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Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'
Whispers of Shadow & Flame: Earthsinger Chronicles, Book Two by L. Penelope
2 reviews
allisonwonderlandreads's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This sequel ushers in a shift in approach from its predecessor. The original book in the series, A Song of Blood & Stone, read like a romantasy book to me. While there is world-building and conflict that go beyond the romantic plot, the majority focus on the hot-and-heavy love story qualifies it as a fusion of two genres. In Whispers of Shadow & Flame, there is still a central romantic plot with a new couple, but a secondary and completely separate (for now) plot with a focus on found sisterhood made this book feel less like a romance at heart. Also, the romance here ends on a cliffhanger before being much resolved or explored. In other words, this read more like a general fantasy novel, which is something I like but didn't anticipate from the style of book one.
The premise of this book is intriguing because it shares a timeline with the first book but largely in the enemy nation. There are interconnected characters across the two, and big events spurred on by characters in one book inevitably affect those in the other. Some intentional plot holes in the first book are plugged up once the actions of this group are known to the reader. This was an intriguing way to join the two books, and it was interesting but perhaps also frustrating to end at the same point in time with no further knowledge of what comes next.
The two major plotlines in this book are a romance between an assassin and the rebel she's meant to catch (the first time she's been asked to return someone alive), and the adventures of a servant girl whose dreams of improving her rank face challenges the more she understands the realities of power. The latter story grew to be my favorite, introducing conspiracy, kidnapping, and hope, where the romance relied on angst, disjointed exploration of magic system(s), and instalove.
Beyond my mismatched feelings about the two plotlines, the world-building didn't strike my fancy. The decisions of where to explain versus where to leave some mystery didn't always make sense to me. I'm still confused about elements of magic and history because I think big reveals are coming later, but other aspects were discussed in detail. I think the problem for me was that I'm not left curious to know more; I'm just frustrated with my spotty understanding of what's going on. That's purely subjective, so I think other readers will have different experiences. On my part, I am undecided about whether to finish out the series when my commitment is lukewarm.
The premise of this book is intriguing because it shares a timeline with the first book but largely in the enemy nation. There are interconnected characters across the two, and big events spurred on by characters in one book inevitably affect those in the other. Some intentional plot holes in the first book are plugged up once the actions of this group are known to the reader. This was an intriguing way to join the two books, and it was interesting but perhaps also frustrating to end at the same point in time with no further knowledge of what comes next.
The two major plotlines in this book are a romance between an assassin and the rebel she's meant to catch (the first time she's been asked to return someone alive), and the adventures of a servant girl whose dreams of improving her rank face challenges the more she understands the realities of power. The latter story grew to be my favorite, introducing conspiracy, kidnapping, and hope, where the romance relied on angst, disjointed exploration of magic system(s), and instalove.
Beyond my mismatched feelings about the two plotlines, the world-building didn't strike my fancy. The decisions of where to explain versus where to leave some mystery didn't always make sense to me. I'm still confused about elements of magic and history because I think big reveals are coming later, but other aspects were discussed in detail. I think the problem for me was that I'm not left curious to know more; I'm just frustrated with my spotty understanding of what's going on. That's purely subjective, so I think other readers will have different experiences. On my part, I am undecided about whether to finish out the series when my commitment is lukewarm.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Torture, Slavery, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Gore, Physical abuse, Ableism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Animal death, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Child death, and Excrement
sskinner155's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I really wanted to love this book but I kept getting confused. There was a lot that I like about the story, from the introduction of a new and different magic system to the characters and how this book and the first book are taken place at the same time.
I think most of my confusion came from listening instead of physical reading as there are multiple povs and it took me awhile to place everyone.
I will be continuing with the series but might make the move to Ebook or buy them.
I think most of my confusion came from listening instead of physical reading as there are multiple povs and it took me awhile to place everyone.
I will be continuing with the series but might make the move to Ebook or buy them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Trafficking, Classism, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty
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