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fairyollie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book has a stronger military fiction/theme going on, which I'm not the biggest fan of, but the storyline and pacing of the military theme was so well-done, natural, and necessary, that it did not bother me at all. I was in love, biting my nails, turning page after page waiting to find out what happened next - and then my heart broke. so well done, and I'm not sure how I'm going to survive until Lotus comes out in November!
Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, Sexism, Xenophobia, War, and Death
Minor: Torture, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
sophie42'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
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Alcohol, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Suicide, Torture, Grief, and Sexual content
leaflit'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: Physical abuse, Vomit, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Death, Murder, War, Religious bigotry, Genocide, Violence, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content, Animal death, Kidnapping, Torture, Drug use, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Gore, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Confinement, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Domestic abuse
erwikka'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny
Minor: Pregnancy, Grief, and Physical abuse
sapphic_book_dragon'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Body horror
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Sexism, and Racism
plume_de_renarde's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and War
Moderate: Body horror, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Minor: Torture
mar'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
Graphic: War, Misogyny, Murder, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
lady_valhella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, and War
Minor: Torture
cowboykid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and War
Moderate: Body horror
jessiereads98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, I enjoyed this. It’s a complex story with complex characters. I really enjoy the unique magic system with multiple gods coming into play and in conflict with each other. I also appreciate the feminist themes woven beautifully into the story.
I did find the pacing in the first half of the book to be a bit slow and like it took a little long to get to things. It felt at times like the story was meandering and dragging its feet on getting where it was going. The pacing did pick up for a much more satisfying final half-third of the book.
I don’t fully enjoy Priya and Malini’s relationship. The power imbalance and Malini’s constant use of Priya and expecting Priya to always do what is best for her makes me somewhat uncomfortable. While I enjoy the relationship as one that is toxic and compelling and narratively interesting, I am not sure if that is the author’s intention or if I as a reader am meant to simply root for them as star crossed lovers. I understand the idea is for there to be a lot of moral greyness and none of these characters are perfect, nor would I want them to be. However, there are times where I find Malini’s treatment of Priya going past moral greyness to this is just an imbalanced power dynamic of a woman from a lower class being expected to serve one of a higher class and I don’t find it romantic.
Graphic: Body horror, War, Blood, Gore, Murder, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, Drug use, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Homophobia, Sexual content, Torture, Abandonment, Child death, Cursing, and Kidnapping