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ender24's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
A entertaining and wonderful book. I’ve fallen in love with the world and it’s characters, and I can’t wait to read the next two books. I was not expecting the romance, but I feel like it did not impede the story in any way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Drug use, Death, Domestic abuse, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, and Self harm
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
thereadinghammock's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.25
I love, love, loved the Bassette sisters and their supportive, and authentic sibling dynamic. Petty squabbles among themselves never once undermined the support, love, and trust they all have in each other. I actually used the notes feature on my Kindle for the first time pretty much ever and marked my theories and predictions (pretty much all of which turned out to be wrong, but that was entirely expected) because I was so enthralled by this book and needed to have those notes forever because reasons. While I don't mind the slow burn of Larkyra and Darius' romance, I would have liked a bit more of a stolen/secret romance between them, rather than just the last few chapters. As much as it played like a "will they/won't they" when we all knew they would, I wanted to see so much more between them! Though I did love that their first time together was literally the night before her engagement ball to his trash-human stepfather. It felt like the most wonderfully poetic "fuck you" to him I could imagine and it pleased me greatly.
The world of Aadlior is fascinating and I can't wait to dive back in with book 2 this fall as we follow Niya's story.
The world of Aadlior is fascinating and I can't wait to dive back in with book 2 this fall as we follow Niya's story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Self harm, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Despite the pretty extensive explicit warnings, they were handled in such a way that as a reader, I did not feel truly uncomfortable while reading; however, it is important to know that gaslighting abuse from step-parent to child is a prominent theme through the book. While resolved by the end, and the character themself feeling vindicated, it's an important, but heavy plot line.
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