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falafellaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Gods, Magic and a mysterious illness.
I was hopeful starting this book. And i‘m not disappointed but also not really satisfied.
The concept of gods and magic in this book is promising if kind of rudimentary. But i can work with that if the story is good.
Sadly, the story is only mediocre. Several of the plot points were soo predictable. I thought there was going to be plot twists because the foreshadowing was so obvious you couldn’t call it foreshadowing anymore but just telling what is going to happen.
Another point are the relationships. The main character has friends she constantly misses and a mom she loves and she builds up a romantic relationship with the captain. But none of these really get to the reader. I felt no emotional connection to her friends and just a little to her mom. We didn’t really see them together. So i didn’t and don’t really care what happens to them.
The captain is another story. Their relationship felt a little rushed to the end. One moment she hates him and the next she’s all vulnerable and open. I personally think the author should have stretched out certain aspects about their relationship over more than one book.
The book was entertaining enough that i didn’t dnf it and i did start reading the second book already but i really don’t know if i will finish it and looking at my track record with cases like this it’s unlikely.
I was hopeful starting this book. And i‘m not disappointed but also not really satisfied.
The concept of gods and magic in this book is promising if kind of rudimentary. But i can work with that if the story is good.
Sadly, the story is only mediocre. Several of the plot points were soo predictable. I thought there was going to be plot twists because the foreshadowing was so obvious you couldn’t call it foreshadowing anymore but just telling what is going to happen.
Another point are the relationships. The main character has friends she constantly misses and a mom she loves and she builds up a romantic relationship with the captain. But none of these really get to the reader. I felt no emotional connection to her friends and just a little to her mom. We didn’t really see them together. So i didn’t and don’t really care what happens to them.
The captain is another story. Their relationship felt a little rushed to the end. One moment she hates him and the next she’s all vulnerable and open. I personally think the author should have stretched out certain aspects about their relationship over more than one book.
The book was entertaining enough that i didn’t dnf it and i did start reading the second book already but i really don’t know if i will finish it and looking at my track record with cases like this it’s unlikely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Confinement, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Animal death
akirokis's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
nloprest6318's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Kidnapping
sfdogmom's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Pretty good! but an underwhelming climax (pun intended) to the slow burn, especially considering the dude’s a god
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
dovahkiin_shea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Blood, and Kidnapping
fairyelle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The ending was a HUGE twist, like I figured out the one part and was focusing on trying to figure how it all fit together I completely did not see the other big reveal coming. The ending was incredible and the problems it complicates for the next books is exactly what I needed.
The character development and emotional.
The character development and emotional connection was lacking for me for a majority of the book though, I wanted to feel more for the characters than I did but towards the end I felt like it was starting to deepen so I have hope for that to become a lot stronger in the next books (I really hope that's the case because characters mean a lot to me).
Which is why I’m giving the book four stars. I am hoping based on that great ending, the second book and onward will be incredible—kinda like acotar—it was good but the acomaf and acowar were truly what made the series incredible (maybe sorta acosf though the story could’ve been paced better).
So I’m really hoping to care more for the characters and also for their journeys. It’s third person limited solely focused on Casia but I would’ve like more if it switched the “perspective” to Elander too. I think it’s hard to be with only one perspective when it’s in third person limited
The ending blew me away though so it’s making up for my complaints
The character development and emotional connection was lacking for me for a majority of the book though, I wanted to feel more for the characters than I did but towards the end I felt like it was starting to deepen so I have hope for that to become a lot stronger in the next books (I really hope that's the case because characters mean a lot to me).
Which is why I’m giving the book four stars. I am hoping based on that great ending, the second book and onward will be incredible—kinda like acotar—it was good but the acomaf and acowar were truly what made the series incredible (maybe sorta acosf though the story could’ve been paced better).
So I’m really hoping to care more for the characters and also for their journeys. It’s third person limited solely focused on Casia but I would’ve like more if it switched the “perspective” to Elander too. I think it’s hard to be with only one perspective when it’s in third person limited
The ending blew me away though so it’s making up for my complaints
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, and Death
queencariad's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
3.0
A promising worldbuilding with interesting concepts, magic system and rather loveable characters — but the pacing was quite irregular and it frustrated me a lot.
It definitely feels like the book could have been shorter. Same thing, minus 10 % of content, could have been just as good. It got lengthy at times, which gave me the overall impression of a dragging story, and therefore failed to keep my interest in the long run.
Also, the time management was messy, with (for example) a scene starting ‘at noon’ only for the immediately following battle to be happening ‘at night’. Sometimes it got confusing.
I overall liked Cas as a MC but she did make a few questionable choices, and ones that didn’t match her beliefs at that. I enjoyed the fact that she didn’t have ‘not-like-other-girls’ vibes at first, but by the end of the book, they unfortunately started to show. It was the same thing every time: her legs start moving from their own accord despite her fear, she feels the urge to help, do something, “anything”— and every time, of course, her crazy plan works and/or she discovers some hidden talent she has. It was exciting at first, and just became awfully repetitive after the first 4 times it happened.
I loved the idea of found family, but I wished we had seen more of Casia’s friends.
Elander, the love interest, was immediately my jam— charming, sarcastic, with a ‘Death Speaker’ nickname… And his dynamic with Cas was nice.
In other words, many aspects of this book were enjoyable but I find myself quite frustrated by the execution and rhythm of it all. Something was missing. Something fell short. I wouldn’t be able to tell you what exactly.
Regarding the plot twists and revelations— I had rightly guessed every single one of them, so even if a bit predictable, I’m quite happy about that. Those last 15% are making me consider picking up the second book: I’ll probably try and see!
3 stars!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Blood
deesquared's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Religious bigotry
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