Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Genocide, War
adventurous
dark
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
This book builds greatly on the foundation laid in its predecessor by adding Helene’s point of view. Its addition allows readers to see vastly different slices of the world and 2-3 plot lines that bump together occasionally but lead to crucial information that I’m sure will be necessary in the next book.
There’s an interesting theme of isolation between our three leads- Laia with Keenan, Elias with the Soul Catcher, and Helene’s loss- and how they face this isolation and forge ahead shows how special they are. This is also a spot I find frustrating as a reader because I’m certain these characters will all have to trust each other eventually to defeat the final evil but they don’t right now so they lack the full picture that they’d have if they worked together.
Sabaa Tahir excels in creating complex characters that thrive in murky gray morality and I absolutely love it. I was concerned about Helene’s story being consumed by lovesick feelings but I’m thrilled she’s coming in to her own. Elias’s journey is fascinating- he does everything in his power even as he’s dying to fulfill his vow to Laia (obligatory: Ladies, don’t settle. If he wanted to, he would.) and it leads to a big twist I know will be crucial and probably necessary as the series builds. And I already didn’t care for Keenan (he has big Gale energy) but there’s no way I could have predicted his deeply layered secrets.
I appreciate the well balanced push-pull between the different forces at play. It can be frustrating when you read something where the villains never slip up and are always one step ahead. Even as the Commandant builds her secret plans, Helene manages to foil some, which is a huge accomplishment when you consider the Commandant’s unearthly ally. Laia and Elias also discover a weakness in the Nightbringer despite the power imbalance between them. These successes make the world grim but not entirely bleak.
Content warnings: this world is brutal and survives on groups enacting violence upon each other. I’d recommend you stay away from the series if you can’t stand true cruelty.
There’s an interesting theme of isolation between our three leads- Laia with Keenan, Elias with the Soul Catcher, and Helene’s loss- and how they face this isolation and forge ahead shows how special they are. This is also a spot I find frustrating as a reader because I’m certain these characters will all have to trust each other eventually to defeat the final evil but they don’t right now so they lack the full picture that they’d have if they worked together.
Sabaa Tahir excels in creating complex characters that thrive in murky gray morality and I absolutely love it. I was concerned about Helene’s story being consumed by lovesick feelings but I’m thrilled she’s coming in to her own. Elias’s journey is fascinating- he does everything in his power even as he’s dying to fulfill his vow to Laia (obligatory: Ladies, don’t settle. If he wanted to, he would.) and it leads to a big twist I know will be crucial and probably necessary as the series builds. And I already didn’t care for Keenan (he has big Gale energy) but there’s no way I could have predicted his deeply layered secrets.
I appreciate the well balanced push-pull between the different forces at play. It can be frustrating when you read something where the villains never slip up and are always one step ahead. Even as the Commandant builds her secret plans, Helene manages to foil some, which is a huge accomplishment when you consider the Commandant’s unearthly ally. Laia and Elias also discover a weakness in the Nightbringer despite the power imbalance between them. These successes make the world grim but not entirely bleak.
Content warnings: this world is brutal and survives on groups enacting violence upon each other. I’d recommend you stay away from the series if you can’t stand true cruelty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Torture, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Rape
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This is one of the most emotionally heavy fantasy series I’ve ever read. After rereading books 1 and 2, I remember why I never finished book 3 or started 4. While the story is well written, there’s so much brutality among these pages. It can be hard to digest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence
adventurous
challenging
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Slavery, Blood, Death of parent, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Honestly one of my favorite books of the series, a lot of twists I wasnt expecting. Read it in about 4 days but it wasn’t cause it was short or anything its just one of those can’t put down books :D 10/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Genocide
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, War
Minor: Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, War
Minor: Genocide, Rape
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
just as amazing as the first one
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail