Scan barcode
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, Child death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Colonisation, Death of parent, Trafficking, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Grief, Hate crime, Police brutality, Slavery, War, Torture, Murder, Death, Sexism, Outing, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, and Stalking
Moderate: Excrement, Body shaming, Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Colonisation, and Vomit
colorismclotalksbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Just to say though, it is definitely more brutal than I was expecting, but then would have some moments that felt very YA. It felt a bit at odds, where sometimes I thought I probably would have enjoyed it more when I was younger, but then some bits I probably wouldn't have coped with if I was younger (I'm a tad squeamish). It took me a little bit to fully get on board with it, if I'm honest!
Despite these moments, I overall found it a very good read. I looked forward to picking it up to see where the story was going. Although I thought I had it all figured out, I was glad to be surprised by it. These surprises enhanced my enjoyment of it and the ending especially made me very keen to continue this series.
I liked the range of characters, and look forward to spending more time with them. It is a fresh fantasy, exploring themes you'd expect to find in books/films like The Handmaid's Tale or The Woman King, and serving this to a new audience.
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Murder, War, and Violence
evelynyle_88'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: Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Torture, and Sexual assault
mysteryspouse'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: Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Murder, Cursing, Abandonment, Colonisation, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, War, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Vomit, Sexual assault, Self harm, and Dysphoria
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Excrement
nashaytreads'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
4.0
My only complaint is the romance, though it felt natural, did feel kind of sudden. As well as some decisions a main support made on behalf of the MC but overall I’d HIGHLY recommend this book.
Graphic: Violence, Torture, and War
Minor: Sexual assault
kimreads14'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
The overall experience of reading this book made my blood boil at all times. Forna's capacity to depict a patriarchal and misogynistic world that will make you question your own reality is masterful!
Forna offers a beautiful piece that pushes you to critically think about the state of our society.
The reason why I bumped it down from 5 ⭐️ to 4.25 ⭐️ is because from time to time the writing and the world-building felt a bit forced rather than carrying you inside Otera smoothly and with grace.
Also while I understand that Deka is meant to be special among even the Alakis, the way this was depicted sometimes felt a bit borderline of a Mary Sue character. Anyone who is used to reading books of this kind will admit that the MFC tends to always be special... However, it sometimes felt like Deka was way too special for no real reason other than pumping up the character's ego instead of moving the story along.
Finally, I was a bit disappointed with the brevity of White Hands' final explanation of who she is and why she did what she did. Parts of the story could have been shorter to give this more space, or pages could have been added.
Overall though, this book was beautifully written and truly makes you question how 'free' you are as a woman in society. I'm excited to get back to Deka and her friends' story with the next book in the series.
Graphic: Colonisation, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Death, Slavery, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, War, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Child abuse, Torture, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
thelolliepop'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
Graphic: Torture and Violence
Moderate: Rape
emerentina's review
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Blood, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, War, Racism, Physical abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy
clawclawclaw'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
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Torture
Moderate: War and Sexual violence
abby_can_read'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
This was a good book. I liked the characters, the worldbuilding is strong, and I struggled with the pacing.
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Death, Xenophobia, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent