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rnbhargava's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, War, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Xenophobia, Gore, Blood, Sexual content, and Car accident
There is drug use in relation to the power abilities central to the story, there’s an abortion. There’s an early death of grandparent rather than parent. Misogyny is present with the intent to “protect” those without abilities yet that “weakness” is based on a cultural fallacy. There’s a relationship between two male characters that does become sexual. There’s varying attitudes around it, one of which is dismissing it as a phase. There are also plenty of relationship betrayals of varying levels. There is also one major action carried out by a main character that could be thought of as unforgivable and monstrous that leaves a specific child in his care.maelikesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, Cursing, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Abortion, Blood, and War
mikarala'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
4.0
However, this expansion sometimes came at the expense of the story, in my opinion. In particular, there were sections in the middle of the story where I kept noticing chapters would end with a sort of cliff-hanger, big problem for the POV character, then we would move on to the next character, and by the time we came back, the problem had mostly resolved itself. There was often a bit too much exposition at the start of chapters to explain everything that had changed with the characters since the last time we had seen them.
Pacing issues aside, I do think this book is really well-plotted. As with the first installment, Lee does a great job of introducing conflicts and developing the motivations of different characters so that these elements converge in a very satisfying and believable way at the climax. While the middle may have felt a bit more meandering and you had to work a bit harder as a reader to get to that point, when it came it was a great culmination of the various elements of the story.
On top of that, I just really enjoy the characters in this series. They aren't typical heroes and arguably their intentions aren't really altruistic, but I think Lee does a great job of making you root for them anyways. They are flawed, but compellingly believable. I think this comese down to the great job Lee does with world-building and establishing the cultural norms of Kekon, so that even despite the extremely foreign ethical code the characters operate with, the reader can easily understand their motivations.
So, while I didn't love this as much as book 1, I am still very excited to start the final book in the trilogy. This series really has some of the best world-building I've ever encountered in a fantasy series, and it's backstopped by interesting characters and very tightly written plots.
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Car accident and Abortion
cognitivedisaster's review
- 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
4.75
Take everything good about Jade War, and triple it. The characters are amazing. The world is amazing. The plot is amazing. The intrigue is amazing. The character relationships are better than any book I've ever read.
The main characters went from not greatpeople to fucking monsters. Even with their horrible actions, their self-justification makes it even more twisted. Even when you hate them though, you'll still root for them and cry for them*
The world is somehow even better than the last book, with a new country, and with it, new perspectives on how the main charcters affect the world
If Jade War was the godfather in a fantasy setting, this is the godfather 2 in a fantasy setting (especially with the arc of <Shae>)
*except for <Hilo>. Fuck that guy
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Kidnapping, War, and Car accident
Minor: Rape, Hate crime, and Alcohol
talonsontypewriters'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: Death, Drug use, Violence, Xenophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Torture, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Misogyny, Abortion, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Ableism, Sexism, Suicide, and Kidnapping
Minor: Vomit, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Animal death, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Infidelity, and Rape
lolailons'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, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Pregnancy, Car accident, and Abortion
Minor: Rape
sullyniow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Minor: Abortion, Blood, Car accident, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
stonebm's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, Death, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, Murder, Medical content, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Rape, and Pedophilia