Scan barcode
picaresquedreamer'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Police brutality, Death, Murder, Racism, Classism, Sexual content, Violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Police brutality, Child abuse, War, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Gaslighting, and Genocide
Minor: Domestic abuse and Colonisation
annamary54'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
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Vomit, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Mental illness, Hate crime, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Death, and Gore
Minor: War and Child abuse
mighty_lizard_queen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
If this didn’t connect back to ACOTAR then I would have DNF’d half way through out of boredom and frustration, but, alas.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Police brutality, Murder, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Classism, Medical content, Gun violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Torture, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Infidelity
mads_reads_books'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: War, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Self harm, Death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Torture, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Racism, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Murder, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, War, Animal cruelty, Classism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
ladydeathnesta'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
5.0
I love them equally.
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Stalking, Car accident, Classism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, War, Body horror, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Grief, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Dementia, Ableism, Animal death, Deportation, Drug use, Medical trauma, Rape, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Self harm, Suicide, and Trafficking
ladylaelae's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As many others have likely stated, this book does start off slow. There is a mountain of worldbuilding to be done, especially since the setting of this book (urban fantasy) is markedly different from SJM's two other major series (which are a combination of high fantasy and mid-range fantasy settings, since ACOTAR's level of high fantasy and urban fantasy identification is ambiguous).
Outside of the initial pains of worldbuilding, this book took me by surprise. I'm not normally an urban fantasy kind of gal, and yet the characters pulled me right in. There was a devastating twist in the beginning of the book (iykyk) that shocked me and pulled me right in. There was flirtatious banter and charm between the characters that had me rolling my eyes in amusement, occasionally blushing, and giggling like a madwoman. And then there was one particular set of scenes toward the end that had me sobbing my heart out
No, her writing is not the top-tier writing you may expect from the upper echelons of fantasy authors. This book is meant for adults coming off of young adult fantasy and moving into something more mature. Yes, she does her usual thing where she uses certain phrases and themes over and over again. NO, you should NOT read this before you read her other series, if you can help it.
Manage your expectations, and I think you'll fall in love. Not every book, series, or author has to be the next Tolkien, Greenwood, or Sanderson. This book - as with all of SJM's fantasy books - is fun, romantic, emotional, and packed with action and adventure. The writing is mid-tier fantasy writing, but the world can be captivating and imaginative. Just immerse yourself in it and enjoy it for what it is.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse, Alcohol, and Cursing
anjasshelf'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
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Medical content, Vomit, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Grief, Alcohol, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Torture
cady_sass'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
To think I almost DNFed this after 50 pages!!! Which is why I deduct half a star. The first few chapters are really hard to read, they’re nonsensical, lazy world building and make almost zero sense to the point where I felt compelled to put it down. Some friends convinced me it was worth the push so I started over and pushed through part 1, at which point I absolutely *devoured* the rest of the book. I didn’t guess any of the twists, I fell in love with all the characters, my heart broke and pieced itself back together and broke over and over again. Loved this. ACOTAR who?
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Medical content, Vomit, Slavery, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Torture, War, Blood, Classism, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexual content, Sexism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
sooaery'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Violence, War, Drug use, Slavery, Classism, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Torture, Confinement, Misogyny, and Vomit
Minor: Hate crime, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Child abuse
cdoubet'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Sexism, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and War
Minor: Abandonment