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shesreadingagain_'s review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, War, and Death of parent
morgancvtherine'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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Murder, Torture, Child abuse, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
booksandteatime'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, Grief, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Death of parent
booksthatburn's review
- 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
5.0
FEVERED STAR is lull between storms, the midgame when all the players trade promises and pledge loyalties. The Sky Made has several factions, but most of the perspective characters are on the outside in some way, removed from the major factions by training, distance, or a estrangement. This is one of the best examples I’ve read in a while of intricate but understandable politics in fiction, with many factions who all have slightly different goals and motivations. It also does an excellent job of allowing people within the factions to disagree, each having their own motivations. I love political wrangling and intricacy in fantasy and so I enjoyed this middle book of a trilogy where everyone’s trying to reposition after the gods are returned to the world. It could be said that either every character has a new storyline, or no character has a new story of their own that wasn’t present to the previous book. Everyone in their own way of dealing with what happened on the day of Black Sun, it represents such a monumental shift that even ignoring it would have to be a deliberate choice (albeit it one that I cannot recall any characters making). Several people’s access to power has changed either in a political or magical sense, and some minor characters from BLACK SUN gain new importance as they hatch their own schemes, taking advantage of the shifts caused by the eclipse.
This would mostly makes sense to someone who read the first book a while ago, but if they tried to start here without having read BLACK SUN at all, it would likely be confusing for a while. It's a well-told story, but one which fundamentally is concerned with moving things in place for whatever is to come in the third book. Part of how it maintains that balance is that many of the characters have a sense of this as a lull between conflicts, whether literal or metaphorical. Almost everyone is making moves to position themselves better for what is to come, or to control what the next change might end up being.
This is an excellent continuation of the series, and I'm excited to read how it all turns out.
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide, Racism, Alcoholism, Violence, Grief, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Murder, Death, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Animal death, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexism, and Ableism
macknificent's review
- 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
3.75
As for Sun Skank, she continues to be a thorn in my side. I spent the entire book exasperated by her choices and wishing for her death.
All the other characters were interesting and fully fleshed. I live Roanhorse's world building, though I would like a little more of the history explained. I think that will happen in book 3.
Anyway, definitely will be continuing the series!
Graphic: Blood and Self harm
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore, Grief, and Death of parent
vagrantheather'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? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
sohva'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, War, Confinement, Murder, Alcohol, Deportation, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Xenophobia
theespressoedition'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? It's complicated
3.5
The pacing was much slower than in the first book, which is saying something considering how slow the first one was. Unfortunately, rather than picking up and staying interesting halfway through, I found myself losing some interest and noticing that my mind had wandered for half a chapter, not fully retaining what was going on.
There wasn't enough Serapio for me in this book. And I really missed the Serapio and Xiala dynamic. Since they were in two different places throughout the entire story, it made me a little sad. The new connections formed were fascinating, however. Iktan and Xiala traveling together and Naranpa and Serapio meeting... all of that was really cool. I was 100% uninterested in Balam and could've done without his point of view entirely.
As a whole, this felt a lot like second book syndrome to me. I wasn't as intrigued or dying to know what would come next. There were only a few moments that really piqued my interest. It was still written well and there were some thought-provoking elements, which is why it got a middle-ground rating from me. But I wouldn't want to read it again.
Here's hoping the next installation brings a bit more action!
Graphic: Death, Violence, Torture, Blood, Murder, Gore, and Self harm
Moderate: Death of parent, Cursing, and Sexual assault
Minor: War
foreverinastory'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
Can't believe I have to wait another year (or more!) to see how it all ends. *cries forever*
Fevered Star immediately picks up where Black Sun leaves off: the convergence has happened and Year 1 of the Crow has begun. Once again we follow Naranpa, Serapio and Xiala as they figure out their paths and how the events surrounding the city of Tova will shape them.
I seriously love this series so much. The characters are just freaking amazing and I would die for basically all of them. We see a lot of growth from them all, but especially Naranpa in this one. I’ve liked her from the beginning so I am only excited to continue to see her grow.
We also get more worldbuilding and mythology/history of The Meridian. I would love to read a fictional non-fiction about this world. I want to know everything! I love seeing how the clans work, and then all the various outsiders and the way the past and now their future desires are shaping conflict. It’s a work of art.
Fevered Star pulls no punches and is an incredible addition to the series.
Rep: All Native/Indigenous cast. Pansexual cis female MC, queer cis female MC, blind cishet male MC, cishet (presumed) male MC, queer bayeki (two spirit/nonbinary specific term) side character, two spirit/nonbinary side characters (use neopronouns), various queer side characters.
CWs: Violence, blood, grief, injury/injury detail, body horror, death, gore, confinement, cursing, physical abuse, suicide, torture, death of parent recounted, murder, alcohol consumption, war themes. Moderate: Sexual content (consensual). Minor: Child abuse, rape, self harm.
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, War, Violence, Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicide, Torture, Death of parent, Confinement, Cursing, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Self harm, Child abuse, and Rape
rorikae'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
4.0
After an explosive end to the first book, it was hard to imagine where we would go next. This is very much a regrouping and planning book with new alliances forged and characters going through significant change based on their experiences in the first book and the first half of book two. The characters and the world building are the two standouts for this series and I can already see that Roanhorse is leading us towards even more in the next book. Though this book did feel like a middle installment, I do think that it sets up a lot for the next book and the character growth made it feel more worthwhile than if it had just been the plot setup.
I can't wait for the next book and to spend more time with these characters. They are all deeply flawed but Roanhorse has made me come to care for them fiercely.
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Grief, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide