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kaliipayne'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: Gaslighting, Gore, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Confinement, Racism, Emotional abuse, Blood, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape
trinanom5'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
Minor: Rape
autumnwitch14'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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Medical content, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Gore, Kidnapping, and Vomit
Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Body shaming
snackykennedy'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Torture, Vomit, War, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Pregnancy and Genocide
kelisabeth'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
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Slavery, War, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Classism, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Sexual assault
stellastidbits'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
Graphic: Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Gore, Death, Rape, Classism, and Mental illness
anndreya'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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Confinement, and Torture
Minor: Rape, Abandonment, Body horror, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Vomit
storyorc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Maas is clearly trying to bring a layer more nuance than is traditionally typical for the romance genre in having Feyre struggle with her trolley problem murders and not end up with her original love interest. I welcome this. There were even a few lines that captured some real depth and wisdom. It's a step in the right direction, even if we're never really question whether Feyre will face lasting consequences any more than we do that she'll end up with Rhysand. Even if Rhysand's superiority is made clear immediately and repeatedly while Tamlin speedruns villainy. Even if it's all as subtle as a bag of bricks to the dome.
Yet again, the side-quest fairies who most closely resemble their mythological counterparts are the most interesting. In contrast to Rhysand's Inner Circle of lovely but not terribly original friends (with the possible exception of Amren), the fairy-fairies are intimidating and otherworldly. We see my favourite Suriel again, and also two (original?) delightfully sinister creatures, the Bone Carver and the Weaver. Feyre's meetings with them are the most memorable and exciting parts of the book and the only time you feel real fear that the heroes are facing something that could ruin them.
The romance payoff works too. Feyre and Rhysand are cute together, dammit, but over 600 pages, even their snarking and flirting grows repetitive. By the sixth obstacle or missed opportunity, I started hoping she'd go yell at Tamlin again just for a change of pace. Even the ending couldn't stop me skimming until Maas finally kicked into high gear with the
Other things that haunt me:
- The idea of a fairy city having night clubs, lingerie shops, and bank accounts with lines of credit.
- The idea that Rhysand is overpaying Feyre when she literally
has every power and is the only one who can enact his plan to save the world . - "Licking" as a synonym for oral. This cannot be allowed to continue
- Rhysand's little speech about
shaking mountains if she gave him head turning out to be literal. Sir, you are a head of state. You cannot be terrorising the populace with both property damage and the knowledge of why it's occurring. - How no-one acknowledges that Tamlin and Lucien's concern Feyre is being mind-controlled is extremely legitimate! Their personal enemy, who spent weeks publically sexually assaulting Feyre and is known for mind tricks, kidnapped her from her wedding and they're supposed to believe her letter that it's all good?? Let them be shitty control freaks without this as an excuse.
- Nesta, a human, was described as roaring and now I'm no longer certain if all the fairies snarling and growling and roaring are doing so metaphorically too or literally, as I had assumed
- Fairy diplomacy is WILD. I'm pleased they have different etiquette to humans but the Night Court's standard diplomatic strategy seems to be to show up and pretend to be bored sluts. Heads of state talk about Feyre's chest and
practically fuck in the throne room. Consider my pearls clutched. - Morrigan, Azriel, and Cassian need to shit or get off the pot. Cassian makes the most valiant stab at being interesting but without the love triangle, they might all feel more like the powerful allies they're intended to be instead of teenagers.
- What is the significance of leaving the human queens nameless? Why would Rhysand
reveal Velaris now, on hope alone, when 3/4 of his tragic backstory is about protecting it? - The >9000 power levels erode all stakes. It's not enough for Rhysand to be able to mind kill, he has to be the Most Powerful High Lord Ever; it's not enough for Feyre to have all the High Lord powers, she can also just
decide not to be affected by the King of Hybern's magic (persuading it was a cute idea, but immediately dropped?) ; it's not enough for Azriel and Cassian to match the strongest Illyrians by using siphons, they have to use SEVEN. - The knee tattoo idea is something you write in your notes app at 4am while listening to Broken Crown but it should have been nixed in the cold light of day
Mostly, I just wish some of the hard choices our heroes make were pushed and explored further as truly morally ambiguous. And that Lucien was in every chapter.
Moderate: Rape
meyermz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Misogyny, Grief, Classism, Rape, Death, War, Violence, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Animal death, Eating disorder, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Slavery, and Blood
tesspacito2'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape