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viccreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4/5 Stars
Favorite Quotes:
-“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing.” p.20
-“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.” p.65
-“All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.” p.221
-“But there are two kinds of guilt, girl: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.” p.286
-“Once I’d have wanted that. I’d have wanted someone to tell me what to do, to fix everything. Once, I’d have wanted to be saved.” p.411
——
Tropes/Characteristics:
- 2 POVs
- Love Triangle
- Female Lead
- Enemies to Lovers
Things I Liked:
- fast-paced so it held my attention well
- great storyline in an interesting world
- merciless villains who don’t hold back (more realistic)
- a female MC who doesn’t want to be saved or rescued by someone else ; independent
- dark themes that aren’t explored in graphic, unnecessary detail
- interactions with love interests that had me grinning and blushing
Things I Didn’t Care For:
-i almost wish it wasn’t written in a YA style. I think the darker themes and plot could’ve been explored more deeply and hit more profoundly if the book wasn’t bound by YA constraints.
-i struggled to get into the story at first, because it felt like everything was happening too suddenly at the beginning
-the quick pace did leave me with low attachments to side characters,so when some died I didn’t feel any emotional reaction other than “oh that’s sad”
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more of this series!
Favorite Quotes:
-“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing.” p.20
-“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.” p.65
-“All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.” p.221
-“But there are two kinds of guilt, girl: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.” p.286
-“Once I’d have wanted that. I’d have wanted someone to tell me what to do, to fix everything. Once, I’d have wanted to be saved.” p.411
——
Tropes/Characteristics:
- 2 POVs
- Love Triangle
- Female Lead
- Enemies to Lovers
Things I Liked:
- fast-paced so it held my attention well
- great storyline in an interesting world
- merciless villains who don’t hold back (more realistic)
- a female MC who doesn’t want to be saved or rescued by someone else ; independent
- dark themes that aren’t explored in graphic, unnecessary detail
- interactions with love interests that had me grinning and blushing
Things I Didn’t Care For:
-i almost wish it wasn’t written in a YA style. I think the darker themes and plot could’ve been explored more deeply and hit more profoundly if the book wasn’t bound by YA constraints.
-i struggled to get into the story at first, because it felt like everything was happening too suddenly at the beginning
-the quick pace did leave me with low attachments to side characters,
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more of this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Trafficking and Torture
oliviaferlazzo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Blood, Torture, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Abortion, War, Rape, Pregnancy, and Grief
trazimmariju's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
iwasagiftedkid'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? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
portuguese_bookaholic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
“There are two kinds of guilt: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.”
In a world inspired by Ancient Rome, a revolution is brewing...
Laia is a Scholar, an oppressed people who have been conquered and enslaved by the mighty Martials, forming the Empire. After losing her grandparents and watching her beloved brother being arrested, she reaches out to the Scholar Resistance for help. The cost? She has to infiltrate the feared Blackcliff Academy, where the Martial elite troops are brutally trained, and spy on the terrifying Commandant, who has a reputation for ruthlessness and cruelty.
Elias is a Martial, but for the first few years of his life, he was raised as a Tribesman. Now the top student at Blackcliff, the years of training haven't quenched his doubts about the life that has been planned out for him. He hopes for freedom and is plotting his escape from the clutches of the Empire. But he's also struggling with leaving behind his loved ones and betraying his comrades and friends, especially his best friend, Helene.
When Laia and Elias meet, sparks fly. Can two such different people be exactly what the world needs? In the war ahead, their biggest fight will be for their souls.
-----
How could I have taken such a long time to pick up this book?! It is SO GOOD!
Sabaa Tahir is a bold storyteller, with a very direct writing style, and she doesn't pull ANY punches. The story immediately begins at full speed and from that point on it never lets up! It's just surprise after surprise, revelation after revelation, and mystery after mystery. There are scheming, betrayal, attraction, deadly secrets, and even a competition to the death, for good measure. In short, everything good is in this book. But make no mistake, this world IS brutal and bloody, and completely merciless.
The characters are richly built, with unique personalities and voices, believable conflicts, and amazing growth. At this point, Elias is my favourite, I love his inner struggle, his determination to do better, to do right, even when everything and everyone seems to be against him, even when his very fate seems to want to lead him towards something completely different from what his heart is telling him to be. But Laia and Helene are also very interesting in their diametrically opposite personalities. And the villains, especially the Commandant? SUCH a complex character, and how much I'm loving to hate her!
This story has everything: high-stakes quests, backstabbing, twists, lurking magic, and a little sprinkling of romance to spice things up.
A 5-star read for me and deserving of all the hype and accolades. I just can't wait to continue with this story!!!
In a world inspired by Ancient Rome, a revolution is brewing...
Laia is a Scholar, an oppressed people who have been conquered and enslaved by the mighty Martials, forming the Empire. After losing her grandparents and watching her beloved brother being arrested, she reaches out to the Scholar Resistance for help. The cost? She has to infiltrate the feared Blackcliff Academy, where the Martial elite troops are brutally trained, and spy on the terrifying Commandant, who has a reputation for ruthlessness and cruelty.
Elias is a Martial, but for the first few years of his life, he was raised as a Tribesman. Now the top student at Blackcliff, the years of training haven't quenched his doubts about the life that has been planned out for him. He hopes for freedom and is plotting his escape from the clutches of the Empire. But he's also struggling with leaving behind his loved ones and betraying his comrades and friends, especially his best friend, Helene.
When Laia and Elias meet, sparks fly. Can two such different people be exactly what the world needs? In the war ahead, their biggest fight will be for their souls.
-----
How could I have taken such a long time to pick up this book?! It is SO GOOD!
Sabaa Tahir is a bold storyteller, with a very direct writing style, and she doesn't pull ANY punches. The story immediately begins at full speed and from that point on it never lets up! It's just surprise after surprise, revelation after revelation, and mystery after mystery. There are scheming, betrayal, attraction, deadly secrets, and even a competition to the death, for good measure. In short, everything good is in this book. But make no mistake, this world IS brutal and bloody, and completely merciless.
The characters are richly built, with unique personalities and voices, believable conflicts, and amazing growth. At this point, Elias is my favourite, I love his inner struggle, his determination to do better, to do right, even when everything and everyone seems to be against him, even when his very fate seems to want to lead him towards something completely different from what his heart is telling him to be. But Laia and Helene are also very interesting in their diametrically opposite personalities. And the villains, especially the Commandant? SUCH a complex character, and how much I'm loving to hate her!
This story has everything: high-stakes quests, backstabbing, twists, lurking magic, and a little sprinkling of romance to spice things up.
A 5-star read for me and deserving of all the hype and accolades. I just can't wait to continue with this story!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Child abuse, Child death, and Bullying
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment
destdest's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.0
Not really a review but more so some rambling thoughts
-Easy to read. I breezed through pages like it was nothing. I looked up and half the book was already read.
-The different people, the scholars, martials, masks, and so… the racial makeup was hard to get a grasp on. I think scholars are pale, lighter-skinned and martials are generally darker, whether in skin or hair color. But some people are blonde, redhead, dark-haired and so on. Maybe it’s more of a cultural thing than a general look because every character’s looks ran the gamut.
-Marcus was horrid. Like a hyena laughing at brutality, grossness, and violence. I don’t think he had any redeeming value. It’s unfortunate placement the first line about him refers to his darker skin, then him being called ugly.
-I’m not sure why only one girl is allowed each year, and in a school of boys raised to be brutish and barbaric.
-Things are cruel at the academy for everyone, the students and, especially, the enslaved. The threat of being raped is a very real, ever-present thing here for the female characters and slaves. In addition, the carnage rises high and children are not spared. There’s a constant sense of peril, which runs throughout the story.
-I’m ambivalent about the Helene-Elias stuff. I didn’t really care for the romance aspect in general, but the strain it put on their friendship was interesting to watch. I wonder why Helene is SO loyal to him.She’s is staking life decisions on one dude.
- I <b>loved</b> the Cook, the real MVP! Also, Laia has some good character development.
- hormones are all powerful. Characters close to death and being actively tortured in ENSLAVEMENT, but got time for their hearts to go doki doki. Well, okay, even during tragedy, people fall in love.
- I'm ready for the Commandment to get rocked.
I guess the real friends we made were the sexism and battle weaponry we met along the way.
In all seriousness, I’ll read book two. I want to see where this goes.
-Easy to read. I breezed through pages like it was nothing. I looked up and half the book was already read.
-The different people, the scholars, martials, masks, and so… the racial makeup was hard to get a grasp on. I think scholars are pale, lighter-skinned and martials are generally darker, whether in skin or hair color. But some people are blonde, redhead, dark-haired and so on. Maybe it’s more of a cultural thing than a general look because every character’s looks ran the gamut.
-Marcus was horrid. Like a hyena laughing at brutality, grossness, and violence. I don’t think he had any redeeming value. It’s unfortunate placement the first line about him refers to his darker skin, then him being called ugly.
-I’m not sure why only one girl is allowed each year, and in a school of boys raised to be brutish and barbaric.
-Things are cruel at the academy for everyone, the students and, especially, the enslaved. The threat of being raped is a very real, ever-present thing here for the female characters and slaves. In addition, the carnage rises high and children are not spared. There’s a constant sense of peril, which runs throughout the story.
-I’m ambivalent about the Helene-Elias stuff. I didn’t really care for the romance aspect in general, but the strain it put on their friendship was interesting to watch. I wonder why Helene is SO loyal to him.
- I <b>loved</b> the Cook, the real MVP! Also, Laia has some good character development.
- hormones are all powerful. Characters close to death and being actively tortured in ENSLAVEMENT, but got time for their hearts to go doki doki. Well, okay, even during tragedy, people fall in love.
- I'm ready for the Commandment to get rocked.
I guess the real friends we made were the sexism and battle weaponry we met along the way.
In all seriousness, I’ll read book two. I want to see where this goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Slavery
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child death, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, and Bullying
Minor: Rape
briggs4598's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Medical trauma
Minor: Vomit, Sexism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Blood, and Gore
katsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-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
"Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after." pg. 20
"You are an ember in the ashes. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it." pg. 65
"Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged, but it's there. Don't let them take it from you." pg. 401
"When the fear takes over, use the only thing more powerful, more indestructible, to fight it: your spirit. Your heart." pg. 422
This was an amazing read! I absolutely loved the world building. It's incredibly brutal which could be hard to read. I'd give some trigger warnings for violence and attempted sexual assault but overall, I loved the writing, the mystery, the suspense, the complicated relationships. I can't wait to read more in this series.
REREAD - April 2022
This book was just as good the second time around. I was surprised by the amount of stuff that I forgot. I remembered the important bits but there were still parts that surprised me and wrenched my heart out. Tahir really knows how to make you feel for characters, sometimes, even when you actually hate them. I loved that even the Resistance, which is supposed to be seen as the good side was morally gray. The different classes of people created a really in depth world that was so compelling. I was even here for the love square. Oftentimes, love triangles aren't my favorite trope but Tahir made this one work. I think the interesting part of the love triangle is that for each main character, one of their love interests represents a piece of themselves that they're at war with. Their love interests are a side of themselves that they could ultimately choose and would change their trajectory in massive ways.
This is marketed as Young Adult but it pulls no punches when it comes to violence. The story opens with the death of Laia's caregivers and the kidnapping of her brother, as well as the brutal beating and death of a 10-year-old deserter at Elias' school, Blackcliff. If you are sensitive to themes like this, maybe skip this series. That being said, a major plot point is Laia's enslavement in the commandant's household and I was glad to see the life of a slave NOT be sugarcoated in any way. Especially from an American perspective, enslavement is often made more palatable to make it seem less brutal than it was and I'm glad this book doesn't feed into that narrative.
I'm really excited to continue buddy reading this with @redheadbooks and @shereadsatnaptime. We've been using the Storygraph buddy read feature and it's made the experience so much richer this time around!
"You are an ember in the ashes. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it." pg. 65
"Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged, but it's there. Don't let them take it from you." pg. 401
"When the fear takes over, use the only thing more powerful, more indestructible, to fight it: your spirit. Your heart." pg. 422
This was an amazing read! I absolutely loved the world building. It's incredibly brutal which could be hard to read. I'd give some trigger warnings for violence and attempted sexual assault but overall, I loved the writing, the mystery, the suspense, the complicated relationships. I can't wait to read more in this series.
REREAD - April 2022
This book was just as good the second time around. I was surprised by the amount of stuff that I forgot. I remembered the important bits but there were still parts that surprised me and wrenched my heart out. Tahir really knows how to make you feel for characters, sometimes, even when you actually hate them. I loved that even the Resistance, which is supposed to be seen as the good side was morally gray. The different classes of people created a really in depth world that was so compelling. I was even here for the love square. Oftentimes, love triangles aren't my favorite trope but Tahir made this one work. I think the interesting part of the love triangle is that for each main character, one of their love interests represents a piece of themselves that they're at war with. Their love interests are a side of themselves that they could ultimately choose and would change their trajectory in massive ways.
This is marketed as Young Adult but it pulls no punches when it comes to violence. The story opens with the death of Laia's caregivers and the kidnapping of her brother, as well as the brutal beating and death of a 10-year-old deserter at Elias' school, Blackcliff. If you are sensitive to themes like this, maybe skip this series. That being said, a major plot point is Laia's enslavement in the commandant's household and I was glad to see the life of a slave NOT be sugarcoated in any way. Especially from an American perspective, enslavement is often made more palatable to make it seem less brutal than it was and I'm glad this book doesn't feed into that narrative.
I'm really excited to continue buddy reading this with @redheadbooks and @shereadsatnaptime. We've been using the Storygraph buddy read feature and it's made the experience so much richer this time around!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Murder, Gaslighting, Genocide, Misogyny, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Torture, Violence, War, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Blood
bookinitwithahtiya's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual harassment, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Torture, and Bullying
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