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willow1113'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: Sexual content, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma
jonezzzing's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, War, and Trafficking
Moderate: Vomit, Murder, Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Pregnancy, and Rape
strawberrypinch'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Trafficking, Alcohol, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Body horror, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit and Pregnancy
veronicachp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really wanted to like this one, I know many people love it, and with 9 books in the series I was really hoping to fall in love and be kept busy for a while. But alas, I didn't really like it.
I found the sexual politics really....uncomfy, especially the training of children to be perfect courtesans from a very young age, and 16 being the age where they start serving patrons. As a former 16 year old, just really squicked me out. And her adoptive father is supposed to be a kind hero figure, but I couldn't overlook him ultimately training child prostitutes and spies to do his dirty work for him.
Aside from that it's just SO LONG. SO LONG. The story didn't really properly start until like, 300 pages in, and then continues for another 600 pages. That's with the author continually using the "I won't bother to tell you about *scene*" choice throughout the book, where the narrator (Phedre) explicitly chooses not to detail several scenes (like crossing the mountain, several political moments, etc) and yet it's still 900 pages. I feel the whole book could have been done just as well in 4-500 pages, tops.
I did really love some of the characters, and some of the scenes, but unfortunately the good didn't outweigh the mediocre for me.
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Rape and Vomit