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hollyk'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
This book is dark, like, really dark. But it's about child soldiers conscripted into an army, so that tracks. I feel like a lot of fantasy series have a similar aspect of teenagers in military, but Sloane actively pushes back against that, where a lot of other protagonists are relatively complacent. I also see some similarities to The Blood Trials in this one, but Blood Scion focuses more on the ancestry and oppression of Yorubas and Scions, whereas The Blood Trials is more sci-fi and political. Sloane is young, and it shows at times, but that's understandable--she's a child forced into conscription. She's not going to be the most successful recruit, and that makes her easy to root for. She's tough, smart, and keeps ahold of her humanity when the military leaders try to break her. There are so many twists and turns, and I didn't see the ending coming. The only questionable thing is (MASSIVE SPOILER)
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, War, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Genocide, Murder, Sexual violence, Gore, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Vomit, and Animal death
kirstenf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Gun violence, Child death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death of parent, War, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Confinement, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Chronic illness
zee's review against another edition
3.5
Although the story teems with lore, I found it hard to engage in. The recruit training is only 30 days, which seems impossibly short for the amount of action and events, while it also managed to drag on painfully at times. The pacing was highly inconsistent, and the end is similarly (and unsatisfyingly) abrupt.
It sounds like there is already a film deal on the table, and I think this story would translate really well, while adding a rich diversity to the usual types of Western stories told. It was a very impressive debut novel, but just not one for me.
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Violence, Child death, War, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual assault, Self harm, Death of parent, and Blood
samjdoe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Sexual violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Grief, and Violence
dragonwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, War, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape
kaylamoran'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? Yes
4.75
This book was nothing like I expected, and I loved every moment. It reminded me a bit of the Poppy War at times, which is one of my favourite fantasy series.
The pacing was perfect. Sloane was so well developed, so human despite everything she goes though and every awful thing she has to do. Her moments of selfishness were so human, and its nice to read a protagonist for whom self preservation is more important than morality. The story was so well crafted, and the twist at the end caught me totally off guard. Overall, I thought this book was brilliant.
The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because a few words felt overused in descriptions. "Bleeding" (as in to replace a swear word, like the f word) and bastard come to mind.
Graphic: Death, Murder, Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, War, Blood, and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Self harm and Cultural appropriation
shadesofdivine'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? No
5.0
Graphic: War, Torture, Sexual violence, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Child death, Murder, Colonisation, Genocide, Blood, Gun violence, and Sexual assault
peeko99'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? No
4.5
Graphic: War, Sexual assault, Rape, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
remaininlullaby's review against another edition
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, War, and Torture
Moderate: Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, and Slavery
Minor: Vomit
bookishmikay'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Death, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Classism
Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture