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michaelmarshall'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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape
ekcd_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Excrement, Sexual content, Torture, Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Gore, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Abandonment, Misogyny, Rape, and Vomit
abbieh95's review against another edition
4.5
Minor: Rape
cj13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Vomit, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Rape, War, and Drug use
kmarkus15's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Minor: Rape
josiah17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I NEED book four!!!!
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Rape
dragonaion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
... I was disappointed. The previous romance in the last book was passionate, communicative, balanced, and heartfelt in every sense of the word. Women as a whole in the previous novels were a sight to behold, and truly made me (a female reader) see them as true equals to the men. Even if they died, they were majestic and were taken by Aza Guilla in the epitome grace. Sabetha pales in comparison; she feels like a girl so desperate to be the queen bee that she fails to see how she can embetter Locke and the other Bastards while still shining beside them, as best shown by Locke and Jean. She works alone now because she was jealous and afraid of being in the Bastards' shadows. While understandable, she is flighty, spooked by her own shadow (not to mention a heartfelt relationship), and I feel she actually brought Locke and Jean down, which does not validate her reasons. She could have been the "Rose of Camorr", but I can see how Locke grew into and became the "Thorn of Camorr" while her works stayed "petty" (as far as we know) and theatrical. The scheme she, Locke, and Jean completed seemed juvenile and lacking gravitas when compared to the previous book where they knowingly crippled a political empire- headfirst.
As a whole, if she were replaced with some other phantom, it wouldn't have diminished the story at all and might have given inspiration for the Bastards' genius. Even my romance fix was sated,
I also was disappointed to have an epic history about Locke suddenly (seriously, bad timing) dropped in; he didn't need his past explained, he simply was, and that's what made him amazing. He turned from a relatable, average guy who gets in above his head (brilliantly!) with lovable foibles (perfect for the Crooked Warden in every way) to some epic magically made entity- that did not better him or the story. Lastly, I would have appreciated more closure with the group as they returned to Chains, their escapades was worth a casual retelling to their benefactor.
This book does not read like an ending, and as the author expertly laces the past with the present, this is a book starting to lace a new future for us readers to enjoy. I'll definitely be in line for a copy, my thoughts of Sabetha aside, and hope to see more clever and thought through schemes that are worthy of the Bastards.
Edit: Just found that book #4, "The Thorn of Emberlain" will be released (as of 5/10/23) in Feb '24 and there are a total of seven books in the series. I'm glad this isn't the end, but I'm worried it might feel like the end of the series.
Edit 2: I've found another book that is a sibling-story to this, but Nevernight by Jay Kristoff shows precisely what Sabetha was trying to be. Mia's surpassed this older woman with flying colors at almost half her age. If you enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lamora, you will absolutely feel right at home with Nevernight.
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Rape, Sexual violence, Vomit, Murder, Body horror, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming and Misogyny
While not an actively combatheavy book, unlike the previous two, there are still some trademark violent and adult themes.foxmulders's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury
memento_morri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual content
itsnotsarah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Drug abuse, and Murder