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scandinavian_queen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Abortion
littlemissducky'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
5.0
i felt myself not breathing more than once during the duration of this book. reading it is like drowning in liquid gold - it's fucking gorgeous but you're literally suffocated. this world is so intense that you can't help but feel for the main characters. your blood will boil in half a second and your heart will break even faster. even though the Empire is a fictional world; it has an insane resemblance with the world we live in - how people are forced to categorize each other to avoid pain. The system, the leaders, the creatures; this book is the epitome of dystopian novels.
i adored the main characters so much, and it is incredibly refreshing to see into the characters i've deemed "shallow" when i read the first few chapters. Laia is the most wonderful breath of air. she's the main character that i'm sure many people will see themselves in (even if this is a fantasy novel) i surely did. so many times i just wanted to hug her, comfort her and assure her of her abilities. her bravery, selflessness and strength will forever inspire me. Elias is... my entire soul aches for him. i cannot imagine the amount of stress, trauma and dilemma he has to face every day. he reminds me of Achilles, but better :) he's so broken, cracked, but possesses the warmest heart. aside from the darker stuff, Elias' humor is top tier. Laia and Elias is an iconic duo, i grinned like a maniac at the most unexpected scenes. finally Helene. i don't want to spoil anything, but i think she is the character that has the most depth i've ever read about. i'm more in awe with her the further i read. and she is a BADASS. i'm eager to find out more about her character development.
Sabaa Tahir crafted the maddest world and developed it in the most captivating way. her writing skills is out of this world, the character development >>> everything. i can see everything, feel everything so vividly. i obsessively underlined quotes in this book. she can stab me with a scim and i will say thank you.
i can't stop thinking about this book. and i'm even more excited for the next 3 books. ms. Sabaa Tahir has my bank account in a chokehold, idc, be my guest.
READ IT, PEOPLE.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Rape and War
r1vana's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Kidnapping, Murder, and War
ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I thought I could start this review with what I liked - honestly, it's not a lot. I liked the romantic tension, which doesn't count for much in the face of the novel as a whole.
So here are the things I didn't like:
--> The characters are extremely half-baked. I understand that many YA novels are about some kind of character growth, but this one just didn't hit the nail on the head. This is the first book in a series, yes. But I should have seen something. Some growth, some decline. Instead, these characters fall flat.
--> The plot. It's simple. Too simple. In the face of developing characters, I would expect the plot, other characters (mainly the antagonist), or the world politics to take over. Alas, that did not happen here.
--> The sadism. I just read the description of this novel on Goodreads and it's supposed to be based on Rome?
But where are the positive Roman attributes of this empire? This novel focused on the deaths, the slavery, the wars, the bitter reality of being conquered. But Rome also had a well-formed legal system. They were open to gaining and using knowledge from their conquered.
This novel was a mess; the military-based leadership would not get along with the religious sect. How did they maintain peace in the first place?
Maybe the last point and my thousands of questions about the world get answered in the next book. Who knows. I will be reading A Torch Against The Night but mainly for the romance and to hopefully get answers.
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
oliviaferlazzo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, and War
helpme71'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
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture and Grief
jnl00700'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: Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation
isi_lemonx05's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
courtofsmutandstuff's review against another edition
4.0
The Empire is clearly reminiscent of Rome, and is similar to the Winner's Curse series (an Empire solider befriends a slave, they fight to right Empire wrongs), but I liked this better, mainly because of the fast pace. If you're interested in fictional Romes and Empires, you'll definitely enjoy this book.
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Murder, and War
dani__gomezz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, and War