Scan barcode
talonsontypewriters's review
adventurous
dark
slow-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? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Animal death, Mental illness, Gun violence, Sexual content, Grief, and Confinement
Minor: Cannibalism, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Vomit
ticktock's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Death
totallyshelfaware's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Gore, Animal death, and Physical abuse
space_bandit's review
adventurous
slow-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
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Sexual content
Minor: Cannibalism and Rape
valpyre's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
[audiobook]
this was much more enjoyable for me than chupeco's the bone witch, so i was optimistic at the start. the premise was interesting, and i thought the main characters and romances had been well-introduced, though aspects of the way arjun was written rubbed me the wrong way. the plot picked up almost immediately, which was a plus, but after that it honestly all felt very stagnant. stuff happened, sure, but i didn't really feel any sense of urgency or drive. i think chupeco prefers to tell and rarely show, and i enjoy writing that's the other way around, so i had a hard time feeling invested in these characters and their goals. this had all the bones of a good fantasy, but ultimately it felt underdeveloped, so i don't think i'll be continuing the series.
this was much more enjoyable for me than chupeco's the bone witch, so i was optimistic at the start. the premise was interesting, and i thought the main characters and romances had been well-introduced, though aspects of the way arjun was written rubbed me the wrong way. the plot picked up almost immediately, which was a plus, but after that it honestly all felt very stagnant. stuff happened, sure, but i didn't really feel any sense of urgency or drive. i think chupeco prefers to tell and rarely show, and i enjoy writing that's the other way around, so i had a hard time feeling invested in these characters and their goals. this had all the bones of a good fantasy, but ultimately it felt underdeveloped, so i don't think i'll be continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Cannibalism and Sexual assault
moon's review
adventurous
emotional
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
3.5
i had trouble getting through the first half of the book because the pov changes with every chapter and it broke my flow and concentration every time but after the pacing picked up in the second half, i breezed through it with ease.
the premise is very intriguing and unique, but i have to admit that it took till more than halfway through the book for me to get a decent grasp on the world-building and lore. the logistics of magic and how it worked in their world was so vague and poorly explained that if you ask me right now how gates and patterns are utilised, i would struggle to tell you.
that said, it was very easy for me to grow attached to the main characters. well, most of them. arjun and haidee were my favourite and while i know they're the least angsty/complicated pair of them, i loved how their characters grew and developed as the plot progressed. i also appreciated tian lan's complexity, but odessa on the other hand...it was cool seeing how her inner thoughts and morals gradually devolved as the ritual transformed her, but i feel that her character arc was very hastily concluded with no attention brought to the consequences or implications of her earlier actions. hopefully this will be addressed in the sequel.
the never tilting world is by no means perfect but i enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the sequel.
the premise is very intriguing and unique, but i have to admit that it took till more than halfway through the book for me to get a decent grasp on the world-building and lore. the logistics of magic and how it worked in their world was so vague and poorly explained that if you ask me right now how gates and patterns are utilised, i would struggle to tell you.
that said, it was very easy for me to grow attached to the main characters. well, most of them. arjun and haidee were my favourite and while i know they're the least angsty/complicated pair of them, i loved how their characters grew and developed as the plot progressed. i also appreciated tian lan's complexity, but odessa on the other hand...
the never tilting world is by no means perfect but i enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Cannibalism and Vomit
lesbian main character, chinese lesbian main character, disabled south asian main characterpoppywarphan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
And with a harsh, grating sound, for the first time in seventeen years, the world began to turn.
The concept was very unique. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. The pace was a bit too fast for me to properly grasp the worldbuilding. I would've loved if things were explained a bit more. In the beginning I was totally lost. There are a lot of things that are still unclear to me.
I loved one half of the povs, the other was just meh. Right at the beginning I preferred the pov in Aranth however I quickly became in love with Haidee and Arjun. Odessa's corruption arc was dissatisfying and she was redeemed way too easily.
The execution could have been better but overall I think I liked it. Though I probably wouldn't have continued with the next book if it weren't for Arjun and Haidee. I love their dynamic so much. It's just amazing.
The concept was very unique. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. The pace was a bit too fast for me to properly grasp the worldbuilding. I would've loved if things were explained a bit more. In the beginning I was totally lost. There are a lot of things that are still unclear to me.
I loved one half of the povs, the other was just meh. Right at the beginning I preferred the pov in Aranth however I quickly became in love with Haidee and Arjun. Odessa's corruption arc was dissatisfying and she was redeemed way too easily.
The execution could have been better but overall I think I liked it. Though I probably wouldn't have continued with the next book if it weren't for Arjun and Haidee. I love their dynamic so much. It's just amazing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Blood, and Death
lucystolethesky's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness
Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Confinement, and Animal death
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, and Cannibalism
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.75
OMG ASDFGHJK. My love for Rin Chupeco's world building and writing has only grown after reading this!
Rep: Chronically ill sapphic MC, Asian coded sapphic (lesbian coded) MC suffering from PTSD, disabled POC MC that is missing one of his hands. Possible sapphic side character--seemed to have a romantic relationship with another woman, but am not certain. I believe most the characters are POC but I'm not 100% certain.
CWs: Violence, blood, physical abuse, bullying, animal death, cannibalism, death, gaslighting, grief, sexual content, mental illness (PTSD), murder.
Rep: Chronically ill sapphic MC, Asian coded sapphic (lesbian coded) MC suffering from PTSD, disabled POC MC that is missing one of his hands. Possible sapphic side character--seemed to have a romantic relationship with another woman, but am not certain. I believe most the characters are POC but I'm not 100% certain.
CWs: Violence, blood, physical abuse, bullying, animal death, cannibalism, death, gaslighting, grief, sexual content, mental illness (PTSD), murder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Death, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Animal death, and Mental illness
Minor: Cannibalism and Blood
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
THE NEVER TILTING WORLD is a journey fantasy told by four sides as two separated sisters and their companions travel to the rift at the heart of their world to try and fix their parents' mistakes.
I like the world building, so much is shaped by the central conceit that something went wrong a decade and a half ago and the planet stopped spinning. I would like to know how gravity is still functioning, but other than that it has an internal logic that was pretty easy to follow. I like the magic system, there's enough information for it to make sense but it's not overexplained. I love this premise, and I love how it's carried out. The price of the gifts was a nice touch, the effects begin subtly and then cause a dramatic turn in the plot, making it clear both why anyone ever would have thought accepting them was fine, and how (from my perspective, at least) it's not worth it.
The four main characters all felt very distinct from each other, with different things they wanted, and many differences in what they were willing to give up and what they sought to protect. They had four very different backgrounds and it's shown well. I felt like I had room to like the book without liking all four main characters. I loved one, liked two, and have complex thoughts about the last one. That character undergoes a gradual change in mental state, it’s very well written. It’s marked by certain milestones, specific plot events that cause it to progress. It wasn’t until several of them it happened that I realized the shift they have been building, but when I looked back I could see its early stages. I love stories where a character undergoes a drastic change in how they perceive the world and interact with it, and this did a great job of portraying that shift. I liked how they were written, and my complex feelings come from initially loving them, feeling strange as their personality shifted to be wholly unlikeable, then realizing that it was shifting due to events in the story. At that point I didn't resume liking them as a person, but I love how they're written. I like the pair journeying in the desert the best, their duo was more relatable to me but one of the strengths of this book is that, as I said the main characters are so different that you'll probably like at least one of them, and the narrative doesn't hinge on whether you like all four of them as people.
The ending was good, it does make me want to read part two, and given that this is a duology the second half of the story is waiting in the sequel. It felt a little abrupt, but the characters both literally and emotionally arrived at a place that made sense as the ending before the next book. Sometimes duologies can feel like two intertwined stand-alone books, and sometimes they feel like a larger work split in two. This is very much that second type, I don't know if my impression will change once I read the sequel.
I like the world building, so much is shaped by the central conceit that something went wrong a decade and a half ago and the planet stopped spinning. I would like to know how gravity is still functioning, but other than that it has an internal logic that was pretty easy to follow. I like the magic system, there's enough information for it to make sense but it's not overexplained. I love this premise, and I love how it's carried out. The price of the gifts was a nice touch, the effects begin subtly and then cause a dramatic turn in the plot, making it clear both why anyone ever would have thought accepting them was fine, and how (from my perspective, at least) it's not worth it.
The four main characters all felt very distinct from each other, with different things they wanted, and many differences in what they were willing to give up and what they sought to protect. They had four very different backgrounds and it's shown well. I felt like I had room to like the book without liking all four main characters. I loved one, liked two, and have complex thoughts about the last one. That character undergoes a gradual change in mental state, it’s very well written. It’s marked by certain milestones, specific plot events that cause it to progress. It wasn’t until several of them it happened that I realized the shift they have been building, but when I looked back I could see its early stages. I love stories where a character undergoes a drastic change in how they perceive the world and interact with it, and this did a great job of portraying that shift. I liked how they were written, and my complex feelings come from initially loving them, feeling strange as their personality shifted to be wholly unlikeable, then realizing that it was shifting due to events in the story. At that point I didn't resume liking them as a person, but I love how they're written. I like the pair journeying in the desert the best, their duo was more relatable to me but one of the strengths of this book is that, as I said the main characters are so different that you'll probably like at least one of them, and the narrative doesn't hinge on whether you like all four of them as people.
The ending was good, it does make me want to read part two, and given that this is a duology the second half of the story is waiting in the sequel. It felt a little abrupt, but the characters both literally and emotionally arrived at a place that made sense as the ending before the next book. Sometimes duologies can feel like two intertwined stand-alone books, and sometimes they feel like a larger work split in two. This is very much that second type, I don't know if my impression will change once I read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Vomit
Minor: Cannibalism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content