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kwolfie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.25
This book was as lyrical and gory as the first one, but my memory faded because I read it 4 years ago. I have also read a lot more now, so this rating is a bit more realistic than my first. It was still super easy and quick to read, the action keeping you in the story. However, the ending was lackluster to me and I really wanted it to go differently in many different ways, and I saw one of the plot twists coming from the first foreshadowing of it. None of it was surprising or earth shattering, but I still had a fairly good experience reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
malisac16's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Racial slurs and Racism
micaelamariem's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Such a wonderful duology! I highly recommend to all my fantasy readers out there. It helped me learn more about Japanese mythology, dug to the root of belonging and love, had a great morally grey character, gave us betrayal and redemption, and had some epic battle scenes as well. I wasn’t as into this book as the first one but it was still really good! Just slower storytelling, though the writing was still beautiful and vivid and well, gory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Cannibalism, Colonisation, and Classism
asipofcozy's review against another edition
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
4.0
Didn't think that I would have ended up giving Empress of Time a 4 star yet here we are. I really enjoyed the complexity of our main character and her battle with her inner darkness and demons. For once we have a main character that is not good. She is selfish in her choices and her choices resolved around one being - her brother.
Now granted, just like the first book I am still not a fan of Neven. While the author did a great job of character development for Ren. Neven is still left naive. Don't get me wrong, loved the sisiter - brother relationship we get very rarely in literature. Yet, Neven still is blinded by his sisters pain and the constant racism she receives. He blindly believes his love will be enough (which partially is true) and that Red should be a better person because of it. He doesn't understand or try to understand her pain, what she has gone through as a poc, and it still shows in this book.
However, my dislike of Neven didn't take away my love of the how much Japanese culture we get packed into 300 pages. I loved every bit of it...and the plot of course :D.
Now granted, just like the first book I am still not a fan of Neven. While the author did a great job of character development for Ren. Neven is still left naive. Don't get me wrong, loved the sisiter - brother relationship we get very rarely in literature. Yet, Neven still is blinded by his sisters pain and the constant racism she receives. He blindly believes his love will be enough (which partially is true) and that Red should be a better person because of it. He doesn't understand or try to understand her pain, what she has gone through as a poc, and it still shows in this book.
However, my dislike of Neven didn't take away my love of the how much Japanese culture we get packed into 300 pages. I loved every bit of it...and the plot of course :D.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
tearexmama's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.0
I really enjoyed this sequel to The Keeper of Night. The characters were changed from the last book in a way that felt realistic for what they had all gone through. The story was unique, while still maintaining the style from the original. If anything, I would say that I enjoyed this book slightly more than the first one. It was a little less dark and a little more hopeful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, and Colonisation
Minor: Vomit
sasisaskia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
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