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annelihghh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Slavery, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
theespressoedition's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
What an interesting story!
I read several reviews of this ahead of time to see if it was something along the lines of The Daevabad Trilogy or even The Sands of Arawiya. However, it really didn't feel anything like those books (aside from nods to Arabian lore with the Djinn) - and it seems everyone else who wrote a review agrees with me. This story is set in the desert, but doesn't feel like a "desert book" so much as a fantasy novel that happens to include a lot of sand.
The magic in the story was really interesting and I'd love to see it fleshed out a bit more in the sequel (at least, that's what I'm hoping happens). Aside from knowing that demdji are half-Djinn and half-human and have access to unique powers, there's really not a lot of additional information. Some of the characters make mention of the power coming from the heart or their mind, but I'd love to see a little more of a deep-dive into that. A girl can dream.
I was expecting there to be a heavier emphasis on the romance and there really wasn't, which was weirdly okay with me? Typically, I love a good romance, but this one was perfectly satisfying. There's chemistry between the characters without it being the front-and-center focus.
The beginnings of war was something that both confused me and worried me for the future of the series. First of all, I didn't understand the sultim and the many sons and the contest between them happening throughout the book's timeline. Secondly, I don't enjoy sequels that are filled with primarily political intrigue and war-planning. I'm hoping that's not the case moving forward, because it could wind up with me DNFing in the middle of the second book just based on that alone. My hope is that things will begin to make a little more sense and they won't slow down the pace of the plot.
I'm on the fence with how I feel about this. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. And then some of the time, I found myself really confused. But, I can't form a cohesive "review" until I've finished the series. So, more thoughts to come!
I read several reviews of this ahead of time to see if it was something along the lines of The Daevabad Trilogy or even The Sands of Arawiya. However, it really didn't feel anything like those books (aside from nods to Arabian lore with the Djinn) - and it seems everyone else who wrote a review agrees with me. This story is set in the desert, but doesn't feel like a "desert book" so much as a fantasy novel that happens to include a lot of sand.
The magic in the story was really interesting and I'd love to see it fleshed out a bit more in the sequel (at least, that's what I'm hoping happens). Aside from knowing that demdji are half-Djinn and half-human and have access to unique powers, there's really not a lot of additional information. Some of the characters make mention of the power coming from the heart or their mind, but I'd love to see a little more of a deep-dive into that. A girl can dream.
I was expecting there to be a heavier emphasis on the romance and there really wasn't, which was weirdly okay with me? Typically, I love a good romance, but this one was perfectly satisfying. There's chemistry between the characters without it being the front-and-center focus.
The beginnings of war was something that both confused me and worried me for the future of the series. First of all, I didn't understand the sultim and the many sons and the contest between them happening throughout the book's timeline. Secondly, I don't enjoy sequels that are filled with primarily political intrigue and war-planning. I'm hoping that's not the case moving forward, because it could wind up with me DNFing in the middle of the second book just based on that alone. My hope is that things will begin to make a little more sense and they won't slow down the pace of the plot.
I'm on the fence with how I feel about this. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. And then some of the time, I found myself really confused. But, I can't form a cohesive "review" until I've finished the series. So, more thoughts to come!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Death, Murder, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Torture, War, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, and Violence
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