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novella42'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? No
4.0
I enjoyed the queer romance and could've used more of it and less political intrigue, but what's on the page is still fun. Grace and Ava have good chemistry together, and it was fun to imagine them together.
Huge props for the graceful and respectful depiction of disability, specifically an ambulatory wheelchair user. In most cases the tension around the disability came from the inaccessible environment and the worry of caretakers. The character in question still had agency, motives, skills, and a role to play in the story that wasn't really focused on the disability. As a lifelong ambulatory wheelchair user myself, this was very refreshing!
Graphic: Medical content, War, Death, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Confinement, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Violence, Grief, War, Colonisation, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Genocide, and Torture
Minor: Cancer, Torture, and Terminal illness
librarianmage'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
4.75
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Blood, Genocide, and Violence
Minor: Torture, War, and Cancer
romiress's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Genocide and Murder
Minor: Cancer and Torture
allisonwonderlandreads'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? It's complicated
4.0
Grace was an excellent, imperfect heroine. In certain aspects, she has seen the error of her ways, and in others, she clings to the familiar establishment that granted her and her family all their power and influence. She also gets a light, lovely sapphic romance with a determined reporter that weaves through the high stakes of the politics-- a luminous, hopeful ribbon in the chaos.
It's also a delightful gaslamp fantasy. I felt more immersed in this one than even the first. It was nice to feel fully prepared to approach the magic system and legal components without a gradual release of information to clue me in. I love the descriptions of fashion and also, oddly for me, modes of transportation. The first book gifted us with bicycle traffic, and this one upped the ante with transport via luxurious sled (snow goggles optional but recommended).
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content, Torture, and War