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supernovatovah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Torture, Bullying, Classism, Violence, Blood, Murder, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: War and Cannibalism
Minor: Religious bigotry, Rape, Police brutality, Colonisation, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
cheazcakeguy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There is so much to love about this book, and I have a hard time thinking of anything negative to say about it, but for some reason there were a couple long stretches in this book that were hard to get through for reasons I can't quite explain. It just wasn't much of a page-turner at times. Maybe it was the uneven pacing of the plot, or maybe I just wasn't interested in what was going on, but it was certainly a chore to read at times.
With that out of the way, though, I can talk about everything I loved! The character development in this book is some of the best I've ever read in sci-fi/fantasy. Hadrian, the protagonist whose point-of-view we see this story from, is such a complex character who changes throughout the book. His choices are always believable, for better or worse, and the book really deconstructs his psychology throughout. You fully understand where he is coming from and feel his inner turmoil. This is written as if Hadrian is writing his own memoir near the end of his life, after gaining much more experience and wisdom than he has in this book. In the beginning he is insufferable and annoying, which was hard to enjoy while reading (one of the difficult sections I mentioned above). But his development from that person into the more calculating, restrained, and empathetic person who we see by the end of the novel is extremely well done and satisfying. He is by no means perfect by the end either, leaving plenty of room for future development through the rest of the series. The whole book really feels like its purpose is to be a character study of Hadrian, to make it clear who he is and where he comes from in order to set up the rest of the series, and presumably understand him better before moving on to the rest of his story.
The world-building is also excellent. It is detailed, without overexplaining everything. The empire is a chilling portrait of some of the worst aspects of humanity and modern society. The Cielcin are portrayed as an unknowable, dangerous threat that you can't help but want to know more about. And the descriptions of buildings, ships, landscapes, etc. are so detailed and vivid. On that note, this book is also extremely well-written, with beautifully written passages and poignant statements throughout as Hadrian (our narrator) reflects on his past. It truly feels like something written by Hadrian, who frequently admits that he can't help being melodramatic all the time (though the melodrama comes off in the best possible way, I swear).
Lastly, the book's exploration of themes was probably my favorite thing about it. Even if I was occasionally bored with the actual events of the plot, the book always has insightful statements to make on themes like death, religion, oppression, freedom, fate, control, power, survival, xenophobia, and many more. Even if a conclusion isn't reached about a certain idea, it still leaves you pondering and reflecting on how they are presented in the world of the novel and in our own world.
Overall, I think this book is excellent. It is an epic introduction to what I can only hope will be continually epic story, that will continue building on the characters and themes presented here. I am definitely going to keep reading this series, whenever I get the time to anyway.
With that out of the way, though, I can talk about everything I loved! The character development in this book is some of the best I've ever read in sci-fi/fantasy. Hadrian, the protagonist whose point-of-view we see this story from, is such a complex character who changes throughout the book. His choices are always believable, for better or worse, and the book really deconstructs his psychology throughout. You fully understand where he is coming from and feel his inner turmoil. This is written as if Hadrian is writing his own memoir near the end of his life, after gaining much more experience and wisdom than he has in this book. In the beginning he is insufferable and annoying, which was hard to enjoy while reading (one of the difficult sections I mentioned above). But his development from that person into the more calculating, restrained, and empathetic person who we see by the end of the novel is extremely well done and satisfying. He is by no means perfect by the end either, leaving plenty of room for future development through the rest of the series. The whole book really feels like its purpose is to be a character study of Hadrian, to make it clear who he is and where he comes from in order to set up the rest of the series, and presumably understand him better before moving on to the rest of his story.
The world-building is also excellent. It is detailed, without overexplaining everything. The empire is a chilling portrait of some of the worst aspects of humanity and modern society. The Cielcin are portrayed as an unknowable, dangerous threat that you can't help but want to know more about. And the descriptions of buildings, ships, landscapes, etc. are so detailed and vivid. On that note, this book is also extremely well-written, with beautifully written passages and poignant statements throughout as Hadrian (our narrator) reflects on his past. It truly feels like something written by Hadrian, who frequently admits that he can't help being melodramatic all the time (though the melodrama comes off in the best possible way, I swear).
Lastly, the book's exploration of themes was probably my favorite thing about it. Even if I was occasionally bored with the actual events of the plot, the book always has insightful statements to make on themes like death, religion, oppression, freedom, fate, control, power, survival, xenophobia, and many more. Even if a conclusion isn't reached about a certain idea, it still leaves you pondering and reflecting on how they are presented in the world of the novel and in our own world.
Overall, I think this book is excellent. It is an epic introduction to what I can only hope will be continually epic story, that will continue building on the characters and themes presented here. I am definitely going to keep reading this series, whenever I get the time to anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Classism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Minor: War, Genocide, and Rape
yunera's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Xenophobia, War, Abandonment, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Medical content, and Police brutality
Minor: Addiction
atalea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-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
3.5
I liked the book, but I really struggled through it. Although I was in a reading slump when I read it which may have affected my reading experience, I do believe that was not the only reason this book felt a bit flat to me. The very slow-pace of the book, combined with me not really connecting with any of the characters and not much happening in this book really impacted my enjoyment of the book. I also had great expectations about this series, so maybe I set the bar too high going in.
I am still interested in seeing where the story is going, because I've heard great things about it sequels (which I own) so I will continue the series but I am not in a rush to do so.
I think this is a series you need to be in the right headspace in, same as with a Robin Hobb book. My advice: take your time with it and don't expect this (at least the first book) to be an action-heavy book. It's main focus lies on political maneuvering and retrospection which causes the pace of the story to drop significantly. Still, overall I enjoyed it.
I am still interested in seeing where the story is going, because I've heard great things about it sequels (which I own) so I will continue the series but I am not in a rush to do so.
I think this is a series you need to be in the right headspace in, same as with a Robin Hobb book. My advice: take your time with it and don't expect this (at least the first book) to be an action-heavy book. It's main focus lies on political maneuvering and retrospection which causes the pace of the story to drop significantly. Still, overall I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Colonisation, War, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Slavery, Murder, Death, Torture, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, and Confinement
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Cannibalism
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