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tea_leaves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Trafficking, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War
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) andkatvou'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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
sarahsbookss'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
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
For those who enjoy love triangles, this has an innovation on the form: Laia and Elias each have two people to choose between. As the protagonists they're of course drawn to each other, but Laia has a smoldering attraction to one of the rebels, and Elias is slowly realizing he might have romantic feelings for his best friend (the only female Mask in his generation). These tensions aren't completely resolved in this book either, leaving room for this to develop more in the next one. I like both options for each of them, and it feels like there's a genuine question over what they'll choose. For those who are a little less into such plots, it's a consistent but not overwhelming thread and there's plenty else to like.
The plot begins with Elias and Laia on two sides of the same raid, where Laia's grandparents are killed and her brother is kidnapped, while Elias is one of the Masks carrying out the invasion. The chapters frequently overlap, with each narrator sometimes beginning their chapter by telling their perspective on an event or a slice of time which was just told by the other. Since they generally have completely different experiences, I like this overlapping style but it took a little getting used to. It made it feel more like they were each narrating what was important to them, uncaring and unknowing of what the other described. Laia asks the Rebels for help getting her brother back, and is placed as a slave to the Commandant of the Academy where Elias is. Elias was planning to escape, but is told by an Augur that the only way to actually be free is if first he stays. The rest of the story unfolds as Laia tries to get information to the rebels and survive her enslavement, while Elias tries to survive the gauntlet of challenges to be the next emperor (a title he doesn't even want).
One thing I appreciate about this book is that in a system so controlling and overseen by (basically) mind-reading (probably) immortal Augurs who never explain their own goals, it would make very little sense for the heroes to have genuine agency over their lives at a macro level. So they don't. They don't have control over how things will go, their plans keep working out very differently than they even dared to hope, and they frequently suffer for it. They're constantly in danger and often get hurt, Laia from the Commandant's whims or Elias from the challenges themselves. When things do go well, an Augur usually turns up to tell Elias how he's done what they wanted, yet again. It's frustrating but completely in keeping with the brutality and sheer mind-fuckery of the situation. Because they have so little control, most of the plot focuses on how they feel and what they decided to do in the small moments they do have.
I enjoyed this and plan to read the rest of the series, this is an exciting and well-paced beginning to the quartet.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
rinku's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide and War
griffinthief's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit and Trafficking
bookish_kori's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Trafficking, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Minor: Confinement, Abortion, and War
If you read modern YA or NA fantasy, this isn’t really out of line with that. Check out specific trigger warnings because there are a few that are more unique to this book than others but overall I’d say if you’ve read Stalking Jack the Ripper, Throne of Glass, A Good Girls Guide to Murder, or anything like that then this won’t be much of a stretch. Some of my trigger warnings were a little bit like “oh yeah this happened” but I didn’t notice it at the time as that thing. Specific events:luliposatieris'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
4.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and War
karapillar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pregnancy