Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - The Final Strife

Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

36 reviews

barda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and diversity of characters in this book, though it was brought down by some flaws and overall tone.

I broadly liked the charactres, with Hassa being a standout in particular. I do wish she had more POV, but she was a delightfully mysterious character and her friendship with Sylah was heartwarming. The autocratic world that the author created was also very interesting, if not the most unique; I found that the twist regarding the map really opened up the world more and makes me eager to learn more in the next book.

In terms of what I didn't like, it's a pet peeve of mine when the author switches POV's multiple times in one chapter with no breaks in between characters, and this book has tons of it. It also had some random characters that had only one or two POV's in the whole book and these seemed unnecessary. The romance(s) also seemed very abrupt and tacked on, and I wonder if the book would actually do better by removing romance entirely (though the book was very good at developing the overall friendship between Anoor and Sylah, if not the romance aspect). I also found the tone at times to be a bit too grimdark for my tastes; I can completely understand why the author wanted to show the horrors of slavery and discrimination, but the inclusion of sometimes graphic descriptions of death and torture made the happier moments between characters seem incongruous.

Overall, it was an interesting book to read and will be reading the next one, but I do hope that the issues with multiple POV's in particular are fixed in the next instalment.

Content Warnings

avisreadsandreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

bookstarbri's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad tense slow-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

2.75

I wish I loved this :/ Idk, I think a big problem was that I didn't like one of the main characters, so it was a rocky start. I also didn't like that it took SO LONG for things to happen. I'm all for slow burn, and even prefer it in fantasy, but it felt like a lot of scenes could've been cut to move the plot along faster. Since it was a training kind of book, there was a ton of that, but then what they would be training for ended really quickly so the buildup didn't really feel worth it? For me, things didn't start getting really interesting until around page 400, and that was just too long to wait. There were some slight surprises before that point, but nothing that was super shocking. The ending is interesting and part of me is considering reading the sequel because the ending was so good, but I'm not sure. I will say that it did have a promising start for me and I LOVED Hassa, Anoor, Kwame, and Gorn. Though this wasn't for me, I can definitely see why it's beloved by so many. There's a lot of intricate thought put into this world and I did love reading that aspect of this book.

Content Warnings

caseythereader's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

moonchild_cos's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

3.75

Content Warnings

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.75

Content Warnings

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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

Honestly, when Samantha Shannon blurbs a book, it's a pretty automatic "check it out" for me. Plus, I have been really loving how much more mainstream fantasy/sci-fi inspired by African and Arabian and other non-Western traditions has become (I mean, there's still a long way to go, but progress is good). So, basically, deciding to read this was not a tough call. Of course, with a novel this length (and knowing that it was starting a trilogy that hasn't been fully released yet, which I'm always hesitant about because waiting is hard and I hate cliffhangers), I had to be mentally ready for the undertaking, so there was a delay between purchasing and picking up the novel. But here we are.

The Warden's Empire has a very strict caste system, based on the color of one's blood. Sylah was stolen as a child from her upper class (red-blooded) family home. She was raised by the resistance and intensely trained with the goal of infiltrating the ruling class' tight-fisted rule from the inside. But years ago, her family was brutally murdered and since then, she's been purposeless, just barely finding the will to survive. Anoor has spent years being told by her mother (who happens to also be a high ranking official in the empire) that she is useless, a disappointment, not the child her mother wanted (secretly blue-blooded). When Sylah and Anoor meet, they find connection in their goals, their need to make a mark and prove their worth, if not their understanding of or experience with the world. And over time, they realize their experiences as outsiders in their own way(s) may have left them with more in common, and a greater emotional connection, than they'd thought. Alongside their unfolding story, we meet Hassa, one of the translucent-blooded serving class, whose hands and tongue were cut off like all her people's have been for generations. Hiding her people's many secrets, and working to lead them towards their own goals to take down and escape from the Warden's rule, she joins her knowledge and forces with Sylah and Anoor. Working together, from their different skill sets and angles, these three women may be able to bring on the power shifts and revolutionary changes they've all long dreamt of.

For the first few chapters of this novel, I was super hesitant. The world-building felt basic and easy, and while I totally understand that all the best fantasy worlds are conceptually built upon the familiar (which are very uniform in their "powerful people taking advantage of other people in imperialistic ways"), it was the writing of it too. I feel like there is a way to make the familiar compelling, and not "expected." The point being, the beginning had me feeling unsure about how this would stand up to the hype. However, thankfully, it turns out that it was just the set-up at the start that felt that way (which is perhaps in part due to the debut nature of this novel - that sort of rudimentary communication of the fundamentals of the world, as opposed to a more sophisticated interweaving of those world-building details with early character and plot development). Also of note, as with all reviews, this is just my opinion, so others may not have felt the same about the opening. But in any case, I'm thrilled to report that after those first few chapters, the intricacies of the world, a nuanced and compelling character development, and a settling-in to the pacing and plot unfolding, picked up and had me fully invested.

And let me just take an extra moment to say how much I appreciated that nuance and intricacy in the central characters and the world they live in. I was so impressed by how El-Arifi built each of their motivations because, as with all people (and especially for these characters within this story), their relationships and loyalties and emotions and choices are complex. Like, are your ties with blood or those you grew up around, and who is better placed to disrupt a system (and is it even possible to fully do that from only one angle)? Like, how can you simultaneously be jealous of what should have been yours and fight to tear down the systems that created it in the first place? Like, while there are absolutely those who bear a greater blame/role, is there ever anyone who is not, in some way, part of the problem...and can therefore be part of the situation, in their own way? The look at how class structures are not black and white - or red/blue/clear, as it were - yet there is some sweeping privilege that must be recognized, regardless of other characteristics, is thorough and necessary. And oooooof, overall what a commentary on the dangers of misunderstandings/assumptions that come with enforced separations amongst different peoples (as a concerted effort of those in power to retain said power it's horribly parallel to "real life" and, as much, carries important messages to readers). But anyways, basically this is all to say that I *loved* the way the Anoor, Hassa and Sylah developed separately and intertwined. Their growth was paced in a believable way and their emotional struggles (both in connecting and in not wanting to connect) felt genuine in both its difficulty and depth. I cannot wait to see where they each go from here and in what ways they come back together...or not.

Plot-wise, this novel delivered as well. There was a building of tension and stakes consistently from beginning to end, with the structure of the trials as a great way to have smaller builds/releases within the greater context. It's not a totally original set-up, for sure, but it was well-executed. And while I was cautious about how it would play out, really hoping for it to be realistic (within this world, obviously), I was pleased with how El-Arifi unfolded it all without anything too "easy" as far as plot devices. Also, alongside the main plotline of the trials, there were a number of smaller stories unfolding, many related to the ruthless violence and lying as a basis for this society/empire. The foreshadowing of how those lies coming to light will upend everything from the current system *as well as* the fight to bring that system down built well in and around the primary plot line. Finally, there were quite a few reveals at the end (and while some definitely weren't a surprise, some were unexpected), and I loved that they have me fully invested in where everything goes from here, BUT with enough of a wrap that I, a natural born hater of overdramatic cliffhangers (like seriously, if you write a story well enough, I will want to know what happens next without the need for all the characters to be left in a precarious and doomed situation) am happy with it.

So basically, this is a really high quality opening to a new fantasy trilogy with lots of action, great character development of an awesome trio of female leads (I'm totally here for this type of complicated-strong heroine-dominated story - give me *all* of that), new (to me) and wonderful cultural inspiration on well-loved fantasy tropes, and a set-up for a story that I really want to know the rest of.

“Love gives you strength, but retribution gives you purpose.”

“How nice it is to be so blinded by your own riches that you can't see whose back your home is built upon.”

“When money is everything, everything is for sale.”

“His eyes crinkled with the wisdom of other people’s stories.” (What a description for educators/librarians, so much love!)

“We cannot reclaim what’s ours without help from those who oppress us.”

“If we forget the individual, we forget ourselves.”

Content Warnings

gagereadsstuff's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark tense medium-paced

4.5

Content Warnings

tilda_002's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

4.25

This book is a fantasy novel in which colour of your blood dictates the class you are in within society. Those with red blood are the embers “the elites” of society, then are those with blue bloods who are the dusters and below them are those who have translucent blood who are called ghostings. The story follows our main protagonist Sylah as she enters a competition called the Aktibar a competition that takes place every 10 years. Due to a series of unfortunate events she gets sidelined and it’s forced into training a Duster raised by an Ember called Anor.

Content Warnings

likeanecho's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

Bello bello

Content Warnings

More...