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jsherwood'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
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, and Animal death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Child death
avialaeleigh's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
I like that instead of us readers finding out everything as it is happening we are being told a story of Gabriels life until that point from the man himself. More like someone reminiscing on the past and sharing "war stories" of their youth to their friends and families years after the fact.
I love how you love, hate, fight and grow as Gabriel does during his story telling. You see the man that he currently is but you also see how he came to be that man. You see the friendships made and the friends lost, whether that be to their own missguidance or to the perials of their world. You learn everything that he has gone through from his own perspective not as he might have see it at the time it happened but as someone who is looking back and maybe just a bit wiser because of it.
I cried and yelled and laughed throughout his story. And I can't wait until the next boon come out and we can learn more of his story and how he came to be locked in a tower forced to tell his story to Jean-François.
Also the banter between Dior and Gabriel is *chef kiss*. I can't wait for more of that and also to figure out why Gabriel yalks as if though she is dead or no longer around. I am not sure if my heart can handle learning that she is dead. Much like I died learning the Celene is not dead but Dead and somehow and Anchien Vampire. Not sure how that happened in only 15ish years, from my understanding Anchien vampires are much older but maybe I'm wrong *shrugs*.
I am giving this a 4.25 mostly because I was annoyed that when we would finally be picking up pace in the story Jean-François would interrupt and change the direction of the story telling. Resetting it back to a slow/medium pace. Otherwise it would be a 5 star read. Love the characters, setting, plot, development and between the beautifully crafted and made up phrases all of the characters used I was always entertained whilst reading.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Animal death, Grief, Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, War, Drug abuse, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Death
thetayloredpage'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
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Drug abuse, Child death, Murder, Outing, Animal death, Violence, and Religious bigotry
shannonvonpesach's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Alcohol, Physical abuse, War, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse
emyyrose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, Addiction, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Homophobia, Death, Blood, Alcoholism, and Violence
amy_reading_23'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? It's complicated
5.0
It's about Gabriel De Lion, a dhampir recounting his life to a vampire who has him imprisoned. He focuses on two tales, the one of his upbringing and the one of the adventure leading him here. Just when one tale comes to a cliffhanger he switches to the other.
I really enjoyed Gabriel's character. He is a destructive mixture of cynical, sad, fearless and hopeful, a man having lived an incredibly hard life. But although the book has dark and sad moments, he tells his story with humour and I couldn't get enough of it.
There were some bits I was unsure of, that made me a bit uncomfortable. E.g. I don't know why Kristoff felt the need to write such explicit sex scenes between teenagers in an adult fantasy book. That felt unessecary and having heard some criticisms of his other books I do have to wonder why he chose to do that. But other than that, the book was great and I'll be thinking about it for a while.
Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Death, War, Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, and Sexual content
blackcoffeebooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Misogyny
booqsgal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Torture
simmich429'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
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Body horror, Violence, War, Drug use, Torture, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Child abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
emilygibbs'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
4.0
Graphic: Violence, War, Child death, Gore, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent