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quinnkennedy21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Blood, Genocide, Slavery, Child abuse, Body horror, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Classism, Cursing, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Addiction
Minor: Animal cruelty
ninaevan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Meh. Plot could have been interesting but I didn't buy the characters so it was hard to stay attached to. Pretty cringe at times, especially in the attempt at feminism... the main character was supposed to be this badass warrior but she was primarily concerned with her looks and if men were attracted to her- ick. Almost DNF, Not planning on continuing this series. 2/5
Second Read:
Last time I read this was in quarantine when I was looking for books to say something meaningful and help me understand and appreciate the world so of course it fell flat. This time, I was not only more prepared for Maas' writing style because I read her last series, but I was also just looking for something I could listen to in the background as I do school work. In this context, it was a great pick. Still a bit cringe-y, but that's just Maas' style and I was able to laugh it off more this time. In fact, I kind of liked seeing a portrayal of a woman being vain and powerful at the same time... made me question if my reluctance to embrace Celaena is internalized misogyny because I expect strong people to act less girly. That said, I can't give it too much credit for depth overall. It's a nice lighthearted action-mystery story with a touch romantic tension. I plan to keep reading this series.
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Grief, and Slavery
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Vomit
fairyelle'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
Anyways, book one was just as impactful to me as before—if not more so. Because it’s a reread I’ve been reading a lot more carefully than I did the first time and highlighting possible multiverse connections. The scene with Chaol telling Celaena to “get up” is always and forever one of my favorite scenes—not just in this series but of all time. It’s a theme we see mirrored in all the books moving forward.
Also there was A LOT of mentioning of “roses” in this book but I don’t have a theory as to why yet or just stating a fact lmao The obvious being its connection Acotar. But it could also be absolutely nothing. Regardless I’ve never seen it mentioned by anyone before and thought I’d throw it out there. I missed this series so much, so glad it’s already just as great as I remember 🥲 and gods know it only gets between from here onwards.
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
Minor: Death, Suicide attempt, Genocide, Child abuse, and Death of parent