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eli_deatherage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Child abuse, Classism, Drug use, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
tbwhite23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: War
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I picked this up as a title from the author of Divergent, which I enjoyed, and Arch-Conspirator that I had my reservations about. This story didn't quite grab me as much as I wanted it to.
People are spread throughout the galaxy and there is a shining glowy plasma trail thing in space that changes colour and is somehow linked to some augmentative gifts that the people acquire as they come of age. These gifts seem to be a honing of internal predispositions and are adaptive to each person, often in response to a meaningful event in their lives. In traumatic situations sometimes these gifts awaken early to protect those who are in trouble. The two main characters have strange gifts, one who feels chronic pain and inflicts it on others by touch, and one who stops the flow of the Current that bestows the gifts, stopping a persons powers while he is in contact with them.
The world building in this is pretty cool but I think the story telling falls a little flat. I am a proponent of good prophesy stories (I've said this often) and this story is pinned on certain players who are "Fated" to do certain things. The prophets have an ability to see into the multiplicity of futures, and those Fated are the ones who seem to turn out always at the same point, no matter what path is taken. It does baffle me however that the main antagonist wants to fly in the face of his fate, demonstrating a willingness to believe that such fates can be averted, and yet, he basically sets up his sister to have plenty of opportunity to lean into hers, despite it not being in his best interest.. why would you write a story like that? If you are worried about your sister Defecting, why would you buddy her up with a refugee-slave from the other side? This characters is supposed to be wily and not shortsighted.
Blah fights.. my other Thing is not liking fights, and there are too many. Too much bodily defacement, and even in the horrific violence, not enough realism for me to even engage with it. It's a bit sad.
CW: there is a lot of stimulant use, poisoning, and things so if that's not your bag, then read something else.
I like some of the twisty plots, oppression and resistance, but some of the race memory of language, secret genealogy, blood lines, just feels a bit too magicky.. this semi-magical semi-scifi .. it doesn't really cohere for me. When I think about it that's a little weird because I liked the bloodlines and inheritance stuff in Legendborn, but this left me cold.
Lots of focus on killing, grief, and cutting tattoos into flesh to remember loss.. just feels a bit.. emo.
People are spread throughout the galaxy and there is a shining glowy plasma trail thing in space that changes colour and is somehow linked to some augmentative gifts that the people acquire as they come of age. These gifts seem to be a honing of internal predispositions and are adaptive to each person, often in response to a meaningful event in their lives. In traumatic situations sometimes these gifts awaken early to protect those who are in trouble. The two main characters have strange gifts, one who feels chronic pain and inflicts it on others by touch, and one who stops the flow of the Current that bestows the gifts, stopping a persons powers while he is in contact with them.
The world building in this is pretty cool but I think the story telling falls a little flat. I am a proponent of good prophesy stories (I've said this often) and this story is pinned on certain players who are "Fated" to do certain things. The prophets have an ability to see into the multiplicity of futures, and those Fated are the ones who seem to turn out always at the same point, no matter what path is taken. It does baffle me however that the main antagonist wants to fly in the face of his fate, demonstrating a willingness to believe that such fates can be averted, and yet, he basically sets up his sister to have plenty of opportunity to lean into hers, despite it not being in his best interest.. why would you write a story like that? If you are worried about your sister Defecting, why would you buddy her up with a refugee-slave from the other side? This characters is supposed to be wily and not shortsighted.
Blah fights.. my other Thing is not liking fights, and there are too many. Too much bodily defacement, and even in the horrific violence, not enough realism for me to even engage with it. It's a bit sad.
CW: there is a lot of stimulant use, poisoning, and things so if that's not your bag, then read something else.
I like some of the twisty plots, oppression and resistance, but some of the race memory of language, secret genealogy, blood lines, just feels a bit too magicky.. this semi-magical semi-scifi .. it doesn't really cohere for me. When I think about it that's a little weird because I liked the bloodlines and inheritance stuff in Legendborn, but this left me cold.
Lots of focus on killing, grief, and cutting tattoos into flesh to remember loss.. just feels a bit.. emo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Terminal illness, Suicide, Slavery, Self harm, Racism, Drug use, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Deportation, Death of parent, and War
cadybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Murder, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Gaslighting
Minor: Medical content, Classism, Colonisation, Blood, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Self harm, and Gore
marareading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reading this again was as good as the first time. I love this book. The building of the worlds, wars, and characters. The gifts, dueling families and faith. the characters have so much depth. the world has so much depth and scenery built in. I love the development and twists.
Akos and Cyra are my ultimate enemies to lovers. Having fates given from birth that cannot be changed, and families at odds from across the divide they are told they cannot change. Definitely worth the read, and re-read.
The two sides of this war are so divided by pride and and blinded by what they think they know of the other. One thinking the other is brutal and intense. One thinking the other is weak. While that not being the case. Assuming the other side is a monolith... Having a power to every person and a date that can't be changed on top of that. It is a great read when I put in into perspective of culture, assumptions of humans, and how much we trust in politics & traditions.
Akos and Cyra are my ultimate enemies to lovers. Having fates given from birth that cannot be changed, and families at odds from across the divide they are told they cannot change. Definitely worth the read, and re-read.
The two sides of this war are so divided by pride and and blinded by what they think they know of the other. One thinking the other is brutal and intense. One thinking the other is weak. While that not being the case. Assuming the other side is a monolith... Having a power to every person and a date that can't be changed on top of that. It is a great read when I put in into perspective of culture, assumptions of humans, and how much we trust in politics & traditions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Self harm, Violence, and War
kazbrekkercore's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
2/5
The current flows through everyone, and every living thing, bestowing each human with a unique gift. On one side of the planet, in Thuvhe, lives Akos not yet with a currentgift, fated child of one of the three oracles. On the other side, Shotet, lives Cyra, whos currentgift brings her only pain, fated sister of her country's brutal sovereign. They live separate lives until Akos is captured by the Shotet, and joins forces with Cyra.
This book was really close to a DNF for me. The concept was intriguing, but this book had almost no action, and what little it did seemed to pass in slow motion because of the writing style. I’m also still not entirely sure what the details of Cyra’s currentgift were, it wasn’t explained very well. Finally, because I don't like leaving all negative reviews, I really liked Akos's character, he seemed pretty relatable. I would not read this book again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and War
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