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atypicalley's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I feel like I can tell you exactly what this author reads likes based on the lines I heard repeated — once or twice, almost word for word. Like… sorry bud, you can’t near-quote LOTR without me recognizing where it came from. So, this book is born of:
-Brent Weeks
-Patrick Rothfuss
-Bloodborne
-The Witcher
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing (though it gets a bit repetitive). I think the problem for me is, the author is using pieces of stories he loves without fully understanding why they worked in other instances.
We have a “novel in a novel” format, right? Straight out of Kingkiller chronicles, but with a less charming storyteller. But structurally, the time jumps are skipping the most interesting part of the story, and losing the sense of mystery that a time jump should build. I understood everything that’d happened between the 11 year time skip within a single chapter, with no mystery, no tension. But because we’d skipped the part where the love interest *became* the love interest, I also didn’t care.
We have a dark and gritty world, where all the women are overtly described and all the sex scenes begin or end with violence. Not for any particular *reason.* In fact, I’m of the opinion that the only sex scene that had any impact on the character and led to change happened when the MC was literally a child. It feels very Game of Thrones Season 1– aiming for shock and awe, ‘we can cuss on public television, we’re sooooo tough.” Oh, and also the horse dies. Because. It’s gotta be sad. But like… we never did any adventures with the horse? We’d literally just met the horse? Dark and gritty is all well and good— I knew what I was picking up. But that only works when there is some *opposite* to balance. Dark content is dark because it shows you the light first. Sadness is born of lost love. Pain is born of lost joy. But you only ever get the formers, and not the latters. So… I just didn’t care through most of the book. Probably would’ve DNF’d if I’d been reading physically.
The female characters are picked straight out of the Witcher. Hell, so is the main character. But the Maiden/Madonna/Whore complex is in fuuuuull glory over here, and it does get tedious.
-Brent Weeks
-Patrick Rothfuss
-Bloodborne
-The Witcher
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing (though it gets a bit repetitive). I think the problem for me is, the author is using pieces of stories he loves without fully understanding why they worked in other instances.
We have a “novel in a novel” format, right? Straight out of Kingkiller chronicles, but with a less charming storyteller. But structurally, the time jumps are skipping the most interesting part of the story, and losing the sense of mystery that a time jump should build. I understood everything that’d happened between the 11 year time skip within a single chapter, with no mystery, no tension. But because we’d skipped the part where the love interest *became* the love interest, I also didn’t care.
We have a dark and gritty world, where all the women are overtly described and all the sex scenes begin or end with violence. Not for any particular *reason.* In fact, I’m of the opinion that the only sex scene that had any impact on the character and led to change happened when the MC was literally a child. It feels very Game of Thrones Season 1– aiming for shock and awe, ‘we can cuss on public television, we’re sooooo tough.” Oh, and also the horse dies. Because. It’s gotta be sad. But like… we never did any adventures with the horse? We’d literally just met the horse? Dark and gritty is all well and good— I knew what I was picking up. But that only works when there is some *opposite* to balance. Dark content is dark because it shows you the light first. Sadness is born of lost love. Pain is born of lost joy. But you only ever get the formers, and not the latters. So… I just didn’t care through most of the book. Probably would’ve DNF’d if I’d been reading physically.
The female characters are picked straight out of the Witcher. Hell, so is the main character. But the Maiden/Madonna/Whore complex is in fuuuuull glory over here, and it does get tedious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
exteenawreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
(3-4 ⭐? can't decide) I have two wolves within me: one finger-gunning and saying "Niiice, hot slutty vampires" and the other screaming "The Bechdel Test! Misogyny! Fridging!! Gross obsession with sexualizing underage kids!"
So ya, I dunno.
I think the writing was excellent, the world was immersive and thrilling, and the story compelling. The battle scenes are expertly written and many moments are truly exhilarating. The prose is beautiful and poetic, the characters are memorable and unique. I really enjoyed what was basically a randomly generated DND party of diverse folks, forced together and fighting against all odds on a quest to save the broken world. It seems to heavily take inspiration from other media I love like The Witcher and The Last of Us, though that meant I wasn't too surprised by the direction. It was just so painfully obviously written by a man the feminist in me couldn't help but cringe often. And don't get me wrong, I get that the point of showing all of this violence and hatred of women is to highlight it as toxic and wrong. But the way it's written also glorifies it, and the story isn't about fighting the patriarchy - it's about a man out for revenge and glory, his enemy just happens to also be thinly veiled patriarchy and religious zealotry.
Ex: A vampire obsessed with teenage girls and turning them to be his unwilling slaves, literally pulling his carriage all half naked? = Evil, this is a villain, we don't root for him. But the writing itself directs the reader to see these things moreso as acts of great power and strength, and the simple truth of what a man would do if they were infinite and unkillable. This vampire is described very positively as beautiful, strong, something to be respected and feared. Yes he's a villain, but I'm also not convinced the author doesn't sort of revere men like him or at least see this as the average man's ideal. And the many examples of this throughout are hard to ignore.
Overall I did really like it, I just feel a little icky about it. And I truly could have done without the underage kid sexualizing. And the animal deaths :(
So ya, I dunno.
I think the writing was excellent, the world was immersive and thrilling, and the story compelling. The battle scenes are expertly written and many moments are truly exhilarating. The prose is beautiful and poetic, the characters are memorable and unique. I really enjoyed what was basically a randomly generated DND party of diverse folks, forced together and fighting against all odds on a quest to save the broken world. It seems to heavily take inspiration from other media I love like The Witcher and The Last of Us, though that meant I wasn't too surprised by the direction. It was just so painfully obviously written by a man the feminist in me couldn't help but cringe often. And don't get me wrong, I get that the point of showing all of this violence and hatred of women is to highlight it as toxic and wrong. But the way it's written also glorifies it, and the story isn't about fighting the patriarchy - it's about a man out for revenge and glory, his enemy just happens to also be thinly veiled patriarchy and religious zealotry.
Ex: A vampire obsessed with teenage girls and turning them to be his unwilling slaves, literally pulling his carriage all half naked? = Evil, this is a villain, we don't root for him. But the writing itself directs the reader to see these things moreso as acts of great power and strength, and the simple truth of what a man would do if they were infinite and unkillable. This vampire is described very positively as beautiful, strong, something to be respected and feared. Yes he's a villain, but I'm also not convinced the author doesn't sort of revere men like him or at least see this as the average man's ideal. And the many examples of this throughout are hard to ignore.
Overall I did really like it, I just feel a little icky about it. And I truly could have done without the underage kid sexualizing. And the animal deaths :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
bookbeetlebabe's review against another edition
Misogynistic and bro-tastic. Gabriel is annoying af. Repetitive, stupid humor, with an immense focus on sexual violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
sadspringroll's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
5.0
I loved this book. The world it built was akin to the Witcher, bloodborne, and/or castlevania. I loved the characters, the world building, aesthetic, lore, diversity, fight scenes and reveals.
My only criticisms are the overuse of some French words/phrases. I liked most of them and thought it added depth and charm, but “ma famille” and others did grate on me. The first half definitely had a few too many sexual innuendos in the dialogue for me. Sometimes it felt like forced humour (imo). I didn’t like the interview method as the storytelling mechanism at first, but got used to it fairly quickly and began to enjoy it. Finally, Locked like a secret was a phrase I’d never heard before yet read at least 3 times, but I know a lot of authors are guilty of this.
So ultimately, if you hate French and aren’t keen on time jumps (or it’s the journey not the destination type stories) it may not be for you. But I can safely say this is a 10/10 book for me, even with its quirks.
My only criticisms are the overuse of some French words/phrases. I liked most of them and thought it added depth and charm, but “ma famille” and others did grate on me. The first half definitely had a few too many sexual innuendos in the dialogue for me. Sometimes it felt like forced humour (imo). I didn’t like the interview method as the storytelling mechanism at first, but got used to it fairly quickly and began to enjoy it. Finally, Locked like a secret was a phrase I’d never heard before yet read at least 3 times, but I know a lot of authors are guilty of this.
So ultimately, if you hate French and aren’t keen on time jumps (or it’s the journey not the destination type stories) it may not be for you. But I can safely say this is a 10/10 book for me, even with its quirks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Torture
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape and Pregnancy
kal517'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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
nancy_sch's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
0.25
A messy mash-up of other stories told with other people’s song lyrics, an abundance of adjectives (some of which should be adverbs) and misogynistic, homophobe swear-phrases in every other line.
For all that, the 700-odd pages are just the preamble to the actual story that’s still to come.
Hard to believe this passed a plagiarism test.
Hard to believe they’re not being sued for copyright infringements.
Hard to believe an editor checked this or publisher might think this worthy of publication.
For all that, the 700-odd pages are just the preamble to the actual story that’s still to come.
Hard to believe this passed a plagiarism test.
Hard to believe they’re not being sued for copyright infringements.
Hard to believe an editor checked this or publisher might think this worthy of publication.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Toxic friendship
georgeeporge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.5
I haven't read a proper fantasy for ages and this was *chefs kiss*. I devoured it — and it is by no means a small book! Gabriel is a great antihero, the world building is amazing, the horror aspects were well integrated. I also really enjoyed the interview style of the narrative, it meant we were guided through jumps around the timeline rather than thrown around in a chaotic mess. Also loved the artwork pages dotted throughout, a nod to the interviewer.
It's only not a 5* because the male gaze was a tad off putting at times, and although the author is trying to be an ally to the queer community, they fell into the same tropes often seen in male written fantasy — over sexualised and hugely stereotyped.
Luckily the storyline was too good to be put off and I am desperate to read more from this author.
It's only not a 5* because the male gaze was a tad off putting at times, and although the author is trying to be an ally to the queer community, they fell into the same tropes often seen in male written fantasy — over sexualised and hugely stereotyped.
Luckily the storyline was too good to be put off and I am desperate to read more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Violence
ashwyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 stars for the amazing plot, twists, world, and characters.
-1 star for the CRINGEY lines from Gabriel, a lot of Gabriel's character seeming to be ripped from Geralt's (the horse, the 'last' of his kind, the kid he picks up, etc...), and the subtle and weird misogyny (lots of rape and weirdly sexual ways female characters die, sexual violence, the way women are talked about and insulted), etc...)
-1 star for the CRINGEY lines from Gabriel, a lot of Gabriel's character seeming to be ripped from Geralt's (the horse, the 'last' of his kind, the kid he picks up, etc...), and the subtle and weird misogyny (lots of rape and weirdly sexual ways female characters die, sexual violence, the way women are talked about and insulted), etc...)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
chaptermaggot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Outing, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Drug use, Rape, Torture, Pregnancy, and Classism
florian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, and Grief
Minor: Rape