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court_reads_it_all's review against another edition
The first red flag in the book is the constant description of Amaris' white skin as pure and beautiful, while Nox, the only POC character, is the only one to be whipped. Additionally, Amaris romanticizes life as a farmer or noble man's wife, while Nox tries to protect her friend during a traumatic event. The writing style attempts to mimic Tolkien or C.S. Lewis but falls short, resulting in the book dragging on with chapters dedicated to mundane tasks. Overall, the book is disappointing and only receives one star despite being a gift and on my to-be-read list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Trafficking, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Body shaming, Racism, Abandonment, Bullying, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Classism, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
magic_multicolored_miracle's review against another edition
By this point in the book, not much had happened, and each chapter felt like it was building up to something, only for the next one to skip over it (and usually skip time).
The author's flowery but repetitive descriptions also didn't help, as it felt like this section of the book could probably have been half as long and still conveyed the same amount of information.
From what I read, not a bad book, but not for me (might give it a second chance at another time)
The author's flowery but repetitive descriptions also didn't help, as it felt like this section of the book could probably have been half as long and still conveyed the same amount of information.
From what I read, not a bad book, but not for me (might give it a second chance at another time)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Abandonment, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Trafficking
aquariusvintage's review against another edition
TW: BULLYING, SCHOOL VI0LENCE
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This book and entire series was DNF due to the author's and editor's horrific actions. As other reviewers have stated, this author and editor bullied and harassed readers/reviewers on Goodreads because of their honest feedback on the book. The author and editor took the reviews very personally and were vindictive with the criticism that they received. Author described the incident as a "human moment," which is complete bullshit. Equating someone to a sch00l sh00ter and a ped0phile and saying they have no literary taste is appalling. The reviewer originally gave the book 3 stars and said they enjoyed it! Cj Piper's reaction to criticism and her values are the specific reasons why I will not be supporting this author's work in any way.
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EDIT: TW: Racial trauma, sexual trauma, white saviorism
Upon further reflection, the premise of this series is also very problematic by centering a WOC's trauma and the white saviorism that is reflected throughout the writing.
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This book and entire series was DNF due to the author's and editor's horrific actions. As other reviewers have stated, this author and editor bullied and harassed readers/reviewers on Goodreads because of their honest feedback on the book. The author and editor took the reviews very personally and were vindictive with the criticism that they received. Author described the incident as a "human moment," which is complete bullshit. Equating someone to a sch00l sh00ter and a ped0phile and saying they have no literary taste is appalling. The reviewer originally gave the book 3 stars and said they enjoyed it! Cj Piper's reaction to criticism and her values are the specific reasons why I will not be supporting this author's work in any way.
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EDIT: TW: Racial trauma, sexual trauma, white saviorism
Upon further reflection, the premise of this series is also very problematic by centering a WOC's trauma and the white saviorism that is reflected throughout the writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence
teadancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.75
I Adored This Book. I went into it knowing very little other than that I liked the author's online content and that it was a queer high fantasy book. I have 0 regrets about going in blind! There were twists and turns that I just wasn't expecting that had me putting the book down to process (a good thing) and then jumping back in to see what happened next. I absolutely lost sleep reading this book. I am now (im)patiently waiting for the next book in May! The ONLY reason I didn't give this a full 5 stars is because of some editorial issues that took me out of the book when reading.
A specific things that I appreciate about this book were the description of dissociation and mental health struggles. The characters felt very real in their struggles and coping mechanisms.
One thing that I was less a fan of was how the main characters grew up together in what felt like a sibling "us against the world" dynamic that then moved into a romantic relationship. I'm not a huge fan of this relationship arc, but do see how it works for these characters.
If you are a fan of a morally gray protagonist, coming into their own character arcs, political intrigue, and wonderful queer rep (without it being about being queer) - read this book!!!
One thing that I was less a fan of was how the main characters grew up together in what felt like a sibling "us against the world" dynamic that then moved into a romantic relationship. I'm not a huge fan of this relationship arc, but do see how it works for these characters.
If you are a fan of a morally gray protagonist, coming into their own character arcs, political intrigue, and wonderful queer rep (without it being about being queer) - read this book!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Self harm, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Cursing
Minor: Confinement
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