interesting to hear about the setting's politics, something that I wouldn't think I would be interested in. Easy 5/5 stars.
Edit: A bit after this review, I learned that the author was anti-semetic and racist. I have brought my review down to 3.5/5 stars not only because of that but also because after reading some other reviews, I noticed some more flaws with this book that I hadn't before. It was engaging and fun to read but definitely has its flaws. And the author shouldn't be supported.
Edit: A bit after this review, I learned that the author was anti-semetic and racist. I have brought my review down to 3.5/5 stars not only because of that but also because after reading some other reviews, I noticed some more flaws with this book that I hadn't before. It was engaging and fun to read but definitely has its flaws. And the author shouldn't be supported.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and War
Moderate: Self harm, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Death
Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, Gore, Torture, and Abandonment
Self-harm is used both as part of a magical system and there are references to past self-harm. There is also talk of human sacrifice. Also, strong religious fighting is part of the main political conflict throughout the whole book.oliverreeds's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
when reading this book, you can tell that its the authors first. she is a great writer, but i feel like she didn't listen to her story in terms of which direction it was meant to take. the characters introduced at the beginning of the story didn't feel like the saem characters at the end of the book, and i had a lot of issues understanding where the motivation came from for their actions specifically between Nadya and Malachiacz?? I don't and didn't understand how Nadya, by all means a sensible person, could possibly keep trusting someone who has fucked her over time and time again. I didn't understand why she, a rational human being, would trust something, someone she has been raised to hate. i also felt as though the tension in Nadya between the gods and the heretics did not seem incredibly complex, and i couldn't tell if that was on purpose as a way to show that all bias is only as deep as your relationship with a member of the group you hate?? because at the end Nadya still hates the heretics and is loyal to gods who don't care about her and refuse to answer her calls for help . all in all, i thought the action was well-written; the writing style was incredibly compelling, and the relationships drew me in, but the characters seemed to fall flat in important moments and crucial ways. i wanted the author to listen to her characters and see if they would do what she was asking them to do. all this in mind, i plan on finishing the series and enjoyed the book while reading it. the casual diversity of queer people was a massive plus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Self harm
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