Scan barcode
princessrory'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: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexism
Moderate: Blood, Violence, War, Miscarriage, Medical content, Classism, Child death, and Drug abuse
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Gore, and Panic attacks/disorders
unwise_samwise'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, and Adult/minor relationship
fictionaladventures'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
SpoilerI love that Jatin made Adraa a potion for her period like THAT IS A DREAM MAN RIGHT THERE. And I just about melted when Adraa realized she was in love with him, it was so freaking sweet and genuine. And then WHEN THEY TELL EACH OTHER THEY LOVE EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IT WAS SO SWEET AND UNCOMPLICATED AND I LOVE IT AND WE NEED MORE UNCOMPLICATED, PURE YA ROMANCES
Moderate: Violence
wondereads13'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
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Death and Pedophilia
tired_cicada'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
The romance was really cute! More than once I had to stop reading for a minute and grin like an idiot! A am a sucker for a good ole hidden identity love story!! And I loved the world building! They way things were shaped around different cultural hierarchies clashing against one another! It was done very well!
That being said... There were a number of times that, from my perspective, it threw in "buzzwords" about inclusivity without really doing anything about it. Like in one bit, one of the underground fighters is rolling their eyes at how a male fighter and a female fighter have been kinda "grouped" together and paired off due to "all that heteronormative crap." But we don't actually ever see a same-sex couple. We DO get canon homosexuals, but nothing beyond that. So I do hope that going into the second book we see more of that beyond dropping some vocab words.
Overall I really liked it! I mean I finished it in three days! Good and engaging story, interesting dynamics, and a villain I can't WAIT to see get what's coming for him!
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Sexual assault
offictionandfantasy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Addiction
Minor: Torture, Drug abuse, Cursing, and Adult/minor relationship
taglharp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
This book didn't warrant enough anger to be flat out cast as a 1 star, but only because I skim read most of it (and didn't even miss out on anything! Because the book summarizes things after an event anyway! Forget hand holding, this book carries you all the way through).
My two main issues are the writing (much younger readers might enjoy this, but the mismatch between modern, western colloquialisms + a more ancient "South-Asian inspired" setting is... not for me + the immaturity of the main characters and their relationship with each other when they're both being painted as capable heirs to their own respective thrones... bye) and the poor representation of a South Asian inspired world (you could really tell a white woman wrote it, and no mistake).
Overall, the book lacked depth and nuance. It was very juvenile, certainly not at all memorable and will not be something I wish to continue.
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Moderate: Violence and Addiction
Minor: Torture