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tinyjude'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
Since I already grew fond of them watching on the screen, it was easier to follow everything and appreciate the nuance in each character and story arc. It was enjoyable, especially getting to know more about each characters' backgrounds and wills.
If the screen adaptation sold Kaz and Inej romance with ease because of both actors' incredible work, I was even more invested into their interactions and the slow burn going on in the book. Damn, those final words they exchange... still hitting the right spot. Inej and Nina are my queens, I love them dearly, especially Inej.
The age of the characters is one of the things that makes it quite unbelievable; even just aging them two years could have helped solidify their prodigious nature and talent, but I guess some people will find it cooler if they are that young and proving to be such a threat.
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Trafficking, Death, Drug abuse, Body horror, Child death, and Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Xenophobia, Rape, Animal death, Sexual content, Deportation, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
booksarebae'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
4.75
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
renewed_reader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, Body horror, Classism, Blood, Death, Genocide, Torture, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
seapotatohowisitalrtaken'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Blood, and Trafficking
Moderate: Racism, Vomit, Torture, Body horror, Sexism, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Cursing
cooldudenick'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
4.0
Moderate: Genocide, Drug use, Racism, Trafficking, Slavery, Rape, and Sexual content
wyabook234'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
4.75
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Xenophobia
Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Addiction
bootsmom3'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: Gun violence, Drug use, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Medical content, Racism, Religious bigotry, Torture, Medical trauma, Grief, Blood, Death, Violence, and Confinement
Moderate: Death of parent, Trafficking, Slavery, and Sexual content
e_joy10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
david_slack110507'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
4.5
One of the main enticements of this book for me was the characters and I'm glad to say that the characters, at least our main group of 6, all were incredibly well-written and developed. I think their connections as a group as well as intergroup connections with one another were so well done. I loved them all - Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias - and I found that I was never once bored when it shifted to either one of their perspectives which I'm really glad this book did as everyone had a unique character background which explained why they were doing what they were doing as well as having unique perspectives on the heist that lay ahead of them.
Speaking of the heist, I found that the heist as the plot was actually really strong, and it helped move the book along at a brisk but nice pace allowing for moments to breathe before the next one arrived. I found the pre-planning and the constant shift in plan when something unaccounted for happened or when something wrong took place was extremely enjoyable and it was really good to see these characters constantly face change during their heist on the Ice Court and adapt the best that they could.
I also really liked seeing the world beyond Ravka and the Grisha's perspective as that was something that, now looking back on it, was missing from the Shadow and Bone books so it was interesting to see what the Fjerdans/Fjerda thinks of Grisha and vice versa as well as seeing the story set in a place of less elegance and extravagance than Ravka with East Stave and the 'Barrel'. It also built upon Grisha magic with the introduction of Jurda Parem, a drug that allows Grisha to do unimaginable things that break the previous limits of their power; I do wish we had gotten to see more of it but I also think that what we saw did demonstrate well enough why it was so dangerous to the world and why it was imperative that this not fall into the wrong hands.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this even if it did take me a lot longer than I wanted to but I found it to be a huge step up from the Shadow and Bone books and the next book is rated even better so I can't even imagine how good of a treat that'll be which I'm hoping to get around to relatively soon as I try and finish up the other books I have on the go. I'm interested in seeing whether or not the next book, Crooked Kingdom, will resolve the cliffhanger off screen (or off the page in this instance, with explanations in the form of exposition spread throughout to explain it) or whether it will start the book and wrap it up relatively quickly to then go onto the actual plot of that book but I guess only time will tell.
Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Child death, Confinement, Sexual assault, Torture, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Ableism, Cursing, Drug use, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Abandonment, Addiction, and Rape
Minor: Classism, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Sexual content, and Alcohol
josiee'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
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Genocide, Miscarriage, Addiction, Dementia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Outing, Rape, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Murder, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Torture, Trafficking, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, and Violence