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booknerderika's review
3.75
I was waiting the whole book for
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
hailstorm3812's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
bookswithbethx'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
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
onthesamepage'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
4.0
“There is no such thing as a worthy sacrifice. There are only those who die, and those willing to let them.”
This is an Arab Spring/Egyptian-inspired fantasy by an Egyptian Muslim hijabi author. I am 2.5 of those things (only half Egyptian, in case you're wondering), so this review is probably going to be at least a little bit biased.
For example, even though this is set in a fantasy world with made up countries, the language is Arabic. I don't think I can describe the sheer joy of understanding every single word (except "suraira" for some reason, but I'm sure that's on me, and that made it more fun anyway). Now, I am also honest enough to admit that if this was a different book, for example European-inspired, and the language was Latin, I would have issues with it, because I would consider it kind of lazy worldbuilding. But it's my language, and I've never seen it in a fantasy book before, so basically, I don't care. I loved it. Also, all the mentions of familiar food made me instantly want to travel to Egypt just to eat.
There are a lot of mysteries within this book, and by the end of it, I was left with more questions than answers. But the central piece of it is the relationship between Sylvia and Arin. If you're looking for an actual, high stakes enemies to lovers romance, I would definitely check this out. It's very slow burn, which is the only way I can buy into that trope, but by the time their relationship hit its stride, I was so invested that every scene had me clutching my e-reader with "will they won't they" tension. That's exactly what I want from a romance, and the author absolutely delivered.
It also helps that I actually like both characters. Sylvia is a Chosen One in the sense that she's the heir to a kingdom that no longer exists, and whose people are being murdered, but she doesn't want to be. She doesn't want to feel anything for other Jasadis, or carry the responsibility of their lives and future on her shoulders. To her, nothing is more important than her own survival, and the further you get in the story, the more you understand why she grew up to be the way she is. But even though she's very careful, she's also a hothead with a "fuck it" attitude that I really loved. Arin, meanwhile, is someone who takes his responsibilities very seriously. My first impression of him was that, despite everything Sylvia tells us about him, his actions show that he has a sense of honor. But that doesn't mean he isn't guilty of hunting down people just because they have magic, even if they have never used it to hurt anyone. I think both characters definitely grow as a result of having to deal with each other.
Even though we spend a lot of time watching the relationship between our main characters develop, that doesn't mean the fantasy elements aren't well done. The magic system is pretty simple, but the secrets surrounding Sylvia and Arin were really compelling. There are deadly trials, magical creatures, the constant danger of Sylvia being discovered, political machinations, and so much more. This is a very strong start to the series, and I can't wait to see what the sequel brings. The only reason this isn't a full five stars is because it starts off a bit slow and takes a while to really get going. But I think this might be one that could be 5 stars on reread.
Graphic: Genocide and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse and Rape
soniajoy98'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and War