Scan barcode
theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Cursing, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
_alyssar_'s review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
bittennailbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Thumbs up: I was surprised to read that it took folks awhile to get into the story because I felt this one knocked me to the ground and dragged me through every brutal chapter like a spider monkey. This book is so bloody and ruthless that you forget it is a YA novel. The torture, SA threats, and enslavement is definitely enough to turn your stomach. That being said, the writing was very accessible which made it quick to burn my eyeball nerves speed reading because I was terrible engrossed in this story. A new favorite on my shelf for sure.
Thumbs down: I don't have much in terms of criticism for this one. Just make sure you check out the content before diving in [a lot of threats of rape but nothing on page]
Was it a nail biter? When I literally have to cover the bottom half of the page so I stop reading ahead due to my stomach dropping anxiety for these characters? I'm surprised I have fingers left. 4.75/5.
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Hate crime, Trafficking, and War
charlizardbookboi17'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
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
reckless_reader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
esconce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Slavery, Violence, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual harassment
takarakei's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
You have a soul. It's damaged, but it's there. Don't let them take it from you...
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Grief, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
This is an extremely dark book hence the long list of TW Rape/SA - there is none graphic on page, but rape is referred to a lot (seems to be common occurrence in this world) andfareehareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
All that being said, there was a lot that fell flat in this story. This book is entirely told in the perspective of Laia and Elias whose destinies clearly are intertwined in some way even though they come from vastly different worlds. The character development for both protagonists was severely lacking.
Laia's whole plight is the continuous hope that her brother is alive out there somewhere and her predicament (literally choosing to be enslaved to a ruthless woman) will lead to his freedom. Throughout the entire book she clings to this hope even as she endures violence at the hands of her slaver and abusive men, and constant condescension from her so called allies in the Resistance. She never thinks of herself, only her brother and how she can aid in freeing him. At a certain point, her resilience stop making sense to me, because we never see her falter and for a girl raised in a mostly comforted home life, I don't know why we never saw a breakdown of will. So much of her characterization is hinted at but never explored; like her feeling of being inferior in a family of revolutionaries, the sinking despair that physically personify into ghuls that chase her everywhere,
Now Elias... he's a character archetype I haven't read in years. He has a dark and tragic backstory and is on the "evil" side but in his heart of hearts believes he is not meant for this life and attempts to break out of it after years of grueling training, only to be pulled back in by a greater destiny. He is that typical man man, the most ruthless, the most physically capable fighter, good looking, a natural leader etc etc. He is the type of protagonist most fantasy books feature and that I, personally, wish would die out in popularity. (More soft men in fantasy please). His inner monologue when he even looked at a woman was startling each time and painful to read through. Maybe like 40% of what he thought was grounded in what we learned of him as a character that is plagued by all the death he's wrought as a Mask and his striving to do good and constantly questioning the world he was forced into, but the rest was just heavy handed sexism. What up with that ?
Also the consistent threat of r wording female characters was also very troubling and not at all what I expected to read. I wasn't a fan of Marcus' characterization at all. I understand having foils to the capable morally upright male protagonist, but having that be a r*pist like Marcus... I was not a fan.
Overall I gave this book a 3.5 but it was probably more of a 3.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Blood
sh543's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
shalladin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism