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lanid'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? Yes
4.5
Minor: Blood, Drug use, Gore, Addiction, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Murder, and Violence
cameronreads'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death of parent, War, Torture, and Toxic relationship
marioncromb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Also i didnt vibe with the writing style, particularly at the start. It felt a bit 'second mentions', like the writer thought good writing was just rephrasing things differently with fancy adjectives (i got particularly annoyed with a sentence that was along the lines of 'the mellifluous voice spoke in honeyed tones', like mellifluous literally means like honey, you've said the same thing twice, no wonder this book was twice as long as it needed to be.
Its not a terrible book but eh
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, War, Classism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Genocide
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, and Vomit
misterwisp'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
4.0
It is somewhat slow at times and initially felt hard to get into. There is a big focus on the main character's thoughts and perceptions of things. There is a lot of subtle interpersonal drama, which is broken up by occasional fast paced action.
It proved worth the effort. The ending was great and provided a satisfying payoff of the main story threads leading there. I am left feeling invested in the characters and the world and wishing I had a sequel in my hands already!
Overall it came across as a book of subtlety and understatement in a well done and intriguing way. I can't believe this is a debut novel! Everything in it seems well crafted and thoroughly thought out.
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Classism, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Blood, Grief, and Death
Minor: Colonisation, Sexual content, War, Xenophobia, Murder, and Violence
thoughtsstained'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? No
5.0
- Lysande Prior. Oh boy, do I fucking love Lysande Prior? Like, I want to BE HER when I grow up!? The way she grows into a role thrust upon her and allows herself to feel ambition and use her unique talents and strengths is legendary. Her mind is fantastic. The tenacity. I bend a knee to Prior, gladly.
- The uniqueness of focus. I've read very few books where the scholar is the prime focus and it was positively refreshing. Plus, it felt like, in many areas, where we'd traditionally focus in one area, it was instead shifted to a different (and more interesting) conflict than the one we expected. (Being purposely vague here, due to avoiding spoilers.)
- It's GAAYYYYYYY. Queernorm world? Check. BISEXUAL MAIN CHARACTER!? Yes and my little bi heart did NOT realize how refreshing that would be. Queer relationships unapologetically on the page!? YES.
- Beautifully written. Like, holy shit, this was gorgeous!? Plus, it was written with a scholar's perspective in mind and I fucking loved that.
- Last 100 pages. So, I started reading the last 100 pages on my lunch break and then promptly turned off my camera during a Zoom meeting at 1pm and read for another hour during work because I couldn't stop (sorry day job). Everything had been set up so perfectly. The twists! The reveals! The sexual tension!!! Setting up a sequel!! I just!!!!
- Nothing. This is perfection.
The Councillor has skyrocketed to be one of my favorite books (and I don't say that lightly). Combining gorgeous writing with a main character I both admire and fear, with a cast of secondary characters that I'm attached to (hello Litany!!), despite (FUCK YOU, REDACTED) and am, um, way too attracted to (you all know who I mean here, surely). The plot was thrilling, I am 100% invested in what happens next and I am both kicking myself for waiting to read this and berating myself for reading it too soon before the sequel comes out, now stuck longing. Also, can I just saw that queernorm worlds are just so superior?
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, and War
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Minor: Alcohol