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adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m a bit disappointed that this series seems to be regressing in terms of quality. It’s still great in my opinion, but nothing can quite top the first book. I still wanted to know every detail and read as quickly as possible, but I found myself taking breaks, which is unusual for me. The journey from island to island started to feel repetitive, and the battles all began to blur together. There’s still so much we don’t know, and I feel like Rebecca Yarros should have at least dropped a few more breadcrumbs. There are only so many questions I can take - please, give me something! But don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely dying for the next book, even though I know it’s going to hurt like crazy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, War
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, War
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Onyx Storm brought better pacing than Iron Flame, but only by a feather.
It seems to be a trend with Yarros that her books finally develop their momentum about three quarters of the way through. I think that is a sign of a rushed editing process, and an author that perhaps shouldn’t have committed to a five book series from the outset.
The changing POVs in the last 100 pages was so jarring, I almost DNF’d right there. If you’re gonna to multi-POV, commit to it from the outset! If we hadn’t spent so much time in the middle of the book, we might have had enough word count to better approach the chapters where Yarros felt the need to go to other POVs.
The saving grace of the entire series? Ridoc and Andarna are literally the best and I would die for them.
Now that we’re past the middle book, hopefully there will be better pacing and some of the gaps in the story and lore can be properly addressed.
It seems to be a trend with Yarros that her books finally develop their momentum about three quarters of the way through. I think that is a sign of a rushed editing process, and an author that perhaps shouldn’t have committed to a five book series from the outset.
The saving grace of the entire series? Ridoc and Andarna are literally the best and I would die for them.
Now that we’re past the middle book, hopefully there will be better pacing and some of the gaps in the story and lore can be properly addressed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, War
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing
Minor: Toxic relationship
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Wow this book was a rollercoaster. Loved to see more of some characters like Aaric and Ridoc and also discover more of the world the book takes place in. The book stretched out a little too long in my opinion. We got some answers we waited for but honestly I have more questions now then before. Waiting for book 4!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was great! You really couldn't catch a break, whenever you were starting to get a little uninterested or bored, a twist or reveal came. Some of the reveals I saw coming and some I didn't. In this installment of the series I think more characters came into play, and got a lot more page time, which I really adored, because I think there are so many interesting characters that we are missing out on.
I will say it was quite difficult for me to remember all the names and who and what they were, so the politic stuff I didn't really understand...
Aaaand the ending... I don't know how I feel about that. I certainly sets up the next book, but was the ending a little too quick and easily written? Maybe.
I will say it was quite difficult for me to remember all the names and who and what they were, so the politic stuff I didn't really understand...
Aaaand the ending... I don't know how I feel about that. I certainly sets up the next book, but was the ending a little too quick and easily written? Maybe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Death of parent, War
Minor: Torture
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unfortunately, this story chose world building and having far too many characters over having an actual plot. I wish each book felt like its own story that’s connected to the larger story rather than it feeling like we’re 1,500 pages into one story with no end in sight. Nothing really happens in this book, and then a bunch of confusion is thrown at you at the end in order to keep your interest in wanting to read the next installment. I enjoy this world, but Rebecca needs to get to the point eventually.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The character development in this one is stronger than in previous books—the motivations felt more complex and grounded. I’m also impressed that Yarros hasn’t let to any swift solutions come about for Xaden. That said, a friend of mine told me once that the difference between fantasy and reality is that fantasy villains are wrapped up into a single, defeatable object rather than spread unevenly through the hearts of your neighbors. That said: I truly hope that Yarros wraps up this series while addressing threats that extend beyond the venin. (I mean. . .there’s the abuse in the school in and of itself that should probably be looked at.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, War
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, War