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anntharai's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I do wonder if this book is a victim of its own hype. I was hesitant to read at first due to the hype around itd then when it came up available on my library app I thought it had been long enough but I still found myself with expectations. It was fine. I'm not sure if it felt like a cliff hanger, Straight up sequel bait, or like they wanted to write a longer book but split it in two...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Violence, Racism, Murder, Classism, Death, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Torture
cryosphinx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
I did go into this not knowing much about it other than it was a debut from a First Nation author. When I started this, I wasn't sure if it was going to grab me. It took about around 100 pages for things to really start flowing but once it did, I started to really, REALLY enjoy this. The foreshadow was a bit too 'hey, look at this twist that's coming' so it was predictable. Keera is definitely the highlight of this book, being a bad ass but flawed FMC who has multiple struggles to work through and the back and forth with Riven is a delight. And there are parts that are so heart wrenching that i had to sit the book down and process it (Looking at you Ch. 25).
I can see why some people may not like this since it's a fairly trope heavy book. The author thanks BookTok and it does gear it towards that type of 'tell me the tropes' writing. My biggest complaint was about half way through the book I was over being reminded that Halfings had their ears altered. Very repetitive reminder to the readers to see it mentioned over and over. While there was a lot more political intrigue than I anticipated which I love as a trope, I feel like the colonialism could have been a bigger aspect. I hope the next books continue to talk about it but bring in more to the forefront.
But when I hit the 75% mark I immediately ordered the next one and pre-ordered 3 so I clearly enjoyed it. Give me tropey fantasy and I will devour it.
I can see why some people may not like this since it's a fairly trope heavy book. The author thanks BookTok and it does gear it towards that type of 'tell me the tropes' writing. My biggest complaint was about half way through the book I was over being reminded that Halfings had their ears altered. Very repetitive reminder to the readers to see it mentioned over and over. While there was a lot more political intrigue than I anticipated which I love as a trope, I feel like the colonialism could have been a bigger aspect. I hope the next books continue to talk about it but bring in more to the forefront.
But when I hit the 75% mark I immediately ordered the next one and pre-ordered 3 so I clearly enjoyed it. Give me tropey fantasy and I will devour it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and War
Moderate: Alcohol and Colonisation
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Torture
readbynany's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This the kind of book that white straight people would complain about on booktok ðŸ˜ðŸ˜. The writing and story was impeccable and captivating, only thing I had trouble following was fight or action scenes.
The fmc is bi and the mmc is a moc!
The fmc is bi and the mmc is a moc!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, Self harm, Alcohol, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
evelinateran's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down! The plot was engaging, the characters were great and the world was fascinating! A great story and I can’t wait to see where the rest of the series goes! If you loved Throne of Glass, A Broken Blade is a must read! It’s a must real regardless!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Colonisation
boyshouts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
4.0
Listened to this as an audiobook and finished it in like a day and a half, parts of it weren’t exactly my jam but I found the exploration of themes like (de)colonization and substance abuse in a fantasy context really interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Torture
Moderate: Addiction, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Violence, War, and Alcoholism
batesbarb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The central concept and world building of this book were really interesting. Unfortunately, the actual writing is clumsy enough in places that it gets in the way of the story at times. The descriptions are often overwritten in a way that clashes with the close first person viewpoint. It feels artificial and grating, which makes it harder to get invested in the characters and events. The characters are all supposed to be well into adulthood (even in the context of long-lived elves and halflings), but they all seem to act and speak like teenagers. Combined with the writing style it winds up feeling much more YA than I think the author intended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Colonisation, and Emotional abuse
laurenf106's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Is it a masterpiece of modern literature? No. Is it gonna scratch that itch for a badass assassin FMC and a broody fae shadow daddy MMC? YES. It also had a fresh and interesting take on a world with not only fae and mortals, but also elves and halflings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Self harm, and Colonisation
maregred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Alcoholism, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Self harm
Minor: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Trafficking
staygold91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read this book and its sequel over the course of one weekend. The world is rich and well-developed. The characters feel like real people, and I love the FMC. Keera’s adventure of loss and rediscovering hope is something many could relate to.
I would recommend this book (and series) to anyone who enjoys reading about political intrigue and liberation, and love in the face of overwhelming odds.
I would recommend this book (and series) to anyone who enjoys reading about political intrigue and liberation, and love in the face of overwhelming odds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Colonisation, Addiction, Self harm, and Sexual content
chronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Classism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail