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jashanac's review
5.0
Well what in the hell I immediately said out loud, “Ugh there has to be mooooore!”
Summary:
Portal fantasy following a cast of characters in various unique worlds. Queernormative, sapphic MC, autism rep, ptsd rep, and a matriarchal society which may or may not be doing things the right way. In first book, Saffron lives on Earth and accidentally follows a worldwalker into another world, full of complicated, tense political scheming, unique and fascinating cultures, and a lot of things she doesn't understand.
Re-Readability:
I will absolutely re-read this book (and the first book). I feel like I would NEED to re-read it to fully understand everything.
Characters:
I love these characters -- there are many side characters who we get some povs with and I got so invested in all of them. I feel like this duology is quite introspective, particularly where the characters are concerned. There's not always a lot of "stuff" actually going on. Sometimes whole sections are just people talking, but I was fascinated by it all. The psychology of the characters is being looked at with care and reflection and I loved it all. Just truly interesting and well-executed character development all the way around, for me personally.
Plot:
The worlds opened up QUITE a bit here and the various reveals were so cool and interesting. I can't say too much about the plot points without spoiling, but there were several moments that got me hyped and also EMOTIONAL, particularly toward the end.
Themes:
Personal autonomy. Choosing your path. Emotional and mental abuse. Overcorrection of societal problems, to create more (or the same) problems. Misogyny. The dangers of religious prejudice & zealotry. Xenophobia. Chosen family.
Favorite Quotes:
"Because defending myself was not a worse crime than what I was defending myself from. So, no, I didn't say sorry, because I'm not sorry, and I'm sick of lying to people about how I feel because they're incapable of believing an honest answer!"
"You're more protective of a proto-rapist than you are of the girls he hurts, and you should be ashamed of yourselves."
"The silence between them was blanket-thick, a thing of trust and tension."
"Ashasa help us." - "Ashasa might not... [...] better to help ourselves."
"Do not try to get yourself killed. I'd hate for a perfectly good source of chaos to go to waste."
"You killed my sister. [...] She was never yours."
Favorite Parts:
Saf on Earth in the beginning and everything she deals with there & how she handles it all & talks to her parents. Saf and Ruby's dynamic. The scions!!!! The reveals about Leoden. Yena!!!!
Summary:
Portal fantasy following a cast of characters in various unique worlds. Queernormative, sapphic MC, autism rep, ptsd rep, and a matriarchal society which may or may not be doing things the right way. In first book, Saffron lives on Earth and accidentally follows a worldwalker into another world, full of complicated, tense political scheming, unique and fascinating cultures, and a lot of things she doesn't understand.
Re-Readability:
I will absolutely re-read this book (and the first book). I feel like I would NEED to re-read it to fully understand everything.
Characters:
I love these characters -- there are many side characters who we get some povs with and I got so invested in all of them. I feel like this duology is quite introspective, particularly where the characters are concerned. There's not always a lot of "stuff" actually going on. Sometimes whole sections are just people talking, but I was fascinated by it all. The psychology of the characters is being looked at with care and reflection and I loved it all. Just truly interesting and well-executed character development all the way around, for me personally.
Plot:
The worlds opened up QUITE a bit here and the various reveals were so cool and interesting. I can't say too much about the plot points without spoiling, but there were several moments that got me hyped and also EMOTIONAL, particularly toward the end.
Themes:
Personal autonomy. Choosing your path. Emotional and mental abuse. Overcorrection of societal problems, to create more (or the same) problems. Misogyny. The dangers of religious prejudice & zealotry. Xenophobia. Chosen family.
Favorite Quotes:
"Because defending myself was not a worse crime than what I was defending myself from. So, no, I didn't say sorry, because I'm not sorry, and I'm sick of lying to people about how I feel because they're incapable of believing an honest answer!"
"You're more protective of a proto-rapist than you are of the girls he hurts, and you should be ashamed of yourselves."
"The silence between them was blanket-thick, a thing of trust and tension."
"Ashasa help us." - "Ashasa might not... [...] better to help ourselves."
"Do not try to get yourself killed. I'd hate for a perfectly good source of chaos to go to waste."
"You killed my sister. [...] She was never yours."
Favorite Parts:
Saf on Earth in the beginning and everything she deals with there & how she handles it all & talks to her parents. Saf and Ruby's dynamic. The scions!!!! The reveals about Leoden. Yena!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Death
Moderate: Violence, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Minor: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
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