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beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted to read this book due to the Netflix series that is being made. And I am really late to reading these . . . as always. This book disappointed the hell out of me.
This book starts right where it ended. Alina is being hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold. Alina is trying to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy whilst keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past, or her destiny for long. The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a new power that is terrifying and a dangerous plan that will test the boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight these forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips into the Darkling’s game if forbidden magic and further away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power and the love she always thought would guide her.
This book dragged. It was so disappointing. Mal drove me mental but so did Alina. I think they were just both too self-centre and this book made me understand why everyone obsesses over the Darkling, he made the book so much more interesting. I was so bored trying to wait for the big action or reveal, it was just a lot of Alina’s thoughts which aren’t interesting. I usually hate love triangles, but I felt like this book needed a love triangle, just to give it some complex and drama. I think the bit with Genya was completely rushed and I wanted more of a development with her or a hero arch or something. This book was lacking a lot and could have been chopped by 100 pages and it wouldn’t have missed anything.
If this book was the first one of the series, I probably wouldn’t have carried on with the series, but I must finish the series just to see hopefully more of the tension between Alina and the Darkling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Toxic relationship
hobbitmusings's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship
nmtthews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, War, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual assault
laedyred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
Better than the first in the series, kept my attention. Some of the pace is almost too fast, some events seem too convenient. Possible unpopular opinion: Mal is a prick and she should have chosen Nikolai .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Toxic relationship
rose_88's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Didn’t like this one as much as the first. I loved all the new characters and how they felt with the aftermath of the fist book, but I felt that it went way too fast, with very little descriptions of what they were doing, especially near the end, and it was more like ‘they did this and then they did this.’ Like they were rushing to get to the final battle, very repetitive of the first book where they sped through a lot of action and events to get to the final confrontation. I really liked Mal in the fist book, but I didn’t like how he handles things in this one. I understand that he felt out of place in the Little Palace, but he was very dramatic about it and didn’t even try to talk to Alina till his rage had boiled over. I really liked everything in the beginning on the True Sea and the ships, I really wish there had been more about Nikolai’s crew. Speaking of the crew, I really liked Tolya and Tamar, their beliefs about Alina being a Saint came out of no where for me, looking back I can see the snippets of it littered thoughout. I ADORED Nikolai, and I thought he would have been a much better King than his brother, and was super confused as to how he would become king (I don’t know if he actually does but I hope so) and his brother’s death was just horrifying. Basically all the death and destruction from when the Darkling attacked the Palace was horrible and WTF it was mental.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Alcohol, Violence, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, and Blood
Minor: Dementia and Toxic relationship
onefineelephant's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
8/10. Alina and Mal are both annoying and I don't like them but because they are so annoying, they deserve each other because neither one should be subjected onto anyone else. With that being said, I love Nikolai even if he is a little sh*t. I also really enjoy the twins. I liked how this book had more of a plot than the first one did. Also, I feel like this one was more rich and had more depth than the first one. The ending was jarring but not entirely terrible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Genocide, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Toxic relationship, Death, and Gore
genette's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Mal needs to pull his head out of his ass, and Alina needs to start trusting him more, otherwise that relationship is never going to work.
Forget Team Mal, Team Darkling, or Team Nikolai. I'm Team Alina Gets Her Shit Together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
jomannisto's review against another edition
- Started back at shadow and bone because I really enjoyed six of crows, which was my entry to the Grishaverse.
- Became apparent I am too old for this book as I am pushing 30, and the relationships are really written for teenagers who crave the edginess of ”homely girl next door turns out to be special while Toxic Boy #1 is grossly jealous of Toxic But Ancient Old Man #2 And They Fight Over Her. Toxic Boy #1 does not acknowledge that Homely Protagonist was groomed and sexually harassed.”. Great candidate for a problematic twilight phase for a new gen of emo teens
- Mal turned into the whiniest and broodiest little piece of crap that I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing.
- The magic animal trio suddenly breaking the ”only one amplifier” seems tacked on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual harassment
saoreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Even after all that drama, the heroine was back to square one and it seemed like the story was just repeating like a never-ending cycle. Someone must have loved the villain too much, because reading this can become exhausting after a few chapters. Affairs, way too many affairs, yet it was obvious the characters were set, though it wouldn't miss the chance to make it tiresome to read at some point. There's the drag of influence and the point of view of Alina, who simply can't make up her mind, which adds up to make you vex over it. So far, there haven't been any notable characters to recall, which is a bit disappointing. For the nth time, the continuing chapters were simply dragging. Reading the midmost parts felt like a chore, sadly. For the sake of honing the character, it's unbelievable how there's a crowd of love lines just for one person. Though it was a good read overall, it's not something I'd happily consume for a day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, War, Death, Murder, Sexual harassment, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Violence
dancing_on_ur_muml0l's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
2.0
NAHHHH MAL CAN FUCKING DIE PIECE OF SHIT
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood and Death