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booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
The worldbuilding leans on characterization and brutality, with few aesthetic descriptions. The major groups are the Scholars, the Tribes, and the Martials, with the Rebels generally composed of Scholars who are trying to resist the Martials. There are a few other groups mentioned, but they weren't major players in this first book, and at a certain point it matters more whether someone is a Mask, slave, Augur, or part of the Resistance. I like books which are full of plans and political tensions over scenery, so I enjoyed this emphasis on individuals and factions.
For those who enjoy love triangles, this has an innovation on the form: Laia and Elias each have two people to choose between. As the protagonists they're of course drawn to each other, but Laia has a smoldering attraction to one of the rebels, and Elias is slowly realizing he might have romantic feelings for his best friend (the only female Mask in his generation). These tensions aren't completely resolved in this book either, leaving room for this to develop more in the next one. I like both options for each of them, and it feels like there's a genuine question over what they'll choose. For those who are a little less into such plots, it's a consistent but not overwhelming thread and there's plenty else to like.
The plot begins with Elias and Laia on two sides of the same raid, where Laia's grandparents are killed and her brother is kidnapped, while Elias is one of the Masks carrying out the invasion. The chapters frequently overlap, with each narrator sometimes beginning their chapter by telling their perspective on an event or a slice of time which was just told by the other. Since they generally have completely different experiences, I like this overlapping style but it took a little getting used to. It made it feel more like they were each narrating what was important to them, uncaring and unknowing of what the other described. Laia asks the Rebels for help getting her brother back, and is placed as a slave to the Commandant of the Academy where Elias is. Elias was planning to escape, but is told by an Augur that the only way to actually be free is if first he stays. The rest of the story unfolds as Laia tries to get information to the rebels and survive her enslavement, while Elias tries to survive the gauntlet of challenges to be the next emperor (a title he doesn't even want).
One thing I appreciate about this book is that in a system so controlling and overseen by (basically) mind-reading (probably) immortal Augurs who never explain their own goals, it would make very little sense for the heroes to have genuine agency over their lives at a macro level. So they don't. They don't have control over how things will go, their plans keep working out very differently than they even dared to hope, and they frequently suffer for it. They're constantly in danger and often get hurt, Laia from the Commandant's whims or Elias from the challenges themselves. When things do go well, an Augur usually turns up to tell Elias how he's done what they wanted, yet again. It's frustrating but completely in keeping with the brutality and sheer mind-fuckery of the situation. Because they have so little control, most of the plot focuses on how they feel and what they decided to do in the small moments they do have.
I enjoyed this and plan to read the rest of the series, this is an exciting and well-paced beginning to the quartet.
For those who enjoy love triangles, this has an innovation on the form: Laia and Elias each have two people to choose between. As the protagonists they're of course drawn to each other, but Laia has a smoldering attraction to one of the rebels, and Elias is slowly realizing he might have romantic feelings for his best friend (the only female Mask in his generation). These tensions aren't completely resolved in this book either, leaving room for this to develop more in the next one. I like both options for each of them, and it feels like there's a genuine question over what they'll choose. For those who are a little less into such plots, it's a consistent but not overwhelming thread and there's plenty else to like.
The plot begins with Elias and Laia on two sides of the same raid, where Laia's grandparents are killed and her brother is kidnapped, while Elias is one of the Masks carrying out the invasion. The chapters frequently overlap, with each narrator sometimes beginning their chapter by telling their perspective on an event or a slice of time which was just told by the other. Since they generally have completely different experiences, I like this overlapping style but it took a little getting used to. It made it feel more like they were each narrating what was important to them, uncaring and unknowing of what the other described. Laia asks the Rebels for help getting her brother back, and is placed as a slave to the Commandant of the Academy where Elias is. Elias was planning to escape, but is told by an Augur that the only way to actually be free is if first he stays. The rest of the story unfolds as Laia tries to get information to the rebels and survive her enslavement, while Elias tries to survive the gauntlet of challenges to be the next emperor (a title he doesn't even want).
One thing I appreciate about this book is that in a system so controlling and overseen by (basically) mind-reading (probably) immortal Augurs who never explain their own goals, it would make very little sense for the heroes to have genuine agency over their lives at a macro level. So they don't. They don't have control over how things will go, their plans keep working out very differently than they even dared to hope, and they frequently suffer for it. They're constantly in danger and often get hurt, Laia from the Commandant's whims or Elias from the challenges themselves. When things do go well, an Augur usually turns up to tell Elias how he's done what they wanted, yet again. It's frustrating but completely in keeping with the brutality and sheer mind-fuckery of the situation. Because they have so little control, most of the plot focuses on how they feel and what they decided to do in the small moments they do have.
I enjoyed this and plan to read the rest of the series, this is an exciting and well-paced beginning to the quartet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, and Rape
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abandonment
bfirstedition's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Misogyny, Torture, Rape, and Sexual assault
anne_escaping_reality's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
This is a two-viewpoint story, told from Elias, a Mask fighter, and Laia, a girl from an oppressed people, in alternating chapters. (Unfortunately the chapters are only named after the viewpoint which makes navigation tedious.)
It is very YA, a lot of tropes but well executed and it had enough tension to keep me glued to the pages once I had read a few chapters. It is a bit strange to have both main characters pining after another 'love' interest beforhand even though their second interests both made somewhat sense. In all relations, there is a lot of description of physical attraction and you really have to search for some emotional romance. There is a lot of attraction-at-the-first-sight and not much more to that.Still, I am happy to see that Elias and Laia are not lovers yet at the end of the book - looking forward to a hopefully slow-burn sequel :P
There are some small grievances and questions that still linger after reading (caution, spoilery):
I am struggling to fully understand the magic system. I find it to be very unclear how the Empire's weapons are better than the Scholars' and how the Masks are overpowering fighters apart from rigid training. What do their masks actually achieve besides obscuring faces and marking their wearers as specific fighters? Why are the Augurs sometimes so impassive to the happenings in the Trials and then directly involved in steering them in one direction? Why did they let themselves so obviously be fooled by the Commander? How is the flame-red-haired Keenan fit for blending in to a crowd and sneekingly lead Laia to the Resistance? The character development of Laia also makes a sudden jump at the last chapters which is a bit unbelievable. I would have liked to read the thought process in her mind leading to her grand plan of rescue at the beheading besides "must save my brother". (Also how on earth could it be so easy to overwhelm the whole military school for 3 slaves even if one of them seems to be a genius former Resistance member - after one short night of planning and preparation? Must be the magic of YA I guess...)
Still, I will be reading the next book soon. This was so much fun!
It is very YA, a lot of tropes but well executed and it had enough tension to keep me glued to the pages once I had read a few chapters. It is a bit strange to have both main characters pining after another 'love' interest beforhand even though their second interests both made somewhat sense. In all relations, there is a lot of description of physical attraction and you really have to search for some emotional romance. There is a lot of attraction-at-the-first-sight and not much more to that.
There are some small grievances and questions that still linger after reading (caution, spoilery):
I am struggling to fully understand the magic system. I find it to be very unclear how the Empire's weapons are better than the Scholars' and how the Masks are overpowering fighters apart from rigid training. What do their masks actually achieve besides obscuring faces and marking their wearers as specific fighters? Why are the Augurs sometimes so impassive to the happenings in the Trials and then directly involved in steering them in one direction? Why did they let themselves so obviously be fooled by the Commander? How is the flame-red-haired Keenan fit for blending in to a crowd and sneekingly lead Laia to the Resistance? The character development of Laia also makes a sudden jump at the last chapters which is a bit unbelievable. I would have liked to read the thought process in her mind leading to her grand plan of rescue at the beheading besides "must save my brother". (Also how on earth could it be so easy to overwhelm the whole military school for 3 slaves even if one of them seems to be a genius former Resistance member - after one short night of planning and preparation? Must be the magic of YA I guess...)
Still, I will be reading the next book soon. This was so much fun!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, and Sexism
luliposatieris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Torture, Pregnancy, Murder, Racism, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, War, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Misogyny, Sexism, Abortion, Physical abuse, and Grief
angstifies's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.5
i apparently did not like this as much as many people did but oh well. the world building was terrible, i was exited to read about a fantasy world inspired by the Roman Empire and except from the somewhat latin names we get none of that.
the narrators and characters were so annoying, the main characters are 17 and 21 but i felt like i was being told a story by a fucking child.
but the absolute worst thing about this book was the <b>overuse of misogyny and sexual violence against women.</b> i get it, some books’ worlds and settings are sexist but it was so overused. there are so many mentions of rape/threats of rape when it’s not even needed, and it was absolutely pointless. and the sexism was absolutely disgusting, even the male main character himself is so fucking misogynistic and constantly objectifies the “love interests”, i could not believe this was written by a woman.
i’m gonna make examples that infuriate me about <b>Elias specifically and his misogyny:</b> using “don’t act like a girl” as a degrading insult to Helene (a woman) SO MANY TIMES, even in his internal monologue + saying things like “oh they’re women! that’s how they are!”, shut the fuck up. sexualising both Laia and Helene basically always. feeling bad for a literal abusive RAPIST. letting marcus win knowing that now he can do whatever he wants with Helene and she can’t say no to him, all for a girl with no personality he met less than 2 months ago.
the characters were almost always insufferable and the romance was shit, i at least enjoyed the overall plot and the last 80 pages were great.
the narrators and characters were so annoying, the main characters are 17 and 21 but i felt like i was being told a story by a fucking child.
but the absolute worst thing about this book was the <b>overuse of misogyny and sexual violence against women.</b> i get it, some books’ worlds and settings are sexist but it was so overused. there are so many mentions of rape/threats of rape when it’s not even needed, and it was absolutely pointless. and the sexism was absolutely disgusting, even the male main character himself is so fucking misogynistic and constantly objectifies the “love interests”, i could not believe this was written by a woman.
i’m gonna make examples that infuriate me about <b>Elias specifically and his misogyny:</b> using “don’t act like a girl” as a degrading insult to Helene (a woman) SO MANY TIMES, even in his internal monologue + saying things like “oh they’re women! that’s how they are!”, shut the fuck up. sexualising both Laia and Helene basically always. feeling bad for a literal abusive RAPIST. letting marcus win knowing that now he can do whatever he wants with Helene and she can’t say no to him, all for a girl with no personality he met less than 2 months ago.
the characters were almost always insufferable and the romance was shit, i at least enjoyed the overall plot and the last 80 pages were great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Murder, Torture, Physical abuse, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent
ktkeps's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Death, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexism, Torture, and Bullying
r1vana's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, War, Kidnapping, Sexism, Rape, Murder, and Death
viccreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4/5 Stars
Favorite Quotes:
-“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing.” p.20
-“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.” p.65
-“All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.” p.221
-“But there are two kinds of guilt, girl: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.” p.286
-“Once I’d have wanted that. I’d have wanted someone to tell me what to do, to fix everything. Once, I’d have wanted to be saved.” p.411
——
Tropes/Characteristics:
- 2 POVs
- Love Triangle
- Female Lead
- Enemies to Lovers
Things I Liked:
- fast-paced so it held my attention well
- great storyline in an interesting world
- merciless villains who don’t hold back (more realistic)
- a female MC who doesn’t want to be saved or rescued by someone else ; independent
- dark themes that aren’t explored in graphic, unnecessary detail
- interactions with love interests that had me grinning and blushing
Things I Didn’t Care For:
-i almost wish it wasn’t written in a YA style. I think the darker themes and plot could’ve been explored more deeply and hit more profoundly if the book wasn’t bound by YA constraints.
-i struggled to get into the story at first, because it felt like everything was happening too suddenly at the beginning
-the quick pace did leave me with low attachments to side characters,so when some died I didn’t feel any emotional reaction other than “oh that’s sad”
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more of this series!
Favorite Quotes:
-“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing.” p.20
-“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.” p.65
-“All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.” p.221
-“But there are two kinds of guilt, girl: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.” p.286
-“Once I’d have wanted that. I’d have wanted someone to tell me what to do, to fix everything. Once, I’d have wanted to be saved.” p.411
——
Tropes/Characteristics:
- 2 POVs
- Love Triangle
- Female Lead
- Enemies to Lovers
Things I Liked:
- fast-paced so it held my attention well
- great storyline in an interesting world
- merciless villains who don’t hold back (more realistic)
- a female MC who doesn’t want to be saved or rescued by someone else ; independent
- dark themes that aren’t explored in graphic, unnecessary detail
- interactions with love interests that had me grinning and blushing
Things I Didn’t Care For:
-i almost wish it wasn’t written in a YA style. I think the darker themes and plot could’ve been explored more deeply and hit more profoundly if the book wasn’t bound by YA constraints.
-i struggled to get into the story at first, because it felt like everything was happening too suddenly at the beginning
-the quick pace did leave me with low attachments to side characters,
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more of this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Trafficking and Torture
helpme71's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Torture and Grief