Scan barcode
clairew97'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
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
thewereraven's review against another edition
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Rape
anntharai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The issues I have with it REALLY irk me.
The world building is immaculate if a bit on the nose, really vivid writing and visceral descriptions, a great mechanic. Love the use of tattoos and the lore building. Overall I liked the story itself.
The issues, though?
I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the vulgarity because it was genuinely ludicrous at times. Swearing doesn’t bother me in the slightest but the lengths to which these characters went just to get a “banged your relative” joke in was over the top.
Everything has a simile. Everything. The doors locked like a secret. The floors cold like the night. The night air cold like knives. Wind like knives. Words like knives. Running frightened like a startled horse in a barn on fire and the devil whipping it all the way. The lips red like red things.
The repetitive phrases (fuck my face, like his lady’s lips the last time he kissed her, better a bastard than a fool) stopped feeling symbolic and started feeling like a crutch about half way through and using the same *twist* mechanic used twice (gender neutral names being the crux of two stories told so closely together) made it feel less polished than it could have been.
Thanks to various reviews etc I was also expecting a “big thing” to shock me at the end but I kind of felt it was obvious…?
Anti-climactic, in a word, but I do want to know what happens so it’s not like I hated it.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Murder, Outing, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
caitlinbutcher's review against another edition
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, and War
beckybookish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
lunaruprising'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
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder
fromlindenmere's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
adlihtam's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
Moderate: Misogyny and Pedophilia
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Rep: Achillean Black male side character, achillean male side character, two sapphic female side characters, various BIPOC side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption/alcoholism, animal death, blood, body shaming, child abuse, cursing, death, death of parent, fire/fire injury, gore, homophobia, injury/injury detail, misogyny, murder, religious bigotry, sexism, sexual content, torture, violence, war.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
t_scottreviews'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
Re-Read = 26 October 2022
5 Stars
CAWPILE = 9.43
In the sight of the Seven Martyrs I declare this book a masterpiece! I've taken a while to write this because it's impossible to go into too much about what I loved about it without spoiling anything but I'll give it a shot. It's a dark, snarky, multi-layered, gore-filled deep dive into what a world without sunlight and inhabited by vampires would be like. This has great, immersive world building, complex and flawed characters as well as a rollercoaster of a plot that will have you feeling ALL the emotions. Now just to wait on book 2 with bated breath and pine for yet another thing that Jay Kristoff has come up with that doesn't exist.
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, and Gaslighting
Minor: Pregnancy