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anns_storybound_sanctuary's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
mkoehn's review
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookishserenity's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 stars
since when are dorian and mercy best friends lmao
since when are dorian and mercy best friends lmao
jemmiller's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
I enjoyed this one, Dorian was a little hot and cold for me at the beginning but it made sense for his character. Liked the overall plot development in this one.
jackiehorne's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 I had given up on this series after book #3, not caring for the insta-love and the aggressively- dominant male/feisty but liking the dominant guy female gender dynamics of the series. But Willaful recently gave this one a thumbs-up, so I decided to give it a try.
Alas, the same things still bugged me in this one as in the previous books. Ashaya, a Psy scientist, defects in order to save her son. He's been rescued by the Darkriver Changeling clan, and Ashaya, too conveniently, finds herself captured by the sniper of the same clan, Dorian. Dorian has fallen into insta-lust with Ashaya on sight in a previous book, something he can't stand, because he couldn't prevent his sister's death at the hands of a crazy Psy and feels pretty anti-Psy because of it. Of course, the two end up rolling together in the sheets. And of course are fated to be mated.
The subplot about Ashaya's sister, Amara, being amoral is an interesting one. Is she too damaged to save? Does Ashaya owe her her protection? Made me think about her in terms of disability issues; Amara can be read as a disabled character in some ways.
And so can Dorian, a Changeling who has never been able to change into his cat form. But the book's epilogue makes such a reading problematic...
Singh has been praised for featuring characters who are other than your standard white fantasy protagonists. Ashaya has dark skin, but other than that fact, there is little to nothing that marks her as racially different. Race in Singh's world plays out on the level of Psy/Changeling/Human, the dynamics of which have nothing to say about our world's racial situation, I feel. Is this cause for cheer—because we have characters of color in a story where color isn't the issue—or for worry—because our racial problems get erased/ignored in favor of the racial issues of the Psy/Changeling world?
Alas, the same things still bugged me in this one as in the previous books. Ashaya, a Psy scientist, defects in order to save her son. He's been rescued by the Darkriver Changeling clan, and Ashaya, too conveniently, finds herself captured by the sniper of the same clan, Dorian. Dorian has fallen into insta-lust with Ashaya on sight in a previous book, something he can't stand, because he couldn't prevent his sister's death at the hands of a crazy Psy and feels pretty anti-Psy because of it. Of course, the two end up rolling together in the sheets. And of course are fated to be mated.
The subplot about Ashaya's sister, Amara, being amoral is an interesting one. Is she too damaged to save? Does Ashaya owe her her protection? Made me think about her in terms of disability issues; Amara can be read as a disabled character in some ways.
And so can Dorian, a Changeling who has never been able to change into his cat form. But the book's epilogue makes such a reading problematic...
Singh has been praised for featuring characters who are other than your standard white fantasy protagonists. Ashaya has dark skin, but other than that fact, there is little to nothing that marks her as racially different. Race in Singh's world plays out on the level of Psy/Changeling/Human, the dynamics of which have nothing to say about our world's racial situation, I feel. Is this cause for cheer—because we have characters of color in a story where color isn't the issue—or for worry—because our racial problems get erased/ignored in favor of the racial issues of the Psy/Changeling world?
michelraptor's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
3.5
sincerelymendacious's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
b_nour's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
jujunwa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
archangelwings's review against another edition
3.5
OK but insta love / matey business aside, I was kinda into dorian and ashaya, the kid was cute, but not present much, and the kamara business was v inchresting