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lee_6398's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
evelyne98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Torture, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Death and Blood
Minor: Sexism
thiosady's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
lainiereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
SO GOOD!!! very painful though-ow. I really love the continued character devlopment that is going on in this series. Laia has become so much stronger already, but she still has an internal struggle that I look forward to seeing her overcome as the series continues.
I know people love Helene and like,, I get that she isn't a truly bad person and I don't HATE her, but I'm still waiting for something to make me actually like her. I'm sure she will probably be more lovable in the next one, and I am all for a flawed character, but I just don't really get it yet.
Elias has only gotten better, oh my god I LOVE HIM!!! He is just such a good person that even when he does annoying things, he is still great. You always know that he is going to feel remorse for the bad things he has done, and he will try to make it right however he can.
I had absolutely no idea what plot twists were ahead of me as I read this book, and I was constantly being shocked by everything! Sabaa Tahir has that perfect way of storybuilding that makes you want to immediately reread everything to see all of the hints that you missed.
I also really love Tahir's writing because she is able to constantly keep the reader hooked. At times, I caught myself seriously reflecting on what I had read hours before, and I just wanted to pick up the book again and again. This is especially impressive given how depressing this series can be. I don't usually look forward to reading things that I know will be painful, so the fact that this book is able to make me excited to read more is crazy.
I am scared for the pain to come, but obviously I have to keep reading, I just love these characters so much :')
I know people love Helene and like,, I get that she isn't a truly bad person and I don't HATE her, but I'm still waiting for something to make me actually like her. I'm sure she will probably be more lovable in the next one, and I am all for a flawed character, but I just don't really get it yet.
Elias has only gotten better, oh my god I LOVE HIM!!! He is just such a good person that even when he does annoying things, he is still great. You always know that he is going to feel remorse for the bad things he has done, and he will try to make it right however he can.
I had absolutely no idea what plot twists were ahead of me as I read this book, and I was constantly being shocked by everything! Sabaa Tahir has that perfect way of storybuilding that makes you want to immediately reread everything to see all of the hints that you missed.
I also really love Tahir's writing because she is able to constantly keep the reader hooked. At times, I caught myself seriously reflecting on what I had read hours before, and I just wanted to pick up the book again and again. This is especially impressive given how depressing this series can be. I don't usually look forward to reading things that I know will be painful, so the fact that this book is able to make me excited to read more is crazy.
I am scared for the pain to come, but obviously I have to keep reading, I just love these characters so much :')
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Slavery, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent
katsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“So long as you fight the darkness, you stand in the light.”
“Failure doesn't define you. It's what you do after you fail that determines whether you are a leader or a waste of perfectly good air.”
“Don't look so worried. Most successful missions are just a series of barely averted disasters.”
“You are a torch against the night - if you dare to let yourself burn.”
Whoa. This novel was a wild ride, much like it's predecessor which I also enjoyed a lot. The adventure and intrigue were a ton of fun and kept me turning pages, especially during the last half. The plot twists were on point and they just kept on coming. Between presumed deaths, actual deaths, a love triangle and a massive betrayal, the drama almost gave me whiplash, but in the best possible way. Elias is the sweetest while also being a total badass. I love how much Laia's character has grown. And while I started off not really liking Helene's POV, I really appreciated her by the end of the book. I also ended up liking Harper much more than I thought I would. I really liked the more overtly fantastical elements incorporated into this novel (as opposed to the first novel, An Ember in the Ashes) and I'm really excited to see how those elements get fleshed out in the last two novels. There are some significant trigger warnings for graphic violence, torture, child abuse and genocide so please be aware.
REREAD:
This was just as fantastic the second time around. The twists and turns were just as good. I was a little frustrated that I forgot so much about the plot over the last year but that just meant I really got to relive it. And honestly I have so many questions for book 3. The character's are so well written and I'm convinced Tahir is going to rip my heart out in the last two books. So here goes nothing.
“Failure doesn't define you. It's what you do after you fail that determines whether you are a leader or a waste of perfectly good air.”
“Don't look so worried. Most successful missions are just a series of barely averted disasters.”
“You are a torch against the night - if you dare to let yourself burn.”
Whoa. This novel was a wild ride, much like it's predecessor which I also enjoyed a lot. The adventure and intrigue were a ton of fun and kept me turning pages, especially during the last half. The plot twists were on point and they just kept on coming. Between presumed deaths, actual deaths, a love triangle and a massive betrayal, the drama almost gave me whiplash, but in the best possible way. Elias is the sweetest while also being a total badass. I love how much Laia's character has grown. And while I started off not really liking Helene's POV, I really appreciated her by the end of the book. I also ended up liking Harper much more than I thought I would. I really liked the more overtly fantastical elements incorporated into this novel (as opposed to the first novel, An Ember in the Ashes) and I'm really excited to see how those elements get fleshed out in the last two novels. There are some significant trigger warnings for graphic violence, torture, child abuse and genocide so please be aware.
REREAD:
This was just as fantastic the second time around. The twists and turns were just as good. I was a little frustrated that I forgot so much about the plot over the last year but that just meant I really got to relive it. And honestly I have so many questions for book 3. The character's are so well written and I'm convinced Tahir is going to rip my heart out in the last two books. So here goes nothing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content
sydapel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
coolbeancat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
slama_llama's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
This book has stabbed me in chest too many times to count. I was on the edge the entire time; after continuously reading fantasy, I’ve become pretty good at predicting what happens- but there were only a few things that I figured out (which, btw, were cleverly hinted in the plot).
The writing style is so smooth and the story flows so freely. This book has definitely brought forth intense reactions- I was crying and screaming and shouting angrily. So many of my annotations and notes is just me yelling at someone, or furiously commenting on something in FULL CAPS; There are so many moments when the plot enraged me (this is not a negative point towards the writing style or the author, it’s just simply how the story plays out).
A dystopian story to the core.
Two books in, there’s a lot that we don’t know, things that need explanations- but it’s well played out and we know all the relevant details till this point that it doesn’t feel like a sloppy attempt at creating mystery.
I’m highly impressed, and despite the anxiety inducing plot, I’m glad I picked it up.
The writing style is so smooth and the story flows so freely. This book has definitely brought forth intense reactions- I was crying and screaming and shouting angrily. So many of my annotations and notes is just me yelling at someone, or furiously commenting on something in FULL CAPS; There are so many moments when the plot enraged me (this is not a negative point towards the writing style or the author, it’s just simply how the story plays out).
A dystopian story to the core.
Two books in, there’s a lot that we don’t know, things that need explanations- but it’s well played out and we know all the relevant details till this point that it doesn’t feel like a sloppy attempt at creating mystery.
I’m highly impressed, and despite the anxiety inducing plot, I’m glad I picked it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Grief
boxalligators's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
3.0
Rep:
POC main characters
POC main characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery and Death of parent
Minor: Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
shahdhazem's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
I haven't read anything this good in a long time. I loved it so much it had everything you could want in a book. The pace was so fast and the events so intense I literally felt like there was a lump in my throat going through the last part. The plot twist are mind-blowing I still can't put my hand on everything and that ending it was just *chef's kiss* when darin told Laia little sister ahh I felt so emotional. And I'm so confused by all the nightbringer plot and Elias being a soul catcher can't wait to read reaper😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Death of parent