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mandareads222'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
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Bullying, Death, Blood, Violence, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, War, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Grief, and Confinement
Minor: Vomit, Sexual assault, Torture, Pedophilia, Excrement, Rape, and Animal cruelty
jenny_bean_reads'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
I loved the blend of English and Spanish, and the use of magic in this world. I know the second book is out now, and I am very excited to read it!
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
ladymickbeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
World building: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 3.75/5
Grammar/editing: 2/5
In general, I enjoyed this book and the unique premise. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book was edited at all. There was some expositional elements repeated when they didn’t need to be, and there were a ridiculous amount of typos and missing or incorrect punctuation marks. There were also quite a few run-on sentences. The obvious lack of editing took me out of the story often.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery, Confinement, Trafficking, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Torture, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, and Rape
avacadosocks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Bullying, Confinement, Trafficking, Xenophobia, and Slavery
Minor: War, Sexual assault, and Excrement
ourxstorybegins'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: Violence, Confinement, and Bullying
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
chrisb913'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
I absolutely adored this book. As the debut novel for Natalia Hernandez, she sold me as a must buy author. The characters had so much personality, the world building and magic system were interconnected and intriguing, and the plot has me craving to find out what happens next. I will say, based on the blurb on the back of the book, the story I thought I would be reading about was not the story I was told in this book, but I still loved it.
We start out with The Name Bearer getting ready for The Naming Ceremony after the current Queen has had her child. She must appease the Flowers of Prophecy for them to name the new born child and future ruler of the kingdom. They unfortunately refuse to name the new born claiming another child has been born that will usher in a time of peace from the never ending war the kingdom has been fighting with their neighbors to the north. Confused and dismayed The Name Bearer is then thrust into an adventure that she was neither wanting nor adequately prepared for. What follows is a tale of a young girl being forced out of the palace and future she so desperately wanted, into a world of monsters, wars, and vile human beings. Along the way she makes enemies, friends, and even possibly love.
The story ends in the middle of an adventure. If you do not like a sprawling tale that spans a trilogy and leaves you with the "to be continued" at the end of the first two books, this may not be a story for you. If this does not deter you and you enjoy stories about strong warriors women, found families, the normalcy of lgbtq in stories, and a rich world steeped in both indigenous and latinx culture and mythology, then definitely give this book a shot.
Graphic: Blood, War, Trafficking, Death, and Bullying
Minor: Sexual assault
charliebites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Moderate: Physical abuse, Trafficking, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Kidnapping, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Murder, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
gossamer_lens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Throughout the book, I was very easily pulled along to see what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the world-building and clear inclusion of Latin-American culture and the seamless inclusion of LGBTQ+ people into the world. I am excited to see where things go in the sequel and I already placed the book on hold at my library. I hit about halfway through this book and knew I just needed to keep going with these characters. Hernandez did a very solid job of keeping me invested and waiting to see where we would go. Very fun!
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Child abuse, War, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Slavery, and Vomit
mj_86'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
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Bullying, and Violence
Moderate: Trafficking, Xenophobia, and Sexual assault
Minor: Slavery, War, and Rape
scrubsandbooks'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: Confinement and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, War, and Bullying
Minor: Trafficking and Slavery